The Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys, TD, today launched the West Regional Enterprise Plan, the third of nine Enterprise Plans, to support enterprise growth and job creation in the region through collaborative initiatives. She was joined at the launch event by Minister of State for the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, Seán Kyne TD.
The Regional Enterprise Plan for the West is focused around six Strategic Objectives that build on the region's strengths and address vulnerabilities; these include achieving further development and growth in life sciences, agri-tech, tourism and the creative sector, as well as strengthening the regional ecosystem in relation to skills availability and enterprise space.
"Notwithstanding this huge success, it is clear that there are new challenges emerging for enterprises in the external environment. Through this Regional Enterprise Plan, the region can adopt a leadership position through driving initiatives from the ground-up.
"As part of Project Ireland 2040, the Government has introduced a range of new funding streams such as the €1 billion Rural Regeneration Fund, the €2 billion Urban Development Fund, the €500 million Climate Action Fund and the €500m Disruptive Technologies Fund. These are in addition to other existing schemes such as my Department's Regional Enterprise Development Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
The new Regional Enterprise Plans are the result of an extensive refresh of the original Regional Action Plans for Jobs (RAPJs) which ran from 2015 to 2017/8. The new Plans complement and add value to the ongoing work of the Enterprise Agencies, LEOs, Regional Skills Fora, and other bodies involved in supporting enterprise development in the regional setting. The development of the Plans was overseen by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, working with regional stakeholders. Minister Humphreys will launch all nine regional plans over the coming weeks.
"I am also pleased that three other projects in the West have been supported under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund; in particular the Connemara Gaeltacht based MIDC Páirc na Mara marine innovation centre; and also the BIA Innovator Campus in Athenry and Burren Lowlands rural enterprise project.
"Through Project Ireland 2040 we will make sustained investments so that Ireland remains an attractive place to live, work and invest over the longer term. I'm delighted that the West will benefit from more than €15.5 million in co-funding under the Project Ireland 2040 Urban and Rural Regeneration and Development Funds." he said.
Minister Humphreys and Minister Kyne also travelled to the Teagasc Rural Economy Research Centre, Athenry, Co. Galway to meet with the project team and partners involved in the development of a dynamic food and drink 'BIA Innovator' centre, at the Teagasc research campus in Athenry, which was awarded just under €2.5 million under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund.
The Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Ms Heather Humphreys TD met with the Chairs of the RAPJ Committees and up to 100 regional stakeholders in Farmleigh in April 2018 to commence the process.
As a 'bottom-up' initiative, the Plans complement national level policies and programmes emanating from the 'top-down' and in particular, there is strong alignment with Ireland's recently national enterprise policy, Enterprise 2025 Renewed and the forthcoming Future Jobs Ireland initiative.
BIA Innovator Campus CLG [Athenry, Co Galway]: a step change project aimed at transforming the food entrepreneurship landscape in the West of Ireland by realising a dynamic food and drink innovation centre creating 360 jobs within 3 years in 40+ businesses while unlocking far reaching innovation ecosystem benefits.
Galway City Innovation District [Portershed, Galway City]: A project to support the refurbishment of an existing building and construct on the site three new floors to provide coworking space, private office space and event space for scaleup companies. It will also act as a soft-landing site for FDI companies. The project enhances the existing innovation, entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem and supports a geographically balanced and integrated approach to economic and social development.
MIDC Páirc na Mara [Cill Chiaráin, County Galway]: development of a market‐focused Marine Innovation and Development Centre (MIDC) at the Páirc na Mara, which is a dedicated marine development campus, at Cill Chiaráin, County Galway. The project will provide 1,800 sq. metres of enterprise and incubation space for marine enterprises. Through collaboration with regional stakeholders and the HEIs, the project will provide specialist training and business development supports. MIDC is being championed by Údarás na Gaeltachta.
The Burren Lowlands CLG [Co. Galway, Co. Clare]: A project that will develop an enterprise platform which will, for the first time, create a focus point for the development of activities to create and attract additional jobs to this cross-border area. The project aims to: deliver initiatives for migrants living in the area; network existing businesses; provide remote working opportunities, and support entrepreneurship amongst the farming community; under three pillars of Enterprise, Community, and Tourism.