CREW CEO Niamh Costello Unveils Ireland’s First-Ever Creative Economy Summit: Edge26 Set to Transform Galway into Global Innovation Hub

In an exclusive interview, CREW CEO Niamh Costello has revealed ambitious plans to position Galway as the epicenter of Ireland’s creative economy with the launch of Edge26, described as “Ireland’s first-ever creative economy summit” scheduled for May 2026.

Based in Galway’s Atlantic Technological University (ATU) School of Creative Arts and Media, CREW (Creative Enterprise West) represents a bold new chapter in Ireland’s innovation landscape. Founded as a not-for-profit organization by the Western Development Commission and ATU, with crucial funding support from Enterprise Ireland, this relatively young innovation and enterprise hub is already making waves in the digital creative sector.

“What we’re talking about here is incredibly broad,” Costello explains when discussing the scope of the digital creative sector. “We’re encompassing everything from film and TV production, animation, immersive content creation, music technology, to digital design. It’s a vast ecosystem that we’re nurturing and growing.”

Since opening its doors in April 2024 and launching its strategic vision in May of the following year, CREW has established itself as a powerhouse for creative entrepreneurship. The organization’s mission focuses on strengthening the digital creative start-up ecosystem throughout Ireland’s west and north-west regions, facilitating connections, scaling opportunities, and fostering collaboration among creative enterprises.

The hub’s regional impact is already measurable. With approximately 85 professionals currently based at the CREW facility, last year alone saw 38 companies successfully navigate five different incubation programs. These programs provide comprehensive support covering product-market fit identification, audience development, commercialization strategies, investment acquisition, and scaling operations.

While Galway serves as CREW’s home base, Costello emphasizes the organization’s broader mandate. “We do have a regional and national remit through our agreement with Enterprise Ireland,” she notes. This expansive vision has led to partnerships with institutions including the Institute of Art, Design & Technology (IADT), University of Galway, and ATU, creating a robust network of creative and technological expertise.

Edge26: A Revolutionary Gathering at the Crossroads of Creativity and Technology

The upcoming Edge26 summit represents CREW’s most ambitious undertaking to date. Scheduled for May 21, 2026, at Galway’s state-of-the-art Dexcom Stadium, the event carries the compelling tagline: “Where creative industries, technology and enterprise converge.”

“This will be the first event of its kind in Ireland,” Costello declares with evident pride. “We’re focusing on the fact that we’re on the edge of Europe, we’re on the Atlantic edge, and that we can grow a creative industry sector from here to be globally significant.”

The decision to create Edge26 stems from a critical observation about the creative industries landscape. “The creative industries can be quite fragmented,” Costello explains. “You have multiple departments, various agencies supporting different sub-sectors, and within each sub-sector, there are very strong industry representative bodies and conferences. But there was no overarching event bringing together all the different groups within the commercial creative industries.”

This fragmentation represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Costello points to the rapid pace of technological change, particularly highlighting artificial intelligence’s transformative impact on creative industries. “The speed of change is so rapid, it’s the same in tech. There’s so much opportunity, but there’s also a lot of challenges.”

Edge26 aims to address these challenges by creating a unique convergence point for the entire creative economy ecosystem. The summit will bring together policymakers, investors, start-ups, and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in unprecedented collaboration. “We want to look at where we are now within the west and the north-west of Ireland and Ireland as a whole, where the opportunities are,” Costello says.

The event’s programming reflects this comprehensive approach. Attendees can expect an immersive technologies zone showcasing cutting-edge creative technologies, a dynamic expo featuring innovative creative solutions, specialized activities and networking opportunities tailored for start-ups, and substantive policy discussions addressing sector-wide challenges and opportunities.

“Of course we will have great international speakers too,” Costello adds, “but overall it’s really about collaboration and trying to bring everybody together.”

The choice of venue—Galway’s new Dexcom Stadium—symbolizes the summit’s ambitious vision. This modern facility will provide the perfect backdrop for discussions about Ireland’s creative future while showcasing the country’s growing infrastructure capabilities.

As Edge26 approaches, Costello is deeply involved in curating the speaker roster, ensuring representation from across the creative economy spectrum. The goal is to create meaningful dialogue about what needs to happen to deliver on “the huge potential for growing the sector.”

With Ireland’s creative industries already contributing significantly to the national economy, Edge26 represents a pivotal moment in the sector’s evolution. By bringing together diverse stakeholders in one room to address shared challenges and opportunities, CREW is positioning Galway—and Ireland—as a global leader in creative enterprise innovation.

The summit’s timing is particularly significant given the rapid technological changes reshaping creative industries worldwide. From AI-driven content creation to immersive technologies transforming storytelling, the creative economy stands at a fascinating inflection point. Edge26 aims to be the catalyst that helps Ireland’s creative sector navigate this transformation successfully.

For those interested in being part of this groundbreaking event, registration details are available at www.edgesummit.ie. As the creative economy continues to evolve at breakneck speed, Edge26 promises to be an essential gathering for anyone invested in the future of creative enterprise in Ireland and beyond.

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