Nine counties join forces to highlight the economic opportunity along Ireland’s western seaboard Minister Seán Kyne launches new online hub www.atlanticeconomiccorridor.ie.
Clare-based businesses and agencies are featured in a new online initiative to drive interest in the west coast as a great place to live and work, and attract further investment to the region.
Minister for Community Development, Natural Resources and Digital Development Seán Kyne, T.D this week officially launched the Atlantic Economic Corridor website.
Businesses and agencies in nine counties stretching from Kerry to Donegal have joined forces to launch the online hub for the Atlantic Economic Corridor.
The Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC) website will act as a one-stop shop offering information on the advice and supports for people thinking of setting up a business in the region, or for those interested in relocating and creating an Atlantic-coast lifestyle for themselves or their families.
Clare and Limerick-based companies and agencies featured on the new website include Shannon-based EI Electronics, Kilrush-based Chapel Gate Whiskey and the Limerick.ie office which promotes Limerick city.
The development of the Atlantic Economic Corridor is a long-term collaborative initiative encompassing Ireland’s business community, national and local government, higher education sector, and public bodies. The partnership driven by the Atlantic Economic Corridor Taskforce aims to nurture entrepreneurialism and innovation, encourage infrastructural investment, attract foreign direct investment and support indigenous companies with global ambitions.
Commenting on the website Minister Kyne, said: “A wide range of companies have already discovered the benefits of the Atlantic Economic Corridor as a place to do business. Across a range of industries, enterprises of all sizes can avail of increased business opportunities and tap into the wealth of skills available through our educated and dynamic workforce. Through this website we can attract more investment to the west of Ireland and show what a great place Ireland’s western seaboard is to live in.
“The development of the AEC is a long-term project. Launching this website is very much an initial step in our work, but it is also an important step. It enables us to get the message out that the AEC is the ideal location for businesses to set-up and expand. It shows that many major businesses are already established along the corridor, that we have the infrastructure and skills necessary to support modern businesses, and that business and Government are working closely together to further develop the AEC in the coming years.”
The region represented by the AEC has a total population of 1.7 million people and is home to a wide range of successful businesses, including ambitious start-ups, established multinationals, and indigenous Irish firms prospering in global markets. The region boasts a number of higher education institutions producing a steady supply of graduates across a wide range of industries, making it an ideal location for enterprises wishing to tap into a high skilled workforce.
Shannon Chamber of Commerce board director and operations director with medical device manufacturer Zimmer Biomet, Claude Costelloe, said:
“As a business which employs in excess of 600 people in our facilities in Shannon and Galway, we see the value that can be derived from addressing the untapped potential of an entire region, linking cities and rural areas, and the transformative potential it has for concentrating investment and innovation across a ‘place’ of scale.”
David Minton, director of the Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA) who is a member of the AEC taskforce, said:
“The Atlantic Economic Corridor is not about city or county. It’s not about boundaries or catchments. It’s about collective vision, fuelled by the potential of economic opportunity.
“As citizens and people of the Atlantic region we know that we live in one of the most beautiful and best places in the world. Something innately connects our cities, towns and villages as well as our industry, entrepreneurs and multinationals. This connection now has a home as the Atlantic Economic Corridor.”