TL;DR: OpenAI has launched ‘OpenAI for Ireland’ in partnership with the Irish Government, Dogpatch Labs and Patch. The initiative includes an SME Booster programme with hands-on AI training launching in 2026, startup support through Dogpatch Labs, and a three-year partnership with Patch supporting young founders aged 16-21. Over one million Irish people already use ChatGPT weekly.
Strategic AI Partnership Announced
OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon announced the ‘OpenAI for Ireland’ initiative in Dublin alongside Irish Government ministers and partner organisations. The programme aims to help Irish SMEs and founders capitalise on AI opportunities for growth and innovation, building on Ireland’s position as one of Europe’s most dynamic digital economies.
The initiative focuses on three core pillars: SME capability building, startup ecosystem support, and youth development. With over one million Irish people—from college students to entrepreneurs—already using ChatGPT weekly, the programme seeks to transform this engagement into tangible business outcomes and technological leadership.
SME Booster Programme and Government Collaboration
OpenAI and the Department for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment will launch an ‘SME Booster’ programme in 2026, delivering hands-on AI skills training for SMEs nationally. The programme combines frontier AI technology access, live workshops, and real-time mentoring to help businesses reduce costs, improve productivity, and drive growth.
Free online training will be provided through the OpenAI Academy, supplemented with specialised AI literacy training. Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers T.D. highlighted that the partnerships will support economic growth whilst helping Ireland compete globally, aligning with the recently launched Digital Public Services Plan 2030.
Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke T.D. emphasised the importance of industry-government collaboration during rapid technological change, commending OpenAI’s initiatives for building startup capabilities in advanced technologies to drive investment and wealth creation.
OpenAI will work closely with the Irish Government as it refreshes its National AI Strategy and prepares to host the EU AI Summit during Ireland’s EU Council Presidency in 2026.
Startup Ecosystem and Youth Development
For early-stage founders, OpenAI has partnered with Dogpatch Labs—Ireland’s leading startup hub and home of the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) Accelerator. The collaboration will deliver practical workshops and hands-on sessions for entrepreneurs, connecting Irish startups to OpenAI’s experts and tools to build AI products from Ireland for European and global markets.
Patrick Walsh, CEO of Dogpatch Labs, stated that Ireland has a unique opportunity to become a European hub for AI entrepreneurship by connecting builders with necessary tools, mentorship, and networks.
OpenAI has also entered a three-year partnership with Patch, a non-profit supporting founders aged 16-21. This will expand Patch’s summer programme, fellowships, finance grants, and mentoring, enabling young builders to learn coding, prototyping, and early-stage AI product development aligned with Ireland’s skills and innovation agenda.
Dublin Operations Expansion
The initiatives build on OpenAI’s long-term commitment to Ireland. The company’s European headquarters in Dublin now employs more than 50 people across governance, privacy engineering, safety, go-to-market, and legal functions. OpenAI confirmed continued investment and growth in its Irish presence to support nationwide AI adoption.
Jason Kwon noted that with a million people using ChatGPT weekly, the Irish clearly understand AI’s value. He stated that AI can both enhance traditional SMEs and serve as the foundation for a new generation of Irish tech entrepreneurs, with OpenAI for Ireland supporting government ambitions to make the country a leader in responsible and beneficial AI use.
Source: OpenAI