Almost £600,000 Ballyclare business hub opens with ambition to support 200 start-ups
Ledcom Foundry; Pictured are (L-R) Michael McKenna, Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, Catherine Anderson, Ledcom, Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Henry Cushinan, Ken Nelson MBE, Ledcom, Steve Norris, Antrim and Newtownabbey Council.
Monday 09 November 2026
A business hub backed by almost £600,000 of investment has opened in Ballyclare, providing workspace for start-ups and growing firms with a ten-year ambition to help 200 businesses get started.
Businesses have already moved into SPACE Ballyclare at LEDCOM Foundry, which has transformed Foundry House through a partnership between local enterprise organisation LEDCOM and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.
The council contributed £300,000 through its Workspace Development Fund. The centre officially opened on Friday 6 November, with local businesses, elected representatives, partners and community representatives attending the launch.
Workspace for new and growing businesses
Ledcom Foundry MLAs Cllrs: Pictured are (L-R) John Blair MLA, Steve Aiken MLA, Cllr Vera McWilliams, Cllr Michael Stewart, Mayor Cllr Hnery Cushinan, Ken Nelson MBE, Ledcom, Cllr Helen Magill, Pam Cameron MLA, Trevor Clarke MLA, Cllr Jeannie Archibald Brown.
The two-storey building has around 9,100 square feet of accommodation, including offices, meeting and conference facilities and an expanded mezzanine level.
The redevelopment includes upgraded offices, improvements to movement through and access to the building, and upgraded heating and building services.
It is the second site to open under the council’s SPACE brand, following SPACE Antrim.
Ken Nelson MBE, Chief Executive of LEDCOM, said:
“We now have a permanent, modern hub in the town where start-ups and growing businesses can find the workspace, support and networks they need.”
Ten-year targets for businesses and employment
Ledcom Foundry; Catherine Anderson, Ledcom, Michael McKenna, Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, Ken Nelson MBE, Ledcom and Steve Norris, Antrim and Newtownabbet Council.
Over the next decade, the centre aims to help 200 businesses start up and create approximately 300 jobs, while supporting 200 individuals into employment through support programmes.
The project’s forecasts also include an economic impact of more than £8 million, with £1 million recirculated into the wider Antrim and Newtownabbey economy. These are projected benefits, rather than outcomes already delivered.
In its first two years, the project is expected to safeguard 10 jobs and create a further 15 through businesses taking space at the centre. LEDCOM reports further enquiries from prospective tenants.
Further workspace being explored
Ledcom Foundry Ken Nelson with Cllrs; Ken Nelson MBE with (L-R) Cllr Vera McWilliams, Cllr Michael Stewart, Mayor Cllr Hnery Cushinan, Cllr Helen Magill, and Cllr Jeannie Archibald Brown.
Mr Nelson said LEDCOM was also working with the council and the Local Economic Partnership on future managed workspace facilities for the Ballyclare area.
He said:
“We want to help encourage business start ups, business expansions and attract businesses to the area.”
The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Henry Cushinan, said:
“With the growth of the Ballyclare area, this centre will provide the kind of facilities a growing population needs, and I am confident that even more entrepreneurs will choose the town as their base.”
How businesses can find out more
Established in 1985, LEDCOM provides lettable workspace at four properties: Willowbank Business Park and Bank Road Business Park in Larne, and SPACE Ballyclare and the Work Cube in Ballyclare.
For businesses considering a base in the town, the newly opened centre offers office accommodation alongside meeting facilities and enterprise support.
Enquiries about space at SPACE Ballyclare at LEDCOM Foundry can be made through www.ledcom.org.
