Welcoming the announcement, Lisa McAllister, CEO of the WDC said: “We are absolutely delighted at Galway’s selection as the race finish port. Galway’s selection is the product of a cohesive public and private partnership that will deliver substantial tourism revenues not only to the Western Region but to the Island as a whole.”

The WDC, in a report entitled Work in the West: The Western Region’s Employment & Unemployment Challenge, has identified eight sectors where the Western Region has comparative strengths in order to address the significant employment challenges facing the Region. Tourism and marine leisure were one of those areas identified. The report called for greater coordination of public bodies at national, regional and local level if this sector of employment is to grow. “I can think of no greater catalyst to bring about the level of coordination required than today’s announcement,” said Ms McAllister.

The WDC was heavily involved in the Galway Stopover in 2009 and is currently actively supporting the Let’s do it Galway Team in hosting the Round Ireland Offshore Powerboat Race 2010. The WDC recognises the enormous potential that the hosting of such events offers to the Western Region and all those associated with bringing such events to the Region should be strongly supported in their efforts.

Joanne Grehan of the WDC said: “With the explosion in social networking we recognised an opportunity to use the latest technology to promote all the benefits of the Western Region to an online international audience. In times of economic constraint and job losses, it is more important than ever to continually communicate the benefits, innovation and creativity of Ireland’s Western Region so that we are well positioned to take advantage of economic recovery. More and more, commercial companies and organisations are using social networking to communicate with their customers in an extremely cost-effective way. LookWest.ie now communicates with audiences around the world using a number of social media channels including our monthly on-line newsletter, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, where the number of followers is growing on a daily basis. The website also offers RSS newsfeeds and features the latest in video technology via YouTube. By making the website so interactive, we can connect directly with people and highlight the advantages of living and doing business in the West.”

She added; “Our research has shown that when people or businesses are considering a location, they are heavily influenced by hearing from others who have successfully made the move. The new features on the website are a great opportunity to hear directly from people in their own words – why did they decide on the West as a location, what they see as the main advantages of locating here, what were the supports available and of course how the exceptional quality of life leads to an important work-life balance.”

The 16 featured video case studies include E&I Engineering in Donegal, who highlight the excellent quality of the Donegal workforce and say that their staff are attracted by benefits like great social amenities and no traffic congestion in the area. County Clare based Execpass.com and www.interventions.ie were set up by Adam Coleman who relocated from London and says that doing business in the West is positive in this economic climate because costs are lower thus making it easier to manage their overheads.

For county Galway based JFC Manufacturing, the West is no barrier to innovation and R&D; “We have a complete R&D facility in-house with 12 people employed to design and develop new technologies and product ranges”, said John Concannon, owner and managing director. While for another Galway company, Solaris Botanicals, who blend internationally award-winning organic teas to cater for the high-end retail and foodservice markets, the West is “a great place for artisan food producers who want to export to Europe”, said founder and director Joerg Mueller who moved to the west from Germany.

In Leitrim, Ronan Haslette left Dublin to come back and take over the management of his family business Merenda which designs and manufactures wood veneer products and also supplies specialist accessories including presentation pieces and displays. Ronan says: “I firmly believe that we would not get this team interaction and core company stability anywhere other than the West of Ireland”.

Infrastructure developments have made the West more attractive as a business location, and for Sligo company, The Cat and The Moon, broadband has been a boost to their business. “We do significant online business with our international customers and intend to make more of social media opportunities”, said Martina Gillan, a native of Sligo who set up the design studio and jewellery making business that now employs 14 people.

On the quality of life aspects, Nick Gudge in county Clare has found that the environmental advantages of living there offer benefits that he never takes for granted. Nick founded the West Coast Taijiquan Association, and now works with 25 teachers and around 450 students in the martial art of Taijiquan.

For Reg Gordon, a Galway-based photographer, the ease with which he can access the countryside to clear his mind helps him focus on being creative, while in Sligo, Justin Knecht, former Senior Manager of Design Services at Crayola in Pennsylvania and now Programme Manager at the Centre for Design Innovation at the Institute of Technology Sligo, says that the landscape and access to natural amenities are “astounding” and he loves being “beside some of the best surfing in Europe”. For Tommy Morahan who has relocated to his native Louisburgh in county Mayo from his position as lecturer in the San Francisco State University there have been several advantages for his family. “The impact on my two year old is probably the best thing about the move home; he is thriving in his new found space”, said Tommy.

