Regional strategy (RSES) · Northern and Western Region
Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2020–2032
The regional strategy for the Northern and Western Region, including the Galway Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan.
Northern and Western Regional Assembly · January 2020 · 320 pages
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- 4Growth Ambition 1: Economy and Employment – Vibrant Region 141
- Growth Ambition 1: Economy and Employment – Vibrant Region 4.1 Our Approach This Chapter focuses on further improving the solid foundations for success, creating opportunities for individuals, businesses, the community and future generations. It also addresses the challenges that might otherwise limit the region’s potential growth. Our RSES must equip this region with enabling objectives to encourage innovation, commercialisation and investment. Uniquely this region can be a leader in ‘Place-Based Development’ because we have a strong existing foundation in partnership, collaboration and success. There are considerable challenges ahead when we consider ‘Risk, Trends and the current Evidence’ of regional performance. Technology is transforming industries, the nature of work is changing, we have to support an ageing population and transform our public services to meet changing needs. There is also a huge opportunity. Our regional economy has long-standing strengths in agri-food, life-sciences, RTDI, engineering, retail, manufacturing, service sector, energy, creative sector, tourism, marine and many more. These give us durable foundations upon which to build our future. The region boasts over 140 FDI multinationals supported by the IDA employing over 26,000 people. Enterprise Ireland support SME’s employing over 20,000 people in the region, and Údarás Na Gaeltachta support enterprises that employ almost 6,000 people in Counties Mayo, Galway and Donegal. Encouraging diversification of indigenous economic activity will help enable greater economic development. A more diversified economy that is increasing the proportion of activity in knowledgeintensive, high-value businesses will be more resilient to shocks.Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2020-2032 142 4
- An economy that is built on a broad base of economic activity can also be more inclusive and can contribute to our environmental goals by increasing the location and type of economic activity and shifting towards activities with less impact on the environment. The Growth Ambition to be a Vibrant Region builds on the broad economic themes in the National Planning Framework and Enterprise 2025 Renewed and takes into account contemporary economic challenges. It acknowledges the importance of engagement with identified priority sectors and delivering outcomes through new and existing partnerships, such as the Regional Enterprise Plans Action Plan for Jobs, Atlantic Economic Corridor, Ireland’s Ocean Wealth and the Action Plan for Rural Development amongst many more. Key determinants for maximising long-term economic development have been identified through extensive public and industry engagement; and include: 1. Human capital, particularly education and skills. 2. Sustainable communities (economically, environmentally and socially). 3. Access to markets (international, national and regional). 4. The comparative advantage of industry sectors, products or services and business competitiveness. 5. Effective cross-sectoral and intergovernmental partnerships, including through place-based approaches so widely evident in the region.Northern & Western Regional Assembly 143 4 Growth Ambition 1: Economy and Employment – Vibrant Region
- 4.2 Potential The region has historically been perceived as a peripheral region but this has made the region more resilient and an attractor to a broad range of industries. The region’s talent pool supported by our 3rd level offering and education providers delivers worldclass graduates. With over 60,000 students studying within the region and an increasing number choosing entrepreneurship as a career, the region needs to understand the proposition of its talent better. This can only add to the 45,000+ businesses operating across this region. This has been assisted by the availability of active mentoring through the work of Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities Local Enterprise Offices, Údarás na Gaeltachta and through the availability of technical infrastructure in urban areas. The overall ecosystem has benefited from incredibly adaptive strategies in Enterprise 2025 Renewed published by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. The focus should be on maintaining favourable conditions for existing vibrant sectors as a priority action. For those sectors of the economy that are considered to have significant untapped potential, the focus and attention should be to unlock this latent potential. This will require an approach that uses carefully selected policy actions to remove obstacles, be they, for example, policy barriers such as excessive regulations, or market challenges such as data/ information gaps, inadequate physical infrastructure, or shortages in skills.Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2020-2032 144 4 Growth Ambition 1: Economy and Employment – Vibrant Region
