To start, could you give us a brief overview of your business and the role it plays within your industry?
Nucleo is an advisory and technology consultancy with expertise across three core areas: Enterprise Solutions, Data & AI, and ESG & Sustainability. While our team has decades of experience, we launched in 2019 with a mission to be the most effective client-side partner for transformative delivery.
We’re a growing firm with big ambitions, offering what we believe is a more collaborative, partnership-led alternative to the traditional consulting model. Rather than parachuting in to deliver a report and leave, we work alongside clients to understand their challenges, problem-solve together, and deliver transformations that stick - from asset management systems and ERP rollouts to AI automation and ESG strategy.
How would you characterise the current business landscape in Dublin — and how is it evolving?
Right now, two of the biggest buzzwords are AI and ESG, but what underpins success in both is data. Many businesses are experimenting with AI, but haven’t yet identified use cases that deliver profitability or operational efficiency. ESG, meanwhile, has been treated as an afterthought in too many cases.
The EU Omnibus delays highlighted a growing gap between companies treating ESG as strategy and those approaching it as a box-ticking exercise. ESG shouldn’t be a reporting add-on; it should be part of a company’s core strategy.
We’re also seeing increasing system sprawl. Businesses have invested in best-in-class tools, but still struggle to connect them. What’s needed now is a joined-up, data-driven approach, one that pulls information from across the business into a single source of truth, rather than just adding another tool to the stack.
What strategies or practices have you put in place to drive innovation across your organisation?
Last year, we launched our internal innovation sessions, “In-nuc-vation”. It was a chance for everyone across the business, from analysts through to senior team members, to pitch new ideas.
Teams of around 14 people came together to discuss new ideas, with 10 being presented overall in a Dragons’ Den-style format to the board.
It brought people out of their day-to-day and gave quieter voices a chance to shine. It also generated excitement around ideas and brought us closer as a company. Our next step is to follow through on the ideas and run it again later this year.
When it comes to attracting and retaining top talent, how competitive is the landscape — and how are you navigating it?
It’s definitely a competitive market, but we think what we’ve built at Nucleo is something special. As an employer, we’re attracting good talent - we’re competitive in our packages, but more importantly, culturally it’s a good place to work. Our culture is built on collaboration, support, and community. We’re not a cold, dog-eat-dog type of consultancy. People help each other out here and that’s what really differentiates us.
Remote working changed how people experience culture, and as we grew, it became harder to maintain that Nucleo identity. That’s why our new office on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay is so important. We believe that every tribe needs a temple – our new office gives us a centre, a space to connect, and a better environment for learning, especially for new joiners and grads.
Looking ahead, what do you see as the most pressing challenges facing Dublin-based businesses in 2025?
Housing remains one of the biggest challenges for businesses in Dublin. The lack of affordable accommodation is making it harder to attract talent from outside of Dublin to come and work in the city. You can see new developments going up, but for many people, the housing market still feels out of reach. If we want Dublin to remain a vibrant, competitive business hub, we need to ensure people can afford to live and build lives here.
Beyond infrastructure, businesses are also facing the challenge of translating operational efficiencies into real business value, particularly when it comes to AI adoption. There’s a lot of experimentation happening, but only a fraction of organisations are seeing measurable gains.
How has your engagement with Dublin Chamber supported your business goals or strategic direction?
We’re still in the early days of our membership, having joined at the start of the year, but the engagement so far has been positive.
We recently sponsored a Dinner in Camera event, which was a great opportunity to raise awareness of Nucleo and what we do. It’s great to see the Chamber being so open to new members and giving growing firms the chance to get their name out there.
As a consultancy, we’re all about building relationships. Joining Dublin Chamber has opened the door to new conversations, new communities, and valuable networking opportunities, which is key for us.