Dundalk native and now resident of Boyle, Deirdre Cunningham owner of Cootehall Adventure had travelled extensively and had no previous connection with the West before she moved here to successfully set up her business which trains students to qualify for work in adventure centres and to go on to do degree courses in third level colleges.

The WDC is urging people who have a new business idea to check out the website at www.lookwest.ie to learn about the supports and resources available for entrepreneurs in the Western Region. It is also encouraging people to register their skills at http://www.lookwest.ie/skills-register so that the WDC can create a profile of the talent, qualifications and experience of the people living in the West or considering a move here. The WDC believes that such a profile will strongly contribute to attracting jobs and business to the Region. People who have an interesting story to tell about their relocation to the West or their experience of establishing a business here are also invited to share their experience by emailing info@lookwest.ie or going to http://www.lookwest.ie/case-study-application

Ends

For further information please contact:

Joanne Grehan, Western Development Commission, 086 856 5802

or

Angela Bane, Bane Mullarkey, 087 286 5217

That’s according to a new report from the Western Development Commission (WDC). The report Work in the West: The Western Region’s Employment & Unemployment Challenge examines the current employment and unemployment situation in the Western Region, analyses the resulting key challenges and makes recommendations on what needs to be done to position the region for future growth.

Lisa McAllister, Chief Executive of the WDC said: “Current economic and regional policy is tending to increasingly focus on the role and potential of the larger cities and this focus stems from the perception that balanced regional development is a redistribution of national resources, rather than regional development itself being recognised as an integral element of national growth.”

The report found that between 2000 and 2009, the strongest employment growth in the region was experienced in the construction, retail and wholesale, and public services sectors. The unemployment rate has more than doubled in the Western Region from 5.0% (Q1 2008) to 10.8% (Q1 2009) in the course of a year. The structure of employment in the region has also changed over the past ten years with employment in urban areas performing more strongly than in rural areas.

During the boom years, in addition to expanding employment, there were considerable improvements in the education level of the region’s workforce with the share of the population with a third level qualification rising from 18.9% to 28.2% (2002-2008). The report states that the region now has a stronger human resource base to drive economic growth.

Ms McAllister added that the report found that in general, the region (in particular north of Galway city) is not as well placed in the move towards an increasingly knowledge-based or ‘smart economy’ as it has a higher share of its employment in sectors which tend to be lower skilled, lower value-added and more vulnerable to the recession and lower shares working in the higher skilled and high value-added sectors (e.g. financial services, information and communications services) than the rest of the state.

She said that the Western Region’s future growth is not only critical for the region itself but for the country as a whole. “The risk of not developing the Western Region’s economy could mean that the region would depend on transfers from the rest of the country for its economic and social sustainability. However, a vibrant and thriving regional economy will contribute to national recovery.”

Ms McAllister added: “National growth and regional development are not an either/or choice. If regions are not facilitated to grow they may suffer higher and longer term unemployment and create very significant difficulties for the people and communities directly affected.”

The report recommends building on the region’s strengths and assets and identifies eight sectors which have future growth potential in the Western Region. They are: Medical devices; Software, financial and international services; Creative sector; Green economy; Caring sector; Food; Tourism and the Marine sector. The WDC says that the eight sectors represent a mix of knowledge sectors, sectors which are a direct response to changing needs and priorities within the region, and sectors based on natural resources.

Author of the report Pauline White of the WDC said that policies and actions aimed at growing these sectors should be developed. “Actions including enterprise support and access to finance, for both exporting and locally-trading businesses, strengthening the region’s research and innovation capacity, focusing particularly on innovation by micro-enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and investing in further infrastructure improvements are needed to underpin business growth in the region,” she added.

The report identifies three key employment challenges currently facing the Western Region: adjusting to the decline in construction employment; the possible return of the brain drain; and the delivery of education and training in the region.

It says that at the peak of the building boom in 2007, 1 in 4 men in the Western Region worked in construction, a higher share than in the rest of the state. Since then a third of the region’s construction workforce (16,400 people) have lost their jobs. This has led to very substantial increases in unemployment among men in the region, especially in more rural counties. A particular issue for the region is the number of young men with relatively low education levels who are becoming unemployed, mainly from construction. She said that this presents an immediate challenge for the region both economically and socially and a coherent strategy for the retraining of construction workers is urgently required.

