Irish Regions Office Website

February 08, 2010

Report highlights regions' potential for employment

An institutionalising of relations between business support and local government actors; the strategic focusing of investment towards the National Spatial Strategy Gateway cities; and strengthened oversight roles for the Regional Authorities are among the key recommendations being proposed by the national policy advisory body for enterprise and science, ForfAs.

The Regional Competitiveness Agendas (RCAs) report, published in January, comprises 7 separate analyses of the baseline economic situation plus the same number of ''Realising Potential'' options for ensuring quality mid-term employment prospects in the Border, East (Dublin & Mid-East), Midlands, Mid-West, South-East, South-West, and West. The latter documents set out the key opportunities for each region to optimise its enterprise assets and achieve internal collaboration. An overview volume piecing together the various profiles on issues such as skills and training; economic infrastructure and connectivity; innovation drivers and approaches; quality of life; and governance arrangements is also included.

In seeking to deliver a more strategic and coherent regional response, harnessing necessary stakeholder engagement in a coordinated enterprise-focused agenda is highlighted as a particular challenge. To achieve this, the creation of an Economic Forum is suggested for each region whereby the appropriate expertise and competences from the enterprise development agencies and planning and development authorities (at Regional and Gateway level) would be regularly brought together to monitor and update action oriented progress.

In what is described as a ''refresh of the NSS'', the report urges the need to take steps to assure suitable coordinated and resource efficient governance arrangements for each gateway along with its hinterland. The reinstatement of the National Development Plan's deferred Gateway Innovation Fund to encourage coordinated, innovative and strategic development initiatives in key urban centres as part of a drive to deliver the appropriate supporting infrastructures to create competitive and attractive environments for sustainable business investment.

Similarly, the importance of achieving widespread buy-in and compliance from relevant actors with the soon-to-be updated and strengthened Regional Planning Guidelines is another matter emphasised with the Regional Authorities being suggested as the best placed bodies to ensure adequate implementation arrangements. The Authorities are also charged with developing strong linkages with neighbouring regions ''in particular to harness services and/or leverage key 'national' infrastructures as appropriate''.

This analysis is the first in what is to be a planned 2 yearly review of the competitiveness of the regions.

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Posted by iroronan at February 8, 2010 07:51 PM