IRELAND. A hub dedicated to assisting start-up aviation and travel tech companies is to launch at Shannon Airport.
Datalex, a digital commerce platform provider for travel retailers, is among the partners, along with Shannon Group’s International Aviation Services Centre (IASC), DCU Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurs and aerospace company Boeing.
The ‘Propeller Shannon’ partnership, described as an “incubator for start-ups”, was announced at the Paris Air Show today (20 June).
“Given Shannon’s remarkable heritage and the human capital we have in aerospace, this new start-up hub is a natural step for us,” said IASC Managing Director Patrick Edmond.
“Over the years, Shannon has been home to innovations such as the world’s first duty free and the first free zone, as well as GPA, who pioneered the aircraft leasing industry. I’m delighted that global aviation leaders Boeing and Datalex have agreed to partner with us and with DCU Ryan Academy to help us realise our ambition to make Shannon home to a new generation of aviation entrepreneurs.”
Datalex CEO Aidan Brogan commented: “We are committed to the investment and support of technology innovation that allows our airline customers to better compete in today’s digital economy.
“In partnership with JetBlue Technology Ventures, Datalex Labs currently provides expert mentorship and access to its API Airways APIs for over 15 start-ups in San Francisco. We hope to grow and extend our engagement with new innovative start-ups in Ireland.”
Full details on the next phase of the initiative will be announced in the coming weeks, the partners said.
Shannon Airport recently unveiled a bust celebrating the memory of the founder of airport duty free, Dr. Brendan O’Regan, on the 100th anniversary of his birth. The “innovator, entrepreneur and, ultimately, great man” was celebrated in a recent edition of The Moodie Davitt e-Zine, which can be read here.