Ms White said that the Western Region has a long legacy of out-migration with movements to the east of the country and overseas. “The challenge facing the region now is preventing the human resource gains of the past decade from being lost during the recession. Anecdotal evidence indicates that the level of emigration is rising and this seems to be particularly the case for new graduates, recent immigrants and construction workers, including professionals. A particular concern is that as the recession continues, more highly skilled and experienced employees, as well as new graduates, may choose to emigrate as they will be unwilling to remain in the region in unemployment,” she said.

The report recommends that the current education and training system be revised in order to meet the needs of both job seekers and those currently employed. It also recommends that training and education need to be flexible to recognise and respond to differing regional and local circumstances.

Ms McAllister said: “We believe that it is critical that strategies to position Ireland’s regions for the future recognise the importance of widespread economic growth, including in the rural economy. Otherwise we will experience a situation where a high proportion of people live and work in smaller towns and rural areas, but where job creation strategies concentrate on gateways and hubs. This could lead to a situation of unsustainable and undesirable commuting patterns or even a return to rural depopulation and a shrinking of the region’s labour force. Enterprise support strategies for locally-trading micro-enterprises in rural areas must be considered given their role in job creation,” she said.

Ms McAllister concluded; “The Western Region has the potential to contribute to national economic recovery and we call on policy makers to ensure that national economic strategies address the needs of the region and capitalise on its strengths to deliver balanced economic recovery for all regions.”

The Executive  Summary and Recommendations of Work in the West can be downloaded here.

Ends

For further information please contact:
Lisa McAllister, Western Development Commission, 086 771 9969
or Pauline White, Western Development Commission, 086 832 8055

Media contact:
Bernadette Mullarkey, Bane Mullarkey, 086 806 2540

The call was made at a seminar entitled ‘Creative Industries, Innovation & the Smart Economy’ held at NUI Galway and attended by policymakers and practitioners from the creative sector.

The Smart Economy Framework, launched by the Government in December 2008, specifically identifies the creative, cultural and arts sector as important for national recovery and building a more knowledge and innovation intensive economy.

Speaking at the seminar Lisa McAllister, WDC Chief Executive, said: “Creativity should be firmly placed at the core of the smart economy where wealth creation will be increasingly driven by ideas, intangibles and the creative application of Information and Communications Technology. Although we are conscious of the current economic constraints, the WDC believes a national policy to develop the sector will deliver long term economic results for the Western Region and for the national economy. We also believe that future policy decisions should include investment in infrastructure so that the creative businesses who locate here can access international markets, both physically through air, road and rail links, and virtually by way of fast, cheap broadband to reduce any sense of peripherality”.

Dr James Cunningham, Director of the Centre for Innovation & Structural Change at NUI Galway, said: “The nature and organisation of innovation activity is changing and the development of an internationally competitive creative industries sector complements and helps sustain private and public sector investment in research, development and innovation (RDI). Development of a national policy for creative industries would provide a focus for enabling action and a recognition of the importance of creative industries to Irish society and business”.

Dr Cunningham added: “Policy supports and investment in the development of creative industries would strengthen, deepen and broaden the skills and talents of individuals and organisations. This would also support, in a sustainable way, the broadening of innovation capability and capacity which is a critical element of building a smart economy”.

The seminar heard of research carried out by the WDC to investigate the size of the creative sector in the Western Region and to identify the key issues faced by people working in the sector. It estimated that in 2008 there were 4,779 creative businesses operating in the Western Region, directly employing over 11,000 people. This generated an annual turnover of €534m and directly contributed €270m to the Gross Value Added of the regional economy. The research also showed that creative businesses in the Western Region tend to be small scale and that there is a high level of entrepreneurship among creative people with 39% of them self-employed.

The Western Region is predominantly rural with 68% of the population living in rural areas and the region having few large centres. Creative talent is seen as an asset in a rural region and the seminar heard calls for policies to retain and attract creative talent because creativity is one of the key areas for potential economic growth.

