Ireland has world-class supports and Pathway to Innovate ensures expanding SMEs engage with this ecosystem strategically, confidently and at the right time. At its core, Pathway to Innovate delivers real value through tailored Access: access to the right people, access to the right supports, access to funding pathways, access to the wider ecosystem.
Half-day, in-person. Held at regional hubs across Ireland. Intimate group setting with peers.
Connect with a dedicated point of contact to support your journey. Work with experienced facilitators and fellow SME owners facing similar challenges.
Your personalised 90-day plan with a direct point of contact and introductions to other pathways and external support agencies.
Your clinic links directly to the wider ecosystem and for those ready, the Strategic Programm.
Pathway to Innovate equips established, growth-oriented SMEs (typically 3+ years operating, €1m+ revenue, 10–50 employees) with the clarity, structure, and connections needed to embed innovation at the core of their business strategy.
If you’re serious about growing your business, it starts with a plan, a focused, practical 90-day action plan tailored to your priorities.
Kick off your journey by diagnosing what really matters. In this hands-on, expert-led clinic, you’ll clarify your key challenges, uncover immediate opportunities, and define a clear roadmap for the next 90 days. You’ll leave with practical direction and a sharper understanding of where to focus.
From there, connect into a wider ecosystem of supports from expert guidance and peer learning to relevant partners and resources, ensuring you’re not navigating your growth journey alone.
As you implement your plan, continue to evolve. Build capability, adapt your approach, and unlock new opportunities through ongoing engagement with the community, supports, and innovation-led initiatives available to you.
Pathway to Innovate is led by senior leaders with deep, extensive commercial and innovation experience. With expertise spanning high-growth SMEs, multinationals, and national support structures including Skillnet Innovation Exchange and IRDG, they combine practical insight in commercial strategy, partnership development, ecosystem building, and innovation execution.
This ensures Pathway to Innovate helps SMEs confidently navigate Ireland’s innovation ecosystem, connect with enterprise partners, and turn innovation ambition into tangible growth.
Resilience. Competitiveness. Growth. These are not outcomes by chance — they are built through deliberate innovation. Ireland has world-class supports across Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), Skillnet Business Networks and others. Pathway to Innovate ensures expanding SMEs engage with this ecosystem strategically, confidently and at the right time.
Pathway to Innovate Clinics are delivered by the IRDG Innovation Skillnet.
IRDG is Ireland’s leading independent, not-for-profit, business-led innovation network, focused on strengthening research, development and innovation capability since 1992. With deep cross-sector expertise and long-standing industry credibility, IRDG brings practical, expert-led innovation capability building to Irish enterprises.
Through these clinics, participating SMEs develop a clear, leadership-aligned 90-day innovation action plan, translating strategic discussion into structured next steps and sustained momentum.
Pathway to Innovate combines leadership insight, ecosystem connection and IRDG’s innovation expertise to help SMEs move forward with clarity, confidence and measurable progress.
Turn your priorities into action with a customised 90-day plan, backed by a dedicated expert who keeps you on track and connects you to the right supports and external partners to accelerate progress.
For SMEs ready to move beyond early-stage innovation and into structured, high-impact growth, the Strategic Innovation & Entrepreneurship Programme offers a clear, supported pathway to turn ambition into measurable results. Available to just 12 companies, this intensive 10-week programme is designed to accelerate progress, helping leadership teams sharpen strategy, validate opportunities, and move decisively from ideas to execution.
If you can answer yes to all four of these questions, Pathway to Innovate could be the next successful step for your business.
Register for upcoming Pathway to Innovate events now.
Pathway to Innovate is designed for established, growth-oriented SMEs (typically 3+ years operating, €1m+ revenue, 10–50 employees) who are ready to grow with structure. By aligning business ambition with the right supports, Pathway To Innovate strengthens individual companies — and Ireland’s innovation system as a whole.
In addition to Innovation Clinics a series of in-person workshops & engagements including webinars will be scheduled across the year
Discover some of the ways in which Pathway to Innovate will inspire and support regional SMEs to energise and grow their businesses.
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Pathway to Innovate is brought to you by Skillnet Ireland in partnership with Skillnet Business Networks and National Initiatives.
