Sister, Manchester’s £1.7bn innovation district, and Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC), a world-leading incubation space for startups based in Dublin, Ireland, have signed a 12-month Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help local startups scale overseas.
The partnership aims to lower entry barriers for scaling businesses by providing reciprocal workspace access, market entry support, and cross-border network integration across two of Europe’s most dynamic technology hubs.
Building on the 2025 Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester Trade Mission in Dublin, the partnership aims to unlock cross-border commercial potential, strengthening the £2bn Manchester–Dublin corridor by creating clear international expansion pathways for early-stage businesses.
Key features of the agreement include:
- Market Entry and Connections: Broadening connections to help startups access new markets, including launch events for new residents taking up permanent space and network access.
- Reciprocal Desk Access: Providing founders with a base to expand internationally and grow their presence in Manchester and Dublin with low to no overheads. This includes free, short-term workspace at both Sister and the GEC.
- Cross-border collaboration: Knowledge-sharing opportunities with networking and access to free events hosted at Sister and the GEC to connect founders from two thriving innovation capitals.
The partnership bridges two European tech powerhouses to fuel enterprise growth. Manchester is the UK’s largest tech hub outside London, with an economy growing twice the national average. Since launching in 2024, Sister has supported over 80 startups across frontier sectors like AI, climate tech and healthtech.
Dublin remains Europe’s premier tech gateway, anchored by the Silicon Docks which house the biggest tech companies including Google, Meta and Salesforce. Over 25 years, the GEC has supported over 1,500 startups, with its 160 resident businesses generating combined turnover of €140 million in 2025, and €73 million in exports.
Bev Craig, mayor of Greater Manchester said: “The Republic of Ireland is an important partner of Greater Manchester and our relationship continues to go from strength to strength.
“During last year’s trade mission, I had the opportunity to visit the Guinness Enterprise Centre and meet with some of the start-ups it supports. This partnership with our growing innovation ecosystem at Sister will help unlock growth for businesses on both sides of the Irish Sea and strengthen the economic ties between Greater Manchester and Dublin.’’
Liz Bamber, director of place at Sister said: “This partnership is creating a direct bridge between two of Europe’s most exciting tech ecosystems. It’s more than desk sharing – it’s about forging connections that help founders scale faster, access new markets and unlock new investment opportunities. Through Sister, Dublin-based businesses can access world-class talent and support through the University of Manchester’s innovation arm – Unit M – as well as our wider network. We’re excited to deepen our ties to Ireland and power international startup growth.”
Niamh Collins, centre director, Guinness Enterprise Centre said: “At the Guinness Enterprise Centre, we want to help our resident companies to find success not just in Ireland, but anywhere across the globe. For an early-stage company that is scaling abroad, having trusted partners and a ready-made network on the ground can make a real difference.
“This partnership with Sister gives our founders a practical landing point in one of the UK’s most exciting innovation ecosystems, while opening the door for Manchester-based startups to make a mark in Ireland through the GEC’s network. We are delighted to build on the strong relationship between our two cities and create a two-way pathway that helps promising businesses to build connections to Ireland, and helps Irish start-ups to scale internationally.”
Joe Manning, managing director at Invest Manchester, concluded: “Greater Manchester has built a reputation as a city region where innovation thrives, and businesses are supported to grow. This agreement between Sister and Guinness Enterprise Centre will give startups the practical support to explore new markets, build new partnerships and accelerate their growth. It is exactly the kind of international collaboration that helps strengthen our innovation economy and create opportunities for the future.”
The announcement marks Sister’s second official partnership in Ireland, following an agreement signed earlier this year with Galway’s Platform94. Irish tech businesses currently benefiting from Sister’s expanding ecosystem include adtech platform Buymedia and sports tech company ClubZap.