Ms McAllister added: “The presence of a strong creative sector in a region can also drive creative thinking in other sectors as well as stimulating new ways of thinking and new ways of doing things”.

Professor Robert Huggins from the University of Wales and Director of the Centre for International Competitiveness presented international evidence of the links between competitiveness and creativity. He explained how competitiveness is increasingly being measured in terms of creativity, knowledge and environmental conditions, rather than purely on accumulated wealth and that creativity is not a purely urban phenomenon.

The seminar heard that Creative Industries and the Smart Economy are relative newcomers to policy debates and that the old dichotomy that separated ‘cultural industries’ from ‘economic industries’ is waning, as research highlights the contribution of the innate creativity often found in rural areas to the economic performance of regions.

Ends

For further information please contact:
Lisa McAllister, Western Development Commission, 086 771 9969
or
Dr James Cunningham, Centre for Innovation and Structural Change, NUI Galway
091- 493472

Media contact:
Angela Bane, Bane Mullarkey, 087 286 5217

Michelle Ní Chróinín, NUI Galway, 091-493542/087-9025383

About the Centre for Innovation & Structural Change (CISC), NUI Galway

The Centre for Innovation and Structural Change (CISC) is a national inter-disciplinary research institute, based at NUI Galway, focussed on building an internationally-recognised programme of research and education on innovation processes and policies that are fundamental to the development of a knowledge-based economy. Established in 2002, CISC has developed a distinguished record in scholarship and research innovation and structural change.

The core focus of CISC is providing multidisciplinary insights into innovative chance. The five key research areas at CISC are:

1. Innovation Systems

2. Industry clustering

3. Internationally traded services

4. Inter-organisational systems

5. High Performance Work Systems

www.nuigalway.ie/cisc

The WDC has described the upcoming Northwest Connects Conference as an opportunity for start-up and existing businesses in the Western Region to establish networks of support and tap into the region’s expertise. The conference will also provide an opportunity for members of the public to learn about many new and innovative businesses in the region.

Northwest Connects will take place at the Innovation Centre in IT Sligo on Saturday 28th November and is open to entrepreneurs, innovators and members of the public. Admission is free.

“We are delighted to sponsor the event as it links very well with our LookWest.ie initiative, which promotes the benefits of living, working and doing business in the Western Region. LookWest.ie was launched in 2004 and since then almost 600,000 people have used the website. It is now regarded as the definitive online guide for counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, Galway and Clare“ said Joanne Grehan of the WDC.

“During the conference, a number of panel discussions and seminars will highlight the expertise and highly-skilled workforce available in the region, showcase the advantages of relocating or setting up a business here and outline enterprise supports and financial incentives available,” Ms Grehan added.

John Allen, Investment Executive at the WDC will give details of the Western Investment Fund (WIF), a seed and venture capital fund operated by the Western Development Commission. “The WIF was established by the government to address private sector market failure in the provision of risk capital in the western region. Investments are made on a commercial basis and they range from €100,000 to €1 million in return for a shareholding in the investee company,” said John. He added, “The WIF is interested in high-growth enterprises across a broad range of sectors. The WIF investment is complementary to supports available from mainstream enterprise development agencies and we co-invest with other venture capitalists, BES or Angel investors. I look forward to giving full details about the Fund at the conference on November 28th”.

“The WDC believes very strongly in creativity and that is why we have placed such an emphasis on it in our research and policy development programmes. We Irish are a highly creative people and our country attracts many other creative people from around the world. We have the capability, in particular with the Internet, of becoming a world creativity centre, bringing many thousands of sustainable jobs in its wake,” Ms Grehan said.

She concluded by noting that the conference is a great opportunity to highlight the creative and innovative work of companies and individuals in the North West Region.

Other sponsors include Sligo County Enterprise Board, Infacta, AIB and the IT Sligo Innovation Centre. Key speakers include Drury Communications MD, Padraig McKeon; Robert Martin, CEO of local award-winning emarketing solutions company Infacta; Innovation and Social Media Consultant, Johnny Beirne; Surf Seeds MD, Tim Rooney; and Justin Knecht of the Centre of Design Innovation. The conference is free to attend and limited spaces are still available. Registration, which is essential, will close on November 22nd and can be done at www.northwestconnects.ie.

