Local Enterprise Office Louth

02/11/2026

Webinar Overview

Title: Industrial Electrification: The Path to Higher Efficiency, Lower Energy Costs and Reduced Emissions
Date: Wednesday, 4 November 2026
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Speaker: Enterprise Ireland Sustainability Solutions Team

What will be covered?
The business case for industrial electrification
How electrification can improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs
Technologies such as:
Industrial heat pumps
Electric boilers
Flexible energy systems
Reducing dependence on fossil fuels
Lessons learned from real industrial decarbonisation projects
Available Enterprise Ireland supports and funding pathways
Key considerations when planning and implementing electrification projects
Presenters
Dominic Schone
Keith Whiriskey

Both will draw on Enterprise Ireland's experience supporting decarbonisation projects across the food, drink, and manufacturing sectors.

Why attend?

If you're involved in operations, engineering, sustainability, energy management, or capital projects, the session should provide practical guidance on identifying and evaluating electrification opportunities and understanding the potential return on investment.

Registration

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Co0uESuFSoGehilm1CkFZA #/registration

For someone in manufacturing, this looks particularly useful if you're assessing alternatives to gas- or oil-based process heating and want to understand the current state of industrial heat pump and electric boiler technologies in Ireland.

30/10/2026

Louth Businesses Can Test Product Ideas Free of Charge at Dundalk’s Creative Spark FabLab Funded access to 3D printing, laser cutting and expert support helps local SMEs reduce the risk of investing in new technology

Dundalk, County Louth, [Date]: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across County Louth can now test product ideas and new production processes at no cost, at the Creative Spark Enterprise FabLab in Dundalk. Through FactoryXChange 2.0 (FXC 2.0), a European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) supporting Irish manufacturers, local businesses can access 3D printers, laser cutters and expert product development support before investing in equipment of their own. All Creative Spark services offered through FXC 2.0 are currently 100% funded for eligible businesses.

For many small businesses, the cost of digital fabrication equipment is a major barrier to trying something new. Creative Spark’s Digital Fabrication Feasibility Pathway is designed to remove that risk. A business brings an idea, and the Creative Spark team helps them explore how digital fabrication could solve it, then test whether it works in practice. This means local companies get a clear answer before committing to costly machinery.

“The key benefit of engaging with the Digital Fabrication Feasibility Pathway is de-risking investment,” said Thom Conaty, Growth Manager at Creative Spark. “Because the equipment we have here is very expensive, if you’re thinking of investing in that, you want to be able to say, ‘Yes, this process does work.”

Local businesses can use a wide range of equipment in the FabLab, from Formlabs resin 3D printers for small, high-detail parts to large-format pellet 3D printers and a suite of CO2 laser cutters. Creative Spark also offers a 3D CAD (computer-aided design) for Prototyping and Digital Fabrication service through FXC 2.0, helping businesses develop their ideas into designs ready for production. These services suit Louth SMEs looking to develop a new product, improve an existing part or explore a new way of making things.

Every project is guided by a team experienced in product development and in using each machine. The process starts with a clear brief, developed with the business, and moves on to the machinery and software best suited to the task. Throughout, the focus is on building the business’s own skills, so the knowledge stays with the company once the project is complete.

“A big thing that we’re looking for in clients, and what we hope clients are looking for in us, is an ability to empower them to do the work themselves,” said Carl McAteer, FabLab Technical Manager at Creative Spark.

Getting started is simple. Louth businesses can sign up on the FactoryXChange website at www.factoryxchange.ie and book a call with a Digital Strategist, who will talk through their challenges and connect them directly with the Creative Spark team.

29/10/2026

29/10/2026

🤖 Build Your Own AI Assistant | Online Workshop

Are you spending too much time on repetitive business tasks? Discover how AI can help you work smarter, save time and improve efficiency across your business.

Join Local Enterprise Office Louth for this practical, hands-on workshop where you'll learn how to build a customised AI assistant tailored to your business needs. Whether you want support with marketing, administration, customer service or internal processes, you'll leave with an AI assistant that you can continue using after the workshop.

📅 Tuesday 10th November
⏰ 2.00pm – 5.00pm
💻 Online
💶 €10

What You'll Learn:

✅ How AI assistants work
✅ Identifying the best use cases for your business
✅ Building and customising your own AI assistant
✅ Training your assistant using business information
✅ Testing and refining responses
✅ Using AI safely and securely within your organisation
✅ Creating an AI implementation plan for your business

This workshop is ideal for business owners, managers and employees who want to harness the power of AI to increase productivity and streamline everyday operations.

