The Dublin regional Enterprise Strategy, developed by the four local authorities of the Dublin region, provides a coherent and coordinated approach to promoting enterprise, employment and entrepreneurial activities in the Dublin region for the period 2017-2019.
A review of existing and emerging policy was the framework for the development of the strategy.
This mapped policy initiatives including the Dublin Regional Action Plan for Jobs 2016-2018 and Local Economic and Community Plans 2016-2021 in Dublin while also recognising changing economic conditions and technological advances.
The focus areas include understanding the ‘key sectors’ namely, Administration; Professional Services; Tourism and Leisure; Education and Training; Manufacturing and Industry; Transport and Logistics; Construction; ICT and Technology, and Retail and Wholesale and their associated employment levels, together with the clustering of activity and supports across the region.
This clustering of enterprises in key locations has been mapped below and indicates where activity is concentrated in the Dublin region. In addition, stakeholder consultations allowed for key insights to be incorporated into the strategy’s development and overall future direction.
The recent improvements in the national economy have been heavily driven by the Dublin regional economy. The number of enterprises in Dublin is 10% higher now than in 2008 and an associated reduction in the unemployment rate in the region illustrates an increasingly entrepreneurial economy and reflects the establishment of many new start-ups.
Within this context, identified ‘growth opportunity areas’ have significant potential for consolidation and expansion in the future. These are centred on the following: Design and Creative Industries; The Food Industry; The Green Economy (CleanTech and Environment); International Financial Services; Pharma/ BioPharma; Software and Digital; Tourism, and Education and Training.
Recognising the existing landscape, and the policy and economic conditions that shape it, it is paramount that a future ‘enterprise vision’ for the Dublin Region be articulated.
“The vision of this strategy is the creation of a sustainable, globally competitive and innovative destination for enterprise development and living.”
These key objectives have resulted in the establishment of focussed ‘enterprise recommendations’, that will ensure the roll-out of specific regional and local ‘enterprise actions’, 20 in total. These ‘actions’ will be delivered locally and collaboratively by the Dublin Local Authorities through Local Enterprise Offices and with key partners.
They will include developing an ‘enterprise brand’, incentivising the uptake of vacant and underutilised enterprise space, promoting the growth and investment opportunities within the ‘Strategic Development Zones’, coordinating the streamlining of training courses, and investigating opportunities for collaboration with the aim of promoting and facilitating social enterprises and innovation.
The implementation of all the actions is crucial to secure the overall successful delivery of this three-year enterprise strategy for the Region, through an integrated, collaborative and strategic approach. This will result in increasing employment moving towards the Dublin Regional Action Plan for Jobs: 2016-2018 targets.
This vision will be delivered via key enterprise objectives covering:
Development of the enterprise proposition for the Dublin Region, with an international focus to attract FDI and a highly skilled and talented workforce;
Delivery of a high-quality, efficient, responsive and supportive environment for all businesses in the Region;
Promote and foster enterprise in the identified ‘growth opportunity areas’, and to entice FDI to Ireland;
Encourage and facilitate targeted educational and training initiatives to meet the current and emerging future needs of enterprise; and
Promotion of a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation across the wider community through supports, awareness, marketing and branding initiatives.
William Hynes is a Chartered Town Planner, a Chartered Surveyor and economist, and a founder and director of Future Analytics Consulting Ltd.