- Figure 42: Regional Research Facilities At a macro level, our RSES will have the following underlying objectives encouraging our places, catchments, urban and rural centres to: g Harness its export capacity by promoting trade and global opportunities. g Be vibrant and distinctive, where our communities act as a spur for quality of life, creativity and innovation. g Be attractive for innovators, investors, business, visitors and all residents. g Lead in pursuit of a low carbon focus. The focus is on things that are important at the level of the region, concentrating on: g Place-based assets. g Sectors and Clusters. The RSES is about the delivery of regional goals, priorities and actions and promoting more effective co-ordination of activities. The delivery of these actions will be carried out at the most appropriate level - CDP, LECP, REPs etc, inspired by the National Strategic Outcomes and aligned with criteria resourced by the National Development Plan and its priorities. This strategy is also aligned to the objectives of Enterprise 2025 Renewed and the EUROPE 2020 strategy, including its focus upon Smart Specialisation.Northern & Western Regional Assembly 145 4 Growth Ambition 1: Economy and Employment – Vibrant Region
- 4.3 Place-Based Assets Enterprise 2025 Renewed (DBEI) recognises there are differences in the enterprise structure and occupational profiles of the enterprise base across regions. The Government’s enterprise approach aims to realise the full potential of our regions through investments in place-making - developing places that are attractive for business investment and for people to live and work. Our RSES sets out the goals, priorities and actions that apply to all parts of the region, with particular reference to specific issues of regional significance. Achieving the vision for the whole region also means acknowledging its diversity in terms of place, people and parts of the economy as well as how the region operates in the national and international arena. The Northern and Western Region comprises six different sub-regions; these subregions are based not only upon physical geography but by other socioeconomic factors, such as access to county and local services in healthcare, education, and retail. The six sub-regions within the NWRA can be summarised as follows (see Figure 43): 1. Galway Catchment – incorporating the Metropolitan Area Strategic boundary and Galway County, extending into Shannon, South Mayo/South Roscommon. 2. Sligo Catchment – extending into South Donegal, Leitrim, North East Mayo, North Roscommon and as far as Enniskillen. 3. Letterkenny and Derry – including the Growth Centre Area of Letterkenny/Derry/Strabane extending across County Donegal and the Derry City and Strabane District Council area. 4. Mayo Catchment – covering the urban centres of Castlebar, Ballina and Westport, extending across the county and into northern parts of County Galway and western parts of County Roscommon. 5. Monaghan/Cavan Catchment – with a wider reach into the M1 corridor to the East and extending into the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) but also critically reaching into parts of Northern Ireland, and counties Westmeath, Meath and Longford. 6. Athlone Catchment - extending into a significant area of Mid and South Roscommon, East Galway and parts of Offaly, Westmeath and Longford.Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2020-2032 146 4 Growth Ambition 1: Economy and Employment – Vibrant Region
- Figure 43: The Six Sub-Regions of the NWRAKERRYCORKLIMERICKCLARETIPPERARYWATERFORDKILKENNYWEXFORDCARLOWLAOISOFFALYWESTMEATHLONGFORDFERMANAGHTYRONEDERRYARMAGHDOWNANTRIMMEATHLOUTHKILDAREWICKLOWDUBLINWaterford CityLimerick City Galway Catchment Shannon Airport Dublin Airport Galway, Shannon, Limerick Corridor Ireland West Airport Knock Donegal Airport Sligo Catchment Letterkenny and Derry Catchment Mayo Catchment Monaghan/Cavan Catchment Athlone Catchment Letterkenny, Derry, Strabane Region Employment trends indicate that increasingly, city and urban regions are the focal point for internationally mobile investment. High-value-added services are attracted primarily to urban areas, and cities are competing with other cities internationally. Through the objectives, actions and policies of this RSES, our cities, towns and villages must become more attractive, ‘liveable’ and offer a quality of life that more people are willing to choose in the years ahead. There is a need to encourage population growth in towns of all sizes that are strong employment and service centres, where the potential for sustainable growth exists. Places that are attractive to talent are known to be more likely to be attractive to employers and to deliver economic prosperity, with globalisation continuing to have a concentrating effect. For our rural areas, the emergence of new technologies and improved infrastructural connectivity provide opportunities for diversification into new employment sectors and to build on the success of many Irish and foreign-owned companies supporting employment in more remote areas. Across all of our catchments there is evidence of thriving sectors and emerging clusters across many areas, but primarily: g Tourism g MedTech and Life Sciences g Agri-Food and Agri-Engineering g Manufacturing and Engineering g Construction g Healthcare, Education and Public sector g Marine and Energy g Creative and Cultural sector including heritage Several regionally significant place-based networks reflect the desire by communities, business, industry, agencies and local government to collaborate in unlocking the potential of this region. The RSES supports the further development of these and similar place-based networks.Northern & Western Regional Assembly 147 4 Growth Ambition 1: Economy and Employment – Vibrant Region