🎟️ Places are limited. Book your place today.

Book Online: https://www.localenterprise.ie/louth/training-events/online-bookings/build-your-own-ai-assistant-nov-2026.html

29/10/2026

📢 FREE Business Courses at DKIT – Apply Now!

Thinking about developing new skills or exploring new career opportunities? These fully funded courses at DKIT offer a fantastic chance to upskill or reskill this autumn.

📚 Choose from:
✅ Certificate in New Product Development
✅ Certificate in Creativity, Innovation & Teamwork
✅ Certificate in Sales Management & Practice

📅 Starting November 2026 📍 Dundalk Institute of Technology 🕒 Just 1 day per week for 6 weeks

⚠️ Applications close on 30 October, so don't delay!

Learn more and apply today: 👉 www.dkit.ie/study/secba

Links to Course Webpages and Application Forms:

Certificate in Sales Management and Practice
https://www.dkit.ie/courses/certificate-in-sales-management-and-practice

Certificate in New Product Development
https://www.dkit.ie/courses/certificate-in-new-product-development

Certificate in Creativity, Innovation and Teamwork
https://www.dkit.ie/courses/certificate-in-creativity-innovation-and-teamwork

Dundalk Institute of Technology

28/10/2026

🏅 From Sport to Start-Up! 🚀

Are you a full-time sportsperson looking to explore entrepreneurship and turn your skills into a business opportunity?

The Sport to Start-Up Programme, delivered by Local Enterprise Offices in partnership with Sport Ireland, is designed to help athletes develop business knowledge, validate ideas, and create a business plan through a structured online programme.

✅ Weekly online sessions over 3 months
✅ One-to-one mentoring tailored to your business idea
✅ Networking with like-minded participants
✅ Practical modules covering business planning, marketing, finance, sales, and more

📅 Starts: 11 November 2026
⏰ Time: 6.30pm – 9.30pm
💶€100

Book Online: https://www.localenterprise.ie/dlr/dlr/training-events/online-bookings/events/sport-to-start-up-programme-payment-link-november-2026.html

Whether you're ready to launch a business or simply want to understand how businesses operate, this programme provides the tools and support to get started.

Image: Sport Ireland Logo - Sport Ireland Website.

27/10/2026

☕ Secret to Success – Business Breakfast

💡 Want to learn about creating, building and delivering a success story in just 90 minutes?

Now is your opportunity to learn from the best, thanks to the Louth Local Enterprise Office and Drogheda and District Chamber.

📅 Our latest ‘Secrets to Success’ networking event takes place in Townhouse Hotel on Wednesday October 28th from 7.45am to 9.15am.

🎤 It will be an enlightening morning, with contributions from Patrick McCloskey from McCloskeys Bakery, Richard Swales from Paysafe and Dora Jean Gillespie from Starilum.

🥐 How does a bakery remain as fresh as their product after almost 90 years? Meet someone who is Chief Risk & Compliance Officer for a company that has volume transactions of over €148bn per year and how you design an award-winning virtual experience that transcends the music and digital world.

🌟 A morning not to be missed!

🎟️ Chamber Members €20pp. Non-Members €30
Book your place today. Email [email protected]


Sponsored by Local Enterprise Office - Louth

22/10/2026

21/10/2026

We were delighted to attend and be a sponsor of yet another successful Louth Business Awards and Dundalk Chamber

It is always amazing to see businesses develop through time, and particularly from being a start up, which is the category we sponsored this year. Massive congratulations to the winners, Conor McFadden and Aoife Donnelly of First Class Facilities. Well deserved and great things in their future!

17/10/2026

🤝 Disability Job & Training Fair 2026

Local Enterprise Office Louth is delighted to support the Drogheda Disability Job & Training Fair, an event connecting jobseekers with employers, training providers and support organisations from across the region.

Whether you're seeking employment, exploring a career change, returning to work, or looking to develop new skills, this is an excellent opportunity to discover available supports and connect directly with organisations that can help you take the next step.

📅 Friday, 23 October 2026
⏰ 11:00am - 1:00pm
📍 Scotch Hall Shopping Centre, Drogheda, Co. Louth
🎟️ Free Admission

Meet recruiting employers, learn about employment programmes, explore training and education opportunities, and speak with a range of support services, including the Local Enterprise Office.

We look forward to meeting attendees and highlighting the supports available for aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners and those considering self-employment as a career pathway.

👉 Reserve your free place: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/disability-job-and-training-fair-tickets-2002721018478