Ends

For further information please contact:
Joanne Grehan, Western Development Commission, 086 856 5802
or
Angela Bane 087 286 5217

Date: Wednesday, 25th November 2009

Venue: Arás Moyola, National University of Ireland, Galway

The Western Development Commission, together with the Centre for Innovation & Structural Change (CISC), NUI Galway is hosting a half-day Seminar on ‘Creative Industries, Innovation & the Smart Economy’.  The seminar will contribute to the WDC’s strategy to promote and develop the creative sector in the Creative West, as well as examine the role of creativity in innovation and the move towards a ‘smart economy’.

‘… a nation without a vibrant creative labour force of artists, writers, designers, scriptwriters, playwrights, painters, musicians, film producers, directors, actors, dancers, choreographers, not to mention software engineers, new media practitioners, scientists, researchers and intellectuals does not possess the knowledge base to succeed in the information economy’ (Venturelli 2002: 16).

Creative Industries and the Smart Economy are relative newcomers to the policy debate.  The old separation of ‘cultural industries’ from ‘economic industries’ is waning as more and more research highlights the contribution of the former to the economic performance of places.  Recent contributions to creative industries literature have placed creativity at the core of the smart economy, where wealth creation is increasingly driven by ideas, intangibles and the creative application of ICTs.

The current economic downturn provides practitioners, policymakers and industry analysts with a unique opportunity to reflect on the importance of creativity in innovative pursuits.  This half-day seminar will build on the recent publication by the WDC (Creative West: The creative sector in the Western Region, 2009) and provide an opportunity to bring together different sub-groups from within the broadly defined creative industries – creative expression, creative application, creative technology.

From the policy perspective, tough decisions will have to be made in the upcoming Budget. Funding for the arts and culture in general has come under scrutiny.  This seminar will examine the logic behind such decisions and ask if there are better ways to depict the contribution of the creative sector to innovation systems.

The seminar format will be based around keynote speakers from the areas of Policy, Practice and Analysis.  After each keynote, a discussant will give more context, before opening it up to questions from the floor.  It is hoped the format will facilitate a lively and constructive debate on the role of creative industries in Ireland, and the West’s future economy.  Speakers include:

• Prof. Robert Huggins, Cardiff School of Management, University of Wales Institute and Director of Centre for International Competitiveness
• Mr. Paul Cummins, CEO, Telegeal
• Mr. Niall Ó Donnchú, Assistant Secretary General, Department of Arts, Sport & Tourism
• Ms. Helen Murphy, Head of Education, Training & Development, Crafts Council of Ireland
• Dr. Patrick Collins, Centre for Innovation & Structural Change at NUI, Galway
• Ms. Pauline White, Policy Analyst, Western Development Commission

To see full details of the programme and to confirm your attendance, please register on-line for this free event at CREATIVE INDUSTRIES REGISTRATION or visit www.conference.ie for more information.

ENDS

 Joanne Grehan of the WDC said, “There was great public interest in seeing the photographs when they were exhibited in Galway, and because of that, we are now giving the opportunity to a national audience to see Galway and sailing at their best. The photographs show Galway in a fantastic light and the sailing clubs and shopping centres around the country jumped at the opportunity of hosting the exhibition.”

 Tour dates:

• November 3 -               Poolbeg Yacht Club
• November 4 -               Malahide Yacht Club
• November 6 – 9           CHQ, George’s Dock, Dublin
• November 10 –             Royal St George Yacht Club
• November 11 -              Howth Yacht Club
• November 12 -              National Yacht Club
• November 13 – 18       Dun Laoghaire Shopping Centre
• November 19 – 22        Mahon Point Shopping Centre
• November 25 – Dec 1 Killarney Outlet Centre
• December 4 –                  Tralee Bay Sailing Club
• December 12 –                Lough Ree Sailing Club

 During the Galway Volvo Ocean Race Festival Let’s Do It Galway together with the Western Development Commission (WDC) and photo sharing website Pix.ie held an innovative photo competition which saw 17,000 images of all of the colour and action of the two week event uploaded to Pix.ie.

 The exhibition features the best 100 photographs which were judged to have captured the spirit and atmosphere of the Galway Volvo Ocean Race Festival last May-June when 650,000 people visited Galway to welcome the Volvo Ocean Race and enjoy over 100 free events over a two week period.

