The Western Development Commission (WDC) recently joined EU partners at the Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) Lead Partner and Communication Managers Seminar, held at University College Cork on 18–19 March 2025. Representing the WDC, team members Imelda McCarron (EU Projects Development Executive), Ian Brannigan (Head of Regional Development), and Niall Brady (EU Projects Communications Officer) participated in the two-day event, which brought together key stakeholders from across the programme’s diverse partner regions.
The WDC’s presence at the seminar reflected its central role in several innovative NPA-funded projects. These include N-LITE, a project merging literary tourism with immersive digital technologies; Circnets, which explores sustainable solutions for end-of-life fishing nets; THREADs, which focuses on improving textile waste collection and sorting in the Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) regionand Astric, focused on attracting talent and skills through regional innovation capacity insight. Each of these initiatives speaks to the unique strengths and future-facing priorities of Ireland’s western region – from culture and sustainability to skills development and smart regional planning.
The seminar also provided an opportunity to engage with WDC’s regional and international project partners, many of whom were also in attendance. These included the AIM Centre in Sligo (Astric), the northwest’s WiSAR Lab at ATU (Data2Sustain), Kajaani University of Applied Sciences (N-LITE, THREADs), Ernact (Data2Sustain), and the University of Oulu (Circnets), among others. Their involvement underlines the strong collaborative foundations that support these transnational projects and the shared ambition to deliver lasting regional impact.
The WDC’s Internationalisation Programme connects the West of Ireland with international opportunities through strategic partnerships, and Interreg NPA is a key part of that,” said Ian Brannigan, Head of Regional Development at the WDC. “Projects like N-LITE, using immersive tech to enhance literary tourism, and CIRCNETs, tackling sustainability through circular solutions, show how we’re aligning EU collaboration with local impact. Events like the Cork seminar are vital for sharing ideas, building partnerships, and positioning the region as a driver of rural innovation and sustainable development.
The seminar featured interactive sessions on strengthening project visibility, engaging communities through Living Labs, and leveraging EU platforms to showcase impact. Attendees also explored synergies with other programmes and discussed emerging themes such as youth involvement, sustainability, and cross-border cooperation.
On the second day, Ian Brannigan attended a dedicated clustering meeting focused on social enterprise and circular economy opportunities – areas of growing importance for rural regions in the NPA area. The session highlighted new directions for collaboration that are well aligned with the WDC’s work in enterprise, green innovation, and regional resilience.
By taking part in events like the Interreg NPA seminar, the WDC ensures that the West of Ireland remains deeply connected to European networks and continues to benefit from shared knowledge, funding, and innovation. Through strong international partnerships, the region is not only participating in Europe’s future – it’s helping to shape it.
