NovaUCD has been acknowledged as considered one of Europe’s main startup hubs for the second yr in a row. The 2025 rating showcases the highest 150 startup hubs throughout Europe. NovaUCD is considered one of solely 5 startup hubs in Eire to be included within the record and the one university-based hub in Eire to obtain this recognition.
Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD vice-president for analysis, innovation, and affect, expressed her delight at NovaUCD’s inclusion within the rating. She mentioned, “This recognition highlights our dedication to enjoying a key position in Eire’s innovation and data alternate ecosystem. Via NovaUCD’s actions, we concentrate on establishing new ventures, supporting and scaling high-tech startups, and fostering corporations with worldwide potential.
The rating course of concerned figuring out about 3,000 startup hubs from 38 European international locations as potential candidates.
These hubs have been invited to submit on-line functions.
NovaUCD’s startup success
To be eligible, hubs needed to have not less than one bodily base inside Europe, have been in operation since not less than 2020, and provide not less than one incubation or accelerator program.
The rating standards have been primarily based on alumni survey responses, suggestions from exterior consultants resembling traders and teachers, and the observe document of the hub, notably the success of startups concerned of their applications. Since its institution in 2003, UCD has supported greater than 600 corporations and early-stage ventures by means of NovaUCD’s providers and assist applications, together with devoted accelerator applications. NovaUCD delivers annual accelerator applications such because the AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme, the AI Ecosystem Accelerator, the NovaUCD Pupil Enterprise Competitors, and the UCD VentureLaunch Accelerator.
NovaUCD additionally companions with IADT Media Dice to ship an Enterprise Eire funded New Frontiers Programme and is a member of the ESA BIC Eire consortium. Along with NovaUCD, which ranked 117th, different Irish startup hubs included within the 2025 rating are Catalyst (ranked 94th in Belfast), Dogpatch Labs (ranked twentieth), Furthr (ranked 88th), and Republic of Work (ranked forty ninth). UnternehmerTUM in Munich, Germany, secured the highest spot within the total rating.
The UK has the very best variety of ranked hubs with 29, adopted by Germany with 19 and Spain with 17.
Picture by; Headway on Unsplash