 Ms Grehan added, “Now that we are bringing the exhibition on a tour of Ireland, more people can have the chance to experience the two weeks of glorious sunshine when Galway played host to Ireland’s largest sporting event in June.

 The photos cover everything from the opening ceremony, the boats and the air show, to the entertainment, excitement and fun of the race village. The photos really capture the city, its people and its visitors, and anyone with 10 or 15 minutes to spare at some stage over the next month should pop in to have a look. It’s a great way to remember the fantastic festival in June and to remind ourselves of what Galway achieved by hosting it.”

 While this touring exhibition features the top 100 pictures, there are thousands of others that are also well worth a look at http://pix.ie/go/lookwest.

 The photo competition and exhibition were sponsored by The Western Development Commission (WDC) as part of its work to highlight the ‘Creative West’ as the Western Region rapidly becomes Ireland’s hub for the creative industries.

 Ends

 For further information please contact:
Joanne Grehan, WDC, 086 856 5802
Or
Maria Moynihan Lee, Let’s Do It Galway, 087 243 2644

The Douglas Hyde Conference, taking place this weekend in Ballaghaderreen, has heard that the creative sector is uniquely positioned to lead, contribute to and enhance the smart economy.

Dara Calleary, T.D., Minister for Labour Affairs said, “Crucial to any recovery and its sustainment is the willingness to improve and pursue new opportunities. Ireland is ideally placed with its reputation for creative thinking to ensure what we offer, more than anywhere else – is a diverse and different experience. Our cultural and artistic identity as a nation gives us a competitive advantage that now more than ever must be exploited.”
Minister Calleary said that the Minister for the Arts, Martin Cullen will continue to campaign for the Arts Council’s budget, for the retention of the Artists’ Tax Exemption Scheme, and the further promotion of Ireland’s artistic activity abroad by Culture Ireland. “It is our duty to preserve and protect our cultural heritage,” he said.

A DKM research report which Minister Cullen’s Department commissioned into the “Economic Impact of the Arts, Culture and Creative Sectors” demonstrates that there are over 170,000 people working within the arts, creative and cultural sectors in Ireland and that in 2008 the total impact of the sector was €11.8 billion or 7.6% of total GNP. The report is due to be published soon.

Lisa McAllister Chief Executive of the WDC said, “Creativity has long been associated with the Western Region. The WDC completed a study in 2008 ‘Creative West: The Creative Sector in the Western Region’, the first study of its kind conducted in Ireland and it showed that there are 4,779 creative businesses operating in the Western Region, directly employing over 11,000 people or 3% of all employment in the region. This generates an annual turnover of €534m and directly contributes €270m to the Gross Value Added of the regional economy. It is therefore a major economic contributor to the region that we believe can be grown significantly, even in these difficult economic times.”

Ms McAllister added, “The WDC is working to promote and position the Western Region as Ireland’s hub for the creative sector because we know that when international comparisons are factored in the Western Region has the potential to create at least an extra 2,000 jobs in the creative sector. The creative sector has strong growth potential, generates high quality employment, facilitates innovation in other sectors, plays a key social role and can stimulate rural and regional development.”

Kathleen Martin, Director of Community and Enterprise at Roscommon County Council said, “The Douglas Hyde Conference was founded in 1988 in an economic climate not unlike the kind that we are currently experiencing. It was founded then in the knowledge that the things that Douglas Hyde valued during his lifetime – our language, culture and literature – were vitally important to our society in 1988, and they are still as vital now in 2009.”

Presented by Roscommon County Council in association with the Western Development Commission, the format of the conference is built around four talks on Saturday by keynote speakers followed by a panel discussion. The four keynote speakers are; Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin who will talk about festivals and their role and value economically, as platforms for celebration and as platforms to bring Irish arts to audiences all over the world; Finbarr Bradley, economist and author of “Capitalising on Culture, Competing on Difference: Innovation, Learning and Sense of Place in a Globalising Ireland” who sees our cultural identity as being our unique selling point where we can set ourselves apart from other countries; Lisa McAllister, CEO, Western Development Commission; and Roger O’Keeffe Co-ordinator of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 whose presentation will quantify the size of the creative sector in Europe and link it to the importance of creativity and innovation to industry, social activities and quality of life issues.

