A regional focus on jobs growth and economic development will continue today with the launch of a new enterprise plan for the Mid-West region.
The plan is the fifth out of nine schemes to improve the competitiveness of areas around the country.
The region includes Tipperary - as well as Limerick and Clare.
The Mid-West Plan is one of nine Regional Enterprise Plans being launched by Minister Humphreys in the coming weeks.
Speaking at the location for the development of a National Bioeconomy Innovation and Piloting Facility in Lisheen, Co. Tipperary, a project being supported by her Department’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund to the tune of €4.6m, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD said:
“The collaboration in evidence here at Lisheen is a great example of what these new Regional Enterprise Plans are fundamentally about. The Plan for the Mid-West that I am launching today sets out a number of key strategic areas where regional stakeholders working together will provide a basis for future enterprise development and job creation that is sustainable in the longer term.
“I am pleased to note that jobs growth has been strong in all regions, including the Mid-West. There are over 14,700 more people at work in the Mid-West today than at the beginning of 2015, when the Government first launched regional jobs plans, and the unemployment rate has reduced significantly from 12 percent in 2015 down to 5.6 percent.
Regional Enterprise Plans:
The Mid West Regional Enterprise Plan contains the following Strategic Objectives and specific actions have been set out under each area:
Strategic Objective 1: Enable a digital economy and make the Mid-West Ireland’s leading smart city-region
Strategic Objective 2: Achieve a step-change in progress toward a low carbon economy in the Mid-West
Strategic Objective 3: Continue to develop workforce skills and talent and enhance the attractiveness of living and working in the Mid-West
Strategic Objective 4: Develop the Mid-West’s capacity to deliver economic growth
Strategic Objective 5: Build a coordinated regional messaging brand for consistent communication
Co-ordinated by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, nine Regional Enterprise Plans have been developed for: Midlands, South-East, South-West, Mid-West, West, North-West, North-East, Mid-East and Dublin.
Deputy Humphries also had advice for regional companies ahead of Brexit:
