Published on 

New Regional Enterprise Plan for the North-West

Avantcard to create 40 new jobs in Carrick on Shannon and Dublin

New Plan is one of Nine Regional Enterprise Plans being launched by Minister Humphreys to drive enterprise growth in the regions

The Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys, today launched a new Regional Enterprise Plan for the North-West to support enterprise growth and job creation through collaborative initiatives.

The development of the North-West Plan, incorporating counties Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo, was overseen by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, working with stakeholders from the North-West region, through a regional stakeholder Committee chaired by Mr. Conor Murphy, Site Director, Abbott Diagnostics Division.

The North-West Plan identifies six Strategic Objectives, with actions to: identify and enhance the visibility of skills and talent in the North West; achieve a step-change in the level of regional entrepreneurship; harness the potential of the blue economy; maximise the potential of the Wild Atlantic Way and tourism; develop a regional network of landing spaces to support co-working; and support the digitalisation of SMEs in the North-West.

The North-West Plan is one of nine Regional Enterprise Plans being launched by Minister Humphreys currently.

Speaking at the Drumshanbo Food Hub, Co. Leitrim, which through the Leitrim Food Enterprise Zone CLG was recently awarded over €950,000 under her Department’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF), the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys said:

The collaboration in evidence here in Leitrim, to build on the success and reputation for food and beverage in here the North-West, is a great example of what these new Regional Enterprise Plans are fundamentally about. The Regional Enterprise Plan for the North-West to 2020 that I am launching today sets out a number of key strategic areas where regional stakeholders working together will provide a basis for future enterprise development and job creation that is sustainable in the longer term.

I am pleased to note that jobs growth has been strong in all regions, including the North-West. There are 8,200 more people at work today in the border region than at the beginning of 2015, when the Government first launched regional jobs plans, and the unemployment rate has reduced from 8.6 percent down to 3.8 percent.

Read the full Press Release here.