“If Sligo has the highest entry to 3rd Level education, a young workforce, one of the highest disposable incomes along with one of the shortest commuting times in the country – why aren’t more industries coming there?”
– Lisa McAllister, CEO, Western Development Commission

Sligo has become renowned as one of the world’s finest surfing centres. Conservative estimates suggest that there are 20 million surfers worldwide and over 2.5 million of them based in the USA.

“I want every one of those surfers to know they can come to the West of Ireland to work and play, if they bring their businesses with them,” said Lisa McAllister, CEO of the Western Development Commission (WDC). She added, “The announcement of fifty new jobs in Sligo this week by Equinoxe, the global hedge fund administrator makes me wonder why, as the county with the island’s highest entry to 3rd Level education, a younger workforce, one of the highest disposable incomes along with one of the shortest commuting times in the country – why aren’t more industries locating there?”

Ms. McAllister was speaking at the ‘Sligo is Open for Business’ breakfast event, organised in Dublin today (Thursday, 8th October 2009) by Sligo Chamber and Sligo Enterprise Europe Network, in association with the WDC.

The breakfast briefing was the first of its kind and was focussed on highlighting Co. Sligo as the ideal location for investment, both national and international. The 140 attendees, mostly prominent business people with a Sligo heritage, were addressed by Dermot Mannion – former CEO of Aer Lingus, John McAteer – HR Director, Abbott Ireland, Professor Terri Scott – President, IT Sligo as well as Lisa McAllister of the WDC.

President of Sligo Chamber, Kevin Quinn Jnr., commented, “Many people ask, ‘what did the Celtic Tiger do for us?’ – well in Sligo’s case it gave us greatly improved infrastructural links to major international centres and there has been a tremendous investment in our Institute of Technology. Some desk research that we have carried out suggests that office costs in Sligo are up to 30% lower than in Dublin and that was one of the reasons, I understand, that Equinoxe chose to move to Sligo, as well as for the availability of qualified staff, easy access to its Dublin office and the support of IT Sligo as a centre of innovation in the North West.

Mr Quinn added, “There is a significant differential between financial services salaries in the North West and the Dublin region. Depending on the skills and qualifications, financial services salaries tend to be around of 15% lower in the North West. What is more interesting is that companies tend to be able to recruit and crucially, retain staff in the region. A recent survey by HR consultants, Collins McNicholas, showed that 85% of people’s work-life balance improved since they relocated to the North West and 96% of respondents would recommend relocating to the region.”

For further information please contact:
Lisa McAllister, CEO, WDC, 086 771 9969
Kevin Quinn Jr. – 087 220 2200

About Enterprise Europe Network Sligo

The Enterprise Europe Network operates in 40 countries and is hosted by 500 business support organizations. Sligo Chamber hosts one of the six regional centres of the Enterprise Europe Network in Ireland. The network was created by the European Commission with the remit to assist, advise and inform SMEs on all aspects of business within the Internal Market. Enterprise Europe Network Sligo has an array of services which it offers to SMEs, such as our business enquiry service, public procurement information and Tender Watch service, market access information and our business partner search service. The Enterprise Europe Network also plays an important role as a “bridge” between the Commission and SME’s in providing feedback on Community matters affecting small businesses in the form of the SME Feedback Mechanism, part of the larger “Your Voice in Europe” programme.

For more information please visit www.een-ireland.ie

About Sligo Chamber:

Sligo Chamber was established in 1923 to further the interests of its members, to provide a range of effective and efficient services for the business community and to promote the long term economic development of Sligo City and County. Sligo Chamber currently has over 320 members and is part of the Chambers Ireland network comprising 60 member chambers representing over 13,000 businesses on the island of Ireland.

For more information please visit www.sligochamber.com.

The Western Development Commission (WDC) has secured European Union (EU) funding of €1 million to develop the wood energy sector in the Western Region. The funding, part of a wider EU three-year €2.8 million project, will support farmers, rural enterprises and rural communities to expand the wood heat sector. The funding was announced by Éamon Ó Cuív, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs at the National Ploughing Championships in Athy.

