Leitrim's Hive enterprise hub surpasses targets with 24 businesses and 100 jobs

By Jed Nykolle Harme

June 09, 2026

Photo Credits: Irish Independent

A Co Leitrim enterprise hub that opened with a single client in 2013 now supports 24 businesses and over 100 jobs, as reported by the Irish Independent.

The Hive, formally known as Leitrim's Technology Enterprise Hub and located on the Dublin Road in Carrick on Shannon, provides enterprise space, training and meeting rooms, podcast and media recording facilities, vehicle charging, and co-working space to a regular membership of 109 people, with additional casual and seasonal users.

Business development manager Colm Keane at Leitrim County Enterprise Fund said the hub has surpassed all expectations and is widely used by the local community, including business networks, sports clubs, and community groups.

Keane said that while enterprise-level high-speed broadband remained a key draw for clients when the hub launched, the focus has since shifted. "Over time, the focus has shifted towards other benefits such as video and in person conference facilities, podcast and media recording, vehicle charging, reception services, events, meetings and the personal interactions and relationships with other colleagues and members in the centre," he said.

The hub's flexible spatial model allows businesses to scale within the facility without operational disruption. Keane said several businesses have moved to larger spaces within the centre as they grew, with no visible change for their customers, and that the ultimate goal is to see clients outgrow the space entirely and move to larger premises locally.

On sustainability, Keane noted recent investments in solar arrays, LED lighting, and biodiversity initiatives, adding that the hub is working toward carbon neutral status through further development in micro-generation and energy storage.

A second hub, The Junction Hub, opened in Ballinamore in 2022, reviving a derelict school building. Keane said The Junction Hub is now home to four permanent businesses, all of which have increased headcount since relocating there, and has provided co-working space to over 50 people on a full or part-time basis.

The Leitrim hubs form part of the Connected Hubs national network of over 400 hubs across Ireland, which together offer more than 5,000 desks and 620 meeting rooms, led by the Western Development Commission.

Read the full report on The Hive's growth and the future of Leitrim's enterprise hubs.