The Maynooth University spin-out specialises in collaborative and evidence-informed decision-making for the planning and development sector.
Justin Gleeson and Eoghan McCarthy are both tech-driven geographers and planners by profession. The pair first met while running a social science research institute at Maynooth University.
Both Gleeson and McCarthy have also been a part of the All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO) for the better part of the past two decades, with the former leading the group as its director, and the later as its lead data analyst.
A considerable amount of data analysis goes into planning and development – often lending heavily into the time it takes to make these expensive decisions.
And given their decades-long expertise in this sector, the pair decided to launch their own consultancy start-up in 2021 to support social, economic and community development.
Aptly named People and Place, our latest Start-up of the Week is a Maynooth University spin-out, specialising in collaborative and evidence-informed decision-making for the planning and development sector.
Essentially, helping organisations better make public policy decisions through spatial data analysis.
In the four years since launching, the start-up already counts among it some big clients, including the GAA, the HSE, Udaras na Gaeltachta and the Arts Council, consulting the institutions on a wide range of “culturally significant” projects, as Gleeson – who is also the company’s managing director – puts it.
“Analytics and communications through data storytelling is at the core [of the company],” he says.
“[Our] team designs visualisation platforms as a means of telling the story about the people and place across Ireland and beyond”.
The start-up is headquartered in Ennis Chamber i-Hub in Clare, with team members based across Kildare, Kerry and Galway.
According to Gleeson, their start-up is “second to none” when it comes to understanding social, demographic, environmental and economic data.
The team at People and Place has expertise in various disciplines, such as spatial planning, geography, social and environmental analysis, applied mathematics and graphic design, he says.
The company has been recruiting directly from a Masters’ programme at Maynooth University, adding fresh blood into the company. Gleeson says the fresh graduates “come with a built-in passion” for the work they do.
The start-up has also received support from Maynooth Works, the University’s start-up incubator, in getting set up, where some of its staff is also based.
To tell a story through data, the team at People and Place utilise analytics tools such as the ESRI ArcGIS, Tableau and Power BI, among other visualisation platforms, allowing them to showcase trends and patterns that lead to “smarter” evidence-based decisions.
Gleeson says that the start-up has been successful in rolling out projects using these platforms and develops tools and dashboards that its clients “can actually use” in their decision-making.
Gleeson explains that the company interprets a wide range of results and data points so that they can “fully tell the real and lives experience on the ground”.
“We’re not just about numbers – we’re about telling the story behind the data,” he reiterates.
Currently, the start-up is building a clientele in Ireland, aiming to place itself as a trusted partner for organisations that use spatial data in their planning process.
“Building a reputation takes time, especially in a field like spatial data and analytics where trust and technical credibility are essential,” Gleeson says. Ultimately, the start-up hopes to expand its reach across Europe.
Earlier this year, People and Place was awarded the Analytics and AI (artificial intelligence) SME of the Year prize by the Analytics Institute in Ireland, a professional body in the country promoting the field of data science.
On the other hand, the start-up has applied for funding from the European Space Agency to develop a new land classification and monitoring system.
“While investment, through both financial and technical aids, is important, we are also interested in building up new technology partnerships and this is something we plan to work on over the coming eighteen months,” Gleeson says.
The start-up is also growing its team and hopes to bring in people who not only have the requisite technical skills, but who also understand the importance of storytelling through data.
However, this has proven a tad challenging for the company, according to Gleeson. But recruiting directly out of Maynooth helps, he adds.
But all things said, the start-up scene in Ireland is “full of potential,” according to Gleeson.
“There’s strong support for innovation, particularly in the tech and data sectors, with a growing number of initiatives, accelerators, and funding opportunities aimed at helping early-stage companies grow.”
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