Mr Ó Cuív said, “I welcome this funding to help develop the wood energy sector. Part of the WDC’s work is to ensure that the Western Region captures the value of its abundant natural resources and the renewable energy sector is a key area for economic growth. As a source of energy, wood is very feasible for people living in rural areas and the project will increase deployment of renewable energy technologies in rural economies, resulting in a range of economic impacts including the creation and retention of employment, and the piloting of new business concepts and products. The increased renewable energy uptake will impact positively on regional competitiveness, innovation and diversification of economic activity in rural areas.”

Ian Branigan, Development Manager at the WDC said, “Renewable energy is a key area of potential for economic growth, and although the Western Region has 40% of Ireland’s wood resources, the wood energy market is underdeveloped compared to international levels. This project will provide training, advice and support to farmers, small farming businesses and private forest owners to help convert their forestry resources into enterprises that generate revenue and job opportunities.”

“Our research has shown that, up to now, there have been some barriers to growing the market for wood fuel including low levels of market confidence, lack of information about the market and limited technical and business skills. The EU funding will allow us to actively tackle these issues to ultimately increase the use of renewable energy technologies in rural economies,” he added.

The project, Regional Approaches to Stimulating Local Renewable Energy Solutions (RASLRES), will receive total funding of €2.8 million, under the EU INTERREG Northern Periphery Programme, which includes international partners from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Finland and the Faroe Islands. The WDC, as the project’s lead partner, has secured €1 million for Ireland’s Western Region covering counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, Galway and Clare.

Bernadette Phelan, Regional Development Executive at the WDC explained, “A lot of the forestry plantations in the west were planted during the 1980s and 1990s. This resource is therefore at an age suitable for first and subsequent thinnings so the project is very timely. Developing the wood energy market will create a market for these forestry thinnings and will encourage farmers to actively manage their forestry which in the long run results in a better timber harvest when the trees are fully mature.”

Ms Phelan says that a critical characteristic of wood energy is that it consists of ‘local loops’ of demand and supply in defined geographic areas. These ‘local loops’ typically have high level of indigenous activity and thereby retain a high percentage of profits locally. She says that as an economic activity the sector is firmly tied to the regional economy in which both the natural resource (the fuel) and the market is located.

The project will include an awareness and information campaign to highlight the opportunities for fuel producers as well as information for end users about the advantages of using wood energy. “For schools, hospitals, hotels and factories, the project will provide impartial advice and expertise on the feasibility of using wood to supply their energy requirements,” she added.

”We are presently finalising the details with our international partners and the EU INTERREG Secretariat and the project’s new website will go live in the coming weeks. By early 2010 we will start to roll out the various support services to the region’s wood energy sector and we will publish information in the local media about how people can get involved. Ultimately the success of the project will hinge on the involvement of the farm forestry sector and end-users working in cooperation with us,” she said.

As the sector develops, other beneficiaries will include forestry contractors, haulage companies for transporting wood fuel from source to end-user, and plumbers, engineering and electrical contractors who install boilers and fuel storage systems such as fuel silos, bunkers and handling systems.

The funding evolved from the strategic regional wood energy project which the WDC has led since 2007 when it brought together public and private stakeholders to develop a long term plan. It has worked closely with Údarás na Gaeltachta, Teagasc, Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources as well as private forest owners and local communities.

WDC research shows that the West could develop an indigenous, sustainable, renewable energy resource delivering 11% of the regions’ heat needs by 2020 and create up to 900 additional jobs. To deliver 11% of the region’s heat needs would require over 470,000 tonnes of wood fuel, generate an additional €15 million to the economy and provide €1.7 million to the west’s farming sector each year. The jobs created would be spread across the entire supply chain from private forest owners, to haulage companies, to plumbing, engineering, and electrical companies. Additionally the estimated CO2 emissions saved annually would equate to taking over 92,000 cars off the roads in the west of Ireland.

Ms Phelan concluded by saying that as well as the economic benefits and job creation opportunities, the development of the wood energy sector will increase awareness of the carbon economy and environmentally sensitive behaviours – for both individuals and enterprises – including the wider use of green technologies which benefits the economy as well as the environment.

People wishing to find out more about the project can contact Bernadette Phelan, Regional Development Executive, WDC, Tel: 094 986 1441, email bernadettephelan@wdc.ie.

Ends

For further information please contact:

Bernadette Phelan, Development Executive, WDC, 086 834 0279
or
Angela Bane, Bane Mullarkey, 087 286 5217