While IDA Ireland won 246 investments in 2020 and 249 in 2021, projects are publicly announced in conjunction and co-operation with our clients. The table attached shows the number of publicly announced investments won in each of the years 2020 and 2021. It should be noted that not all companies agree to announce their investments and as a result, the table does not truly reflect the level of investments won or the performance of FDI in a particular year.
Jobs announced are typically created over a period of between 3 and 5 years depending on the company’s business plan.
There are a number of established clusters in IDA Ireland’s multinational client base located in regions throughout Ireland. These include Life Sciences, Technology, International Financial Services, Global Business Services, and Engineering & Industrial Technologies.
IDA is working closely with my Department, Enterprise Ireland and SFI to support the development of further clusters that align with national priorities, enterprise strengths and transformative areas of opportunity.
In addition, IDA has supported the development of NIBRT (National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training) and most recently the establishment of the new AMC (Advanced Manufacturing Centre). Both of these will advance sectoral developments across life sciences, tech, engineering and national expertise in new advanced manufacturing areas, supporting exports and the growth of high-end, challenging jobs in Ireland.
The development of a National Clustering Policy and Framework is currently underway and due for completion in Q2 2022, the aim of which is to develop a cohesive approach to clustering and its role in Enterprise Policy and to maximise the potential of clustering as a driver of enterprise development. This work will also aim to formalise a working definition of a recognised industry cluster.
Clustering is a strategic focus for both Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, as a mechanism to promote balanced regional growth and to strengthen enterprise linkages and spillovers. Recent supports for clustering include the Regional Technology Clustering Fund (RTCF) linking enterprise and regionally based Institute of Technology (IoTs)/ Technical Universities (TUs), the incentivisation of regional industry-led clusters through the Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF).
The RTCF aims to build sectoral clusters of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to drive productivity and competitiveness in and across regions through encouraging engagement between, enterprise and regionally based knowledge providers, such as the IoT’s / TU’s. RTCF-funded clustering initiatives are detailed in Table 1 attached.
The Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) is aimed at accelerating economic recovery in all regions of the country by delivering on the potential of local and regional enterprise strengths. Its objective is to support significant regional initiatives to build on sectoral strengths, better leverage identified resources to improve enterprise capability, drive employment and enterprise development and stimulate enterprise clustering initiatives. Each of the three REDF calls included a stream to support industry clustering to stimulate innovative activity through promotion, sharing of facilities and exchange of knowledge and expertise. Nine projects in total across the three calls of the REDF were approved funding under those specific streams. There was one cluster focused project under the Border Enterprise Development Fund. These projects are detailed in Table 2 attached.
Other clustering initiatives funded outside of these programmes include Cyber Ireland, a National Cyber Security Cluster and Geoscience Ireland which focuses on the internationalisation of indigenous businesses.
|
Project
|
Location
|
Project summary
|
Fund
|
Approved Grant
|
|
BPO Cluster Ireland CLG
|
Dublin
|
Project to support the further development of an indigenous Business Process Outsourcers cluster to support scaling and employment growth in the sector.
|
REDF
|
€155,064
|
|
|
|
|
REDF (Call 1)
|
€250,000
|
|
Emerald Aero Cluster
|
Mid-West (Limerick)
|
Establishment of an Aerospace Manufacturing Cluster for the Mid-West.
|
REDF (Call 3)
|
€350,560
|
|
|
|
|
REDF (Call 1)
|
€209,844
|
|
IT@Cork
|
South West (Cork)
|
Hiring of a cluster manager to work with IT@Cork's member companies to foster collaboration between companies and organisations.
|
RETS
|
€91,200
|
|
KerrySciTech
|
South West (Kerry)
|
Develop KerrySciTech as a cluster for growth of science and technology jobs in Kerry
|
REDF (Call 1)
|
€236,500
|
|
CIT Consortium Projects DAC
|
South West (Cork/Kerry)
|
Increase the number of start-ups coming from the undergraduate population of the three 3rd level college in the South West.
|
REDF (Call 2)
|
€336,360
|
|
Crystal Valley Tech DAC
|
South East (Waterford)
|
ICT Industry Cluster. Promotion of Tech in the South East of Ireland.
|
REDF (Call 2)
|
€215,919
|
|
The Tradebridge Collaboration DAC
|
South East (Wexford)
|
Develop export market opportunities for SMEs located in the South East and in SE Georgia, America.
|
REDF (Call 3)
|
€247,827
|
|
Focused Engineering Network DAC
|
North East (Monaghan/Cavan)
|
North-East engineering cluster.
|
REDF (Call 2)
|
€250,000
|
|
National Data Platform
|
North East (Monaghan)
|
Drive cluster activity in agrifood and engineering sectors.
|
BEDF
|
€609,584
|
