Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy TD, is encouraging businesses in Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo to embrace digital technologies to stay competitive, resilient and productive as part of the national Grow Digital campaign.
The €85 million Digital Transition Fund is now in place to help companies use digital technologies like AI, cloud computing and big data to improve their products, processes, supply chains and services.
To support Irish businesses to start or further their digital transformation, the Grow Digital workshop series is taking place across the regions over July and into the autumn and will feature Digital Transition Clinics to assist businesses as they navigate the process of digitalisation. The North-West workshop is run in conjunction with the Western Development Commission and the North-West Regional Enterprise Plan.
Speaking ahead of the North West Grow Digital Workshop in Sligo, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy TD said:
“The goal of Grow Digital is to help drive a step-change in the level of digital uptake by enterprises right across the country. Growing our businesses’ use of digital technologies will help us to build the resilience of our enterprise base and as we work to future-proof our economy in the years ahead. We are at a point now where every business should be looking at how they could benefit from the implementation of digital technologies.
“These workshops will give enterprises across the regions an important opportunity to hear from other regional businesses that have already progressed their own digitalisation and how it has benefitted them. It is my hope that this will help to drive home the message of the potential offered by these technologies. We’ve launched these workshops alongside the new Digital Transition Fund, which is in place to help businesses at all stages of their digital journey. I strongly encourage all businesses whether they have yet to embrace digitalisation or are further along their digital journey to find out more of the supports available to them and avail of the financial and advisory supports if applicable.”
A key focus for the workshop is to support businesses in identifying the next steps which they can take as they look towards adopting new digital technologies. These clinics will be run by representatives from the network of Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.
The workshops include case studies from regional businesses that have advanced their own digital transition including Cora Systems (Leitrim), Tantek4D (Sligo) and Secora (Donegal), and an outline of the funding available under the new Digital Transition Fund.
Tomás Ó Síocháin, CEO, Western Development Commission said:
Enabling sustainable innovation and growth, digital technology is central to competitive enterprise and resilient communities in the North-West region, sustaining our people, our place and our future.
Séamus Hughes (Director, Zeus), Chair, North-West Regional Enterprise Plan Steering Committee said:
“This national fund further facilitates the delivery of the ambitions as set out in the North-West Regional Enterprise Plan 2024 for business activation and growth in the North-West”
Padraic McElwee, Chair of the network of Local Enterprise Offices said:
“As the Local Enterprise Offices are the first stop shop for start-ups and small businesses in Ireland, these workshops provide an excellent opportunity for micro-enterprises to further enhance their digital capabilities. The pace of change in digital adoption is accelerating and the Local Enterprise Office will continue to ensure that small businesses have access to vital supports to help them adapt and embrace the benefits that digital transformation offers.”
The Western Development Commission is the operations facilitator for the delivery of the North West and West Regional Enterprise Plans 2024.
Successful Applicants
Applications for funding were invited through a public call and 47 applicants have been approved for the scheme.
12 projects receiving REISS Feasibility Study Grants across the Atlantic Economic Corridor:
- ACTION TUAM – Galway
- ZE-AVIATION ALLIANCE – Clare
- COMHOIBRIU – Galway/Roscommon
- BALLYHAUNIS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – Mayo
- GALWAY CITY COUNCIL – Galway West
- HORAN AIRPORT TRUST – Mayo
- INISHOWEN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP (1) Donegal North
- INISHOWEN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP (2) Donegal North
- SLIGO LEITRIM ENERGY AGENCY – Sligo
- LIMERICK CITY AND COUNTY COUNCIL (1) – Limerick
- LIMERICK CITY AND COUNTY COUNCIL (2) – Limerick
- UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK – Limerick
The 5 projects receiving REISS Priming Grants across the Atlantic Economic Corridor:
- BIA INNOVATOR CAMPUS – Galway
- BNEST SOCIAL INITIATIVE – Limerick
- FUTURE MOBILITY CAMPUS IRELAND – Clare
- WESTERN INNOVATION LIFE SCIENCE HUB – Galway
- LIMERICK ENTERPRISE NETWORK – Limerick
