The North-West Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 includes projects and initiatives across the three North-West counties of Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal.
Stakeholder consultation sessions attracted over 60 attendees from across industry, public sector and higher education sectors from within the region. The sessions highlighted the high level of collaboration and ambition that exists within the region, with a strong sense of optimism prevalent despite some regional challenges. Six key strategic objectives were agreed, with discrete actions developed for each.
The six strategic objectives
1. Harness the potential of micro, small and medium indigenous businesses in the North-West Region through encouraging entrepreneurship and scaling of existing businesses.
This objective looks to address our low start-up rates and encouraging our indigenous businesses to scale. Additionally looking at our regional strengths and how to encourage those, for example, cluster development, strategic growth.
2. Ensure that the North-West capitalises on the enterprise opportunities posed by the advancement of the wind industry (onshore/offshore wind) and the continued growth of the ocean economy.
This objective aims to look at how regional collaboration and public authorities can support the growth of the onshore/offshore wind industry. The blue economy was a key objective in the last plan, continued through to this plan and looks to support the regional blue economy and the marine cluster in Killybegs.
3. Support the offering of the North-West Region as a place to work and invest high value jobs in.
Feedback during the consultation sessions has led to this objective around promoting the regions enterprise and economic strengths including capitalising on the recent remote working trends.
4. Support the North-West’s enterprise to mainstream climate action and transition to a low carbon future in their business planning.
This objective looks to encourage our regions enterprises to transition to low carbon operations and grow the circular economy in the region.
5. Recognising the North-West’s strategic border location, encourage the ongoing development of cross-border relationships and Shared Island initiatives to further the enterprise agenda in the North-West.
This objective recognizes our unique position as a cross border region and looks to strengthen these cross-border relationships in order to further enterprise growth in the North-West.
6. By harnessing the partnerships available to the REP’s steering committee, assist the Regional Skills Forum and other agencies in addressing the skills issue encountered by enterprises in the North-West.
Throughout the consultation sessions, the topic of skills came up continuously including talent retention and attracting talent, future of skills. This objective looks to use the network available to the steering committee to assist in addressing the Northwest enterprise’s skills concerns in the region.
Chair
Chair of the North-West Regional Enterprise Plan: Seamus Hughes, Corporate Vice President, Zeus Industrial Products Zeus Inc
Contact
Programme Manager of the North-West Regional Enterprise Plan: Anne McTernan
Email: anne.mcternan@leitrimcoco.ie
Plan and progress reports
North-West Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 and progress reports
Related links
Growth of Onshore to Offshore Wind – Atlantic Region Wind Energy and Supply Chain Feasibility Study (PDF, 389KB)