This week on Bay Business, Breda Fox is joined by Marie Donnellan.
Marie Donnellan is CEO of Platform94 — formerly the Galway Technology Centre — one of Ireland's most successful and enduring enterprise hubs, based in Mervue, Galway. Founded in 1994 in the wake of the Digital Equipment Corporation closure, Platform94 has since supported over 500 companies, facilitated 4,500 jobs, and delivered more than €1.3 billion in economic value to the West of Ireland region.
A Clare woman by background, Marie brought to the CEO role a career shaped by senior positions at EY, where she developed deep expertise in strategy, financial advisory and organisational leadership. Her appointment marked a new chapter for Platform94 — one defined by international ambition, physical expansion, and a deepened focus on helping Irish-owned technology companies scale globally.
Under her leadership, Platform94 completed a €5.2 million building extension in 2024, adding significant new capacity to its Mervue campus, which is now home to over 60 companies and more than 600 people. Its Enterprise Ireland-supported International Scaling Program is actively connecting West of Ireland companies to global markets.
In this episode, Marie talks about what it takes to build a technology business from Galway — and why the West of Ireland's best days in enterprise are still ahead.
Galway 360 on Galway Bay FM
Discover Galway through a fresh daily lens with Galway 360, a series of themed 10-minute segments airing every weekday as part of FYI Galway at 5:45pm, with extended podcast versions available on our app and website. From business and tech to youth culture and Irish language stories, each feature brings you closer to the people, ideas, and events shaping Galway today.
