A sod-turning ceremony has been held to mark the beginning of construction on Tallaght's new state of the art Innovation Centre.

The Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke TD, joined the Mayor of South Dublin County, Cllr Peter Kavanagh, and the Chief Executive of South Dublin County Council in Tallaght to mark the beginning of this exciting Council-led initiative.

Speaking at the sod-turning, Minister Burke said: "I am delighted to be in Tallaght today to turn the sod on this very exciting development. The Innovation Centre that will be built here will provide a significant boost for startups in South Dublin County and aid their development and growth. I commend South Dublin County Council and the Local Enterprise Office for their initiative in developing this centre and in their vision to support startup enterprise."

This €14 million project will see the development of a four-storey 2,980msq building of significant architectural merit that provides three floors of flexible office accommodation to support start-up enterprises. The Innovation Centre can accommodate up to 60 businesses and within the building, there will be a public area on the ground floor with town hall space and a café, complete with co-working space and lettable offices in various sizes on the upper floors of the building, with the Innovation Centre fronting directly onto a new urban plaza.

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The Innovation Centre is one part of a new urban district called Innovation Quarter Tallaght that is being developed by the Council that also includes a new Affordable Housing Scheme, Innovation Square, as well as Tallaght District Heating network.

The delivery of the Innovation Centre will also compliment current investment of over €80m in infrastructure projects underway in Tallaght, such as the delivery of a new Heritage Centre, the completion of Tallaght Stadium bringing it to 10,000-seater capacity and a major public realm enhancement programme for Tallaght Town Centre.

The Innovation Centre will play a major role in developing start-up enterprises and contributing to the Dublin economy, providing cutting edge facilities, a range of start-up programmes, including training, mentoring, funding supports and skills development, wherein the longer-term, this new facility will support the creation of over 700 jobs, which will be worth €80m to the economy.

Daniel McLoughlin, Chief Executive of South Dublin County Council, added: "The Tallaght Innovation Centre is a significant addition to the support and development infrastructure for micro and small enterprises in the county. The centre will form a core part of the progression pathways open to start-up and growing businesses in South Dublin. Our Local Enterprise Office, which has actively supported and engaged with over 3,600 enterprises and entrepreneurs, will work closely with businesses in the Innovation Centre to drive their development and scalability, creating more opportunities for the citizens of South Dublin County."

The Innovation Centre is set to be completed in 2023.