Monaghan goes high-tech with M:TEK Building

The new M:TEK Building located outside Monaghan town has recently been completed and technology companies are rapidly moving in to fill the units in this 22,000 sq ft state-of-the- art centre.

Designed specifically for technology companies the building at Knockaconny has computer floors and access to fibre optic cables. There is a similar sister building in Armagh A:TEK and the resulting Armagh Monaghan Digital Corridor is part of a North/South Strategy to provide sustainable Information Technology employment in the Armagh and Monaghan areas.

John McEntegart CEO of Monaghan County Enterprise Board and Secretary of Monaghan County Enterprise Fund who spearheaded the project said: "The beauty of the M:TEK Building is that it caters for technology companies of all sizes from small start-up companies to large companies who work both North and South of the border.

"It is perfect for Dublin companies as a satellite office to decentralize their activities thus avoiding the gridlock of Dublin traffic and it is also ideal for Northern Irish companies to gain a foothold in the Euro zone."

Local education and training institutions North and South of the border have pledged their commitment to providing courses and training programmes tailored to the needs of Technology Business. They include FÁS and Monaghan Vocational Education Committee and these are establishing links with the Institute of Technologies in Dundalk and Dublin and Queen’s University and the T&EA in Armagh.

Among the companies who have just moved into the M:TEK Building are: Belfast based FIN Engineering who have chosen M:TEK as the platform for their Euro zone strategy; Independent Mix , an Internet company which provides a board range of web services; DairyStock which advertises pedigree diary stock on the world-wide-web; and New Ways of Working, a company which provides E-Work Consultancy and Training and E-Learning Services over the Internet.

"Our competitively priced units can be sized according to a client's requirements and the availability of grant aid and loan funds make locating in the M:TEK Building an attractive choice for technology companies, " added Mr McEntegart. "The availability of an educated workforce and also working in a rural backdrop make this an opportunity not to be missed."

(SP)