Western Development for Irelands Future A Proactive Approach

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Western Development for Irelands Future A
Proactive Approach
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Western Development Commission

• Seven-county Western Region Donegal to Clare
• State body with twelve member commission
• WDC Act 1998
• Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht
  Affairs
• Strategic remit

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A Proactive Approach to Western Development

• Regional input to national policy on
• Infrastructure
• Productive Sectors
• Approaches to implementation
• Strategic Development of rural tourism, organic
  agri-food and renewable energy
• WDC Investment Fund 17m invested in 64
  projects, 70 outside hubs and gateways
• Look West Campaign

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Development Issues for Regions

• Population projections and their impact
• BMW (and WR) regions share of output and jobs
  fell during high growth period
• Dependence on primary sectors and industrial
  structure enterprise and employment
• Knowledge base and loss of graduates how to
  position regions in knowledge society
• Infrastructure limitations
• Natural resource potential not being fully
  realised

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A Proactive Approach to Policy WDC Input to NDP
2007-2013 Western Development for Irelands Future

• Regional Scenario
• National Priorities and Balanced Regional
  Development (BRD)
• Priorities for Key Sectors
• Transport
• Energy
• Communications
• Enterprise Development
• Tourism
• Agri-food
• RD and Human Resources
• Cross-border Cooperation
• Targets and Indicators

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Key Knowledge Issues for Region

• Employment structure and associated poor skills
  base
• Third level capacity in the region spatial
  pattern in knowledge base
• Loss of skills from the region brain drain

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Connectivity for a Knowledge Society

• Transport 21 good framework priority
• Top class roads and rail services to enable
  speedy and efficient movement like competitors
• Air Access vital for Knowledge Economy
• Knowledge must move access must be feasible and
  time-efficient

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Telecommunications Vital

• Universal broadband access as a basic utility
• ICT education, training and PC access
• Start at primary level

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Enterprise Employment WDCs Proactive
Approach to Natural Resources

• WDC Model of rural development
• Tourism
• Eco tourism Green Box
• Organic agri-food Atlantic Organics
• Renewable Energy

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Enterprise Employment WDC Proactive

• WDC Investment Fund
• 34.4 million loan and equity finance
• 17m 64 projects
• 100,000 - 1 million
• Private VC criteria
• Broad range of sectors
• Social enterprises

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Look West Campaign

• Key strategic objective for WDC attracting jobs
  and skills to the region
• Need to present a more positive image of the West
  and highlight what has been achieved
• Evident interest in relocation among
• those originally from the West
• those looking for lifestyle dividend
• Advantages of less stressful life, more
  affordable housing and services

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Look West Phase 1 2004/2005

• Promoting the Western Region as a place to live,
  work and do business to those in GDA
• Building website and working with local
  authorities to create links to as many towns as
  possible with quality information
• Creating a database of case studies and other
  material
• Advertising campaigns and PR

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Promoting the Western Region Look West
Regional Website www.lookwest.ie
Promotion Campaign Look West
Town Websites (Local Authorities)
Radio
Press
Billboards
Internet
Greater Dublin Area (Limited National)
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LOOK WEST www.lookwest.ie
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Look West Phase 2 2006

• Redesign and launch of website
• Stronger Jobs focus
• Recruitment promotion
• Building skills database
• Job availability on website
• Private sector partners

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Current Look West Campaign
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What is Needed

• Proactive to development including investment in
  infrastructure to implement strategies
• Specific attention to regions in the knowledge
  economy
• Regional differentiation and ring fencing of
  national strategies and programmes
• Robust, cross-sectoral structures of policy
  implementation at highest level
• Courage and vision