- The Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC) is driven by business representatives and communities and supported by national, regional and local government and State agencies. The AEC is defined in the NPF as one of the shared goals in the National Strategic Outcomes. It is a key enabler of economic growth. The initiative seeks to consolidate and align the State capital investment programme with the potential investment of the private sector to strengthen this part of the region’s economic contribution and make it a better place in which to live and work. Figure 44: The Atlantic Economic Corridor It provides an opportunity to create an accelerated, more responsive pathway for regional development in Ireland. Improved connectivity will be vital to unlocking the economic and social potential of the Atlantic region. That includes physical improvements in road, rail and other transport infrastructure but also the digital connectivity that has the power to transform and energise rural areas. These opportunities are outlined explicitly in National Strategic Outcome 2 of the NPF and implicitly in the delivery of the National Broadband Plan. The AEC aims to build and increase collaboration that maximises its assets, attracts investment and creates jobs and prosperity. The overarching objective of the AEC concept is to maximise the Atlantic region’s assets and connect the economic hubs, clusters and catchments of the region to generate a value proposition of scale which will attract investment, support job creation and improve quality of life for those who live in the region. Specifically, the AEC proposal seeks to: g Increase Gross Value Added (GVA) through the creation of high value-added jobs. g Develop a well-skilled labour pool, which will attract both Irish and foreign-owned enterprises to the region. g Increase the competitiveness of the region to support economic growth. g Get the best from the region’s existing and potential economic infrastructural assets (e.g. roads, gas networks, ports, rail, broadband, etc.). g Ensure that enterprise property in the region is available and fit for modern investment. g Drive research and innovation in the public and private sector to increase opportunities for the region. g Involve communities in delivering growth in the region. g Retain and increase the share of the national population settling in the Atlantic region. g Improve the quality of life for the people of the region.Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2020-2032 148 4 Growth Ambition 1: Economy and Employment – Vibrant Region
- GATEWAY TO GROWTH New collaborative structures have been codesigned by both Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council which place a strong emphasis on the principles of place-based leadership, namely: g the North West Strategic Growth Partnership involving senior Central Government Officials, both North and South. g the North West Regional Development Group involving senior management and elected representatives from both Council areas. It is the aim of this partnership to promote a coordinated approach and collaboration with regard to the economic, social and cultural development, on a cross border basis in the North West of Ireland. It aims to promote cooperation and collaboration in the context of the Letterkenny/Derry as recognised in the NPF, NDP and RDS and also in the context of former NSS’s North West Gateway Initiative as promoted by the two governments North and South. UPPER SHANNON ERNE FUTURE ECONOMY (USEFE) The USEFE project is a joint initiative between Bord na Mona and ESB with Cavan Leitrim, Longford and Roscommon Local Authorities. The purpose of this initiative is to show how business led regional development can lead to economic growth and job growth across Leitrim, Roscommon, Cavan and Longford. WESTERN DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (WDC) The WDC adds value and regional focus to the work of national bodies, and actively engages with regional interests to initiate projects that build on the regions strengths and addresses its weaknesses. Some primary functions include; g Operating the Investment Fund g Managing the LookWest.ie website g Policy development and researchNorthern & Western Regional Assembly 149 4 Growth Ambition 1: Economy and Employment – Vibrant Region
- 4.4 Sectors and Clusters A sector approach provides a means of segmenting the regional economy to focus engagement with businesses, develop policy interventions and undertake strategic planning with stakeholders and the private sector. Sectors are categories of businesses in the same industrial group and can be described as having similar development needs. Many of the region’s most important sectors have characteristics normally associated with clusters, meaning they are geographically concentrated and include a tailored supply chain that services the industry. The process of developing the RSES has highlighted the importance of certain sectors and classifications of companies that are of growing importance for delivering the region’s vision. It provided a growing understanding of the dynamics of the region’s key sectors, as well as a clearer view of how different organisations can use and work with sectors in complementary ways. Based on this, the following sections set out current thinking on the emerging sectors and clusters that are of most importance to the region. TOURISM LIFE SCIENCES (MEDTECH, PHARMA, BIOTECH, HEALTHCARE) MARINE AND BLUE ECONOMY RETAIL RENEWABLE ENERGY AND LOW CARBON FUTURE AGRI-TECH AND AGRI-FOOD ICT AND DIGITAL ENTERPRISE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERINGRegional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2020-2032 150 4 Growth Ambition 1: Economy and Employment – Vibrant Region
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