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The WDC hosts the programme manager for the West Regional Enterprise Plans (WREP) and in 2022 provided maternity cover for the Northwest programme manager. This brought increased regional cohesion and allowed the regional Entreprises plans to work on a number of cross- regional initiatives.

The Regional Enterprise Plans are a Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment initiative. The plans are developed by regional stakeholders and focus on undertaking collaborative initiatives that can help deliver enterprise growth in each of the nine regions across Ireland. They are an important part of the Programme for Government commitment to achieving more balanced regional enterprise development.

Plans for the West and Northwest were launched in early 2022. The plans consist of high-level strategic objectives and specific actions. Each objective has a dedicated working group to deliver on the actions.

2022 Highlights of the Northwest Regional Enterprise Plan include: 

  • The development of a Northwest Enterprise Data Repository (funded by DETE),  
  • Sligo Gas Network (Enterprise Ireland REISS Funding) 
  • Completion of the Cyber Skills Report by the NW Regional Skills Forum & Cyber Ireland Northwest Chapter 
  • Inishowen Sustainable Energy Community Project (Enterprise Ireland REISS) 
  • Nine shared island projects addressing enterprise opportunities in med tech, tourism, reg tech, innovation plaza, decarbonization, food hub and VR facilities in the education sector.  

2022 selected highlights from the West Regional Enterprise Plan include: 

  • Scoping of a Regional Life Sciences Hub (funded by Enterprise Ireland REISS Funding), led by University of Galway and Western Development Commission 
  • Inclusion of West of Ireland in the Circular Regionais and Cities EU Initiative and a mirror region for Responsible Research & Innovation Cherries Project 
  • Inclusion of WDC as associate partner in the newly appointed EIT KIC for Creative and Cultural Sector Industries, ICE 
  • Establishment of GH2 Galway Hydrogen Valley, with support for feasibility work from Enterprise Ireland REISS Funding 
  • Securing of an award from the University of Galway Strategic Fund to support capacity building for Circular Economy in the region 
  • Announcement of the €5.4 funding for regional European Digital Innovation Hub Data2Sustain in June 2022 
  • Successful funding and launch of SPECTRA (Stimulating Performance of Ecosystems in Creative Territories and Regional Actors) european project – coordinated by WDC with CREW as a partner and ATU and Galway Culture Company as associated partners. 

Collaborative initiatives with the Northwest, West and MidWest REPs included the Atlantic TIDE Design industry initiative (Creative Ireland) and the Growth of Onshore to Offshore Wind – Atlantic Region Wind Energy & Supply-Chain Feasibility funded by Enterprise Ireland and Local Authorities in the Midwest, Northwest and West regions, and the WDC, as well as ImTech virtual reality training for renewable wind energy sector, a project funded by SOLAS Innovation fund and led by MSLETB.