The South-West Regional Enterprise Plan includes projects and initiatives across the two South-West counties of Cork and Kerry.
Stakeholder consultation sessions attracted 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. Enhance the enterprise eco-system across the region through innovation, entrepreneurship and digitalisation.
This objective aims to position the South-West both nationally and internationally as one of the leading regions for innovation and entrepreneurship. The region seeks to embrace the benefits of digitalisation with a renewed focus on smart initiatives and technology.
2. Maximise the potential of digital enterprise and innovation hubs to support digitalisation, business growth, climate action and smart working.
This objective aims to expand and maintain a network of impactful hubs across the region that are viable in the long term and that are at the heart of the regional enterprise ecosystem to support companies, smart working, climate action, digitalisation and communities.
3. Support cluster organisations in driving the development and growth of enterprises.
This objective seeks to make the South-West region the home of clusters of national significance in terms of scale and impact. The South-West will also provide a supportive environment for clusters to emerge, grow and have a sustainable future.
4. Bolster the South-West as a leader in sustainable food production and agri-tech through education, technology and innovation.
This objective aims to drive forward the agri-tech and food sectors and enhance company capability in the South-West region by providing expert specialised training, a virtual testing facility, collaboration and learning spaces, testbed opportunities, business centres, state-of-the-art tech-based solutions under the four central pillars of sustainability, digitalisation, skills development and economic growth.
5. Embrace the opportunities of climate action in the marine, circular bioeconomy, tourism and energy sectors.
This objective aims to enable the South-West to actively embrace the enterprise opportunities presented by climate action and to develop strategies to ensure that the region’s progress to a low-carbon and digital society is a Just Transition.
6. Ensure a strong pipeline of talent in the region, focusing on sustainable high-quality jobs.
This objective aims to ensure that business development and growth in the South-West continues to benefit from the availability of appropriate skills and talent and that appropriate responses are mobilised to meet the need of a dynamic and mobile job market.
Chair
Chair of the South-West Regional Enterprise Plan: Patricia Quane, Former VP and General Manager, Ireland, Astellas Europe
Contact
Programme Manager of the South-West Regional Enterprise Plan: Aileen Hurley
Email: aileen.hurley@corkcoco.ie
Plan and progress reports
South-West Regional Enterprise Plan and progress reports