and around 50%of the world's human resources for research and innovation live outside the triad.
with investments from the former amounting to 19%of total FDI investment flows to the EU. 4 Expert group to the European commission,
'report of an independent expert group chaired by Mr Esko Aho. 13 Tsipouri, L. Paper presented at the European commission Mutual Learning seminar,
2012.14 Expert group report to the European commission, 2009,‘Le monde en 2025. La montée en puissance de l'Asie et la transition socio-écologique'.
'15 Expert group report to the European commission, 2007, report of the taskforce on sustainable construction. 16 Expert group report to the European commission, 2008,‘Challenging Europe's Research:
Rationales for the European Research Area (ERA'.'18 Europe's compet it ive technology prof i l e in the global ised knowledge economy Figure 14:
2000 11 19 See the report of the independent expert group on R&d and Innovation chaired by Mr Esko Aho,
The Rise of the Network Society, Blackwell Publishers Ltd, Oxford, UK Expert group report to the European commission,
chaired by Mr Esko Aho (2005)‘ Creating an Innovative Europe'Expert group report to the European commission (2007)‘ Accelerating the Development of the Sustainable Construction Market in Europe,
'COM (2007) 860 final Expert group report to the European commission (2008)‘ Challenging Europe's Research:
Rationales for the European Research Area (ERA)' Expert group report to the European commission (2009)‘ Le monde en 2025.
Research Motivation and Vision This paper follows up previous work undertaken by the authors in this field4.
Furthermore, they state clusters generate a disproportionately large economic impact for their footprint based on the knowledge sharing amongst workers.
for the purposes of our discussions we are considering groups of enterprises producing a critical mass of business activity that have significant impact on the local economy through investment, employment, infrastructure and profitability.
There may be common heritages amongst entrepreneurs and employees, too education, interests, personality, and their journey through life.
As a work study analyst in the early 1970s undertaking projects in London Telecommunications Region one of this paper's authors tramped up and down the streets of Bethnal Green, Clerkenwell,
Hoxton and Shoreditch to carry out his work. He recalls describing the area as a jumble of filthy,
and for more detail of Tech City's evolution, see Appendix‘A'.7 Rees, D. Personal recollections as an employee of UK Post office Telecoms 8 http://techcitynews. com/2014/06/10
At the same time central government was keen to redistribute employment opportunities and cut operating costs through relocating public services outside London.
Their work drew on other studies including Durmaz, B.,Platt, S. and Yigitcanlar. T. 2010;
Physical proximity of businesses to one another and clients, plus integrated work/home/social locations are important factors.§
This refers to the attractiveness of the work and social environment in which the enterprise is located
and employees want to be located.§§Business complementarity. Enterprise owners value the physical closeness and availability of services from other companies.
demand for integrated/convergent entrepreneurial graduates and skilled employees Networking/partnering organisations networking competencies, partnership broking,
and reporting on sector developments Architects/urban and rural planners--creative workplace and business environment design Industry--specific partnerships identifying partners, implementing partnerships Themes,
Regeneration projects that may include transforming old work sites and buildings in to new enterprise space are gaining pace.
Employees look forward to interacting with colleagues, customers and partners in the physical workplace. Business owners have to be careful to ensure that the free,
creative spirit of their workers is lost not or diluted as the organisation grows this is an immense leadership challenge.
They have to learn how to interface and work effectively with their creative suppliers and partners.
digital clusters represents a major strategic leadership challenge to ensure that the opportunities for high--value employment,
vintage furniture and sleek modern office technology crammed every which way into cool working environments. Within this dynamic ecosystem companies come
For those able to gain access to the interiors of the buildings, the well--planned complementary nature of occupancy strikes a healthy chord.
In addition to the major broadcasters and their supporting businesses there is the newly housed Salford University building with superb facilities to support the talent pipeline that falls at the feet of prospective employers.
http://dx. doi. org/10.1108/17506181011067592 Munn, B.,Baum, A.,Boscherini, G. and Perri, C. 2013)‘ The Work Shop'CBRE AND Henley Business school Bachmann
Greater availability of highly-educated workers; venture capital; state-of-the-art knowledge. Furthermore, the author concludes that the resulting changes in NSI stimulated
Yet apart from Chesbrough's 2003 pioneering work, there are few studies exploring the important relationship between OI
Its ultimate goals are economic growth, job creation, and acquisition of international skills. Each innovation system performs differently in achieving its supposed aims.
Instead of weakening public support for basic research, this NSI role may need to be beefed up. 3. 5. The supply of high-quality labour is linked strongly to education
a high-quality labour force is one of the major prerequisites of OI as it allows knowledge to spill over to other organisations
This also applies to the recruitment of graduates by firms, which is probably one of the main mechanisms for making money from fundamental research 54.
Developing and maintaining a skilled labour force requires governments to deliver and implement high-quality education at all levels.
strong specialisation in innovative labour; the efficiency of resource allocation; accelerating knowledge flows at lower costs. 3. 7. Eliciting social resources for innovation In modern society,
such as retired skilled workers, and the valuable knowledge of former staff, have been excluded generally from the task of advancing the frontiers of innovation.
OI scholars state that in the OI era companies should tap into this large external pool of know-how to gain new ideas while at the same time move unused ideas outside the company 3. This leads to a large, valuable stock of knowledge for others
and further improve NSI effectiveness. 3. 8. Benefiting from strong specialisation in innovative labour Economists have shown that the growth of a more complex division of labour is closely bound to the growth of total production and trade
There is a natural labour division in knowledge generation and commercialisation between firms of different sizes.
there is a major opportunity to benefit from this strong division of labour through an open innovation model. OI theory purports that innovators do not necessarily implement all innovation stages,
thus profiting from the division of labour in this field. In particular, innovating firms can choose to sell technologies instead of investing in the downstream assets required to commercialise technologies
Through this innovative labour specialisation, companies may be able to focus their strengths on some parts of innovation value networks.
Moreover, little work has been done on downstream networks exploiting existing knowledge 91.3.13. Online social networks: Enlarging the knowledge exploration landscape The OI model stresses the importance of using a broad range of sources for innovation and commercialisation activities by firms.
In this way, highly-skilled retirees, graduate students, professional workers in various disciplines, ordinary citizens, and research-based
Finally, OI hinges on the supply and mobility of highly-skilled knowledge workers. Hence, education and training need to be linked closely to innovation policies.
retired skilled workers; internet-based communities; innovation intermediaries. Next, NSI effectiveness can be boosted through greater labour specialisation in the innovation field.
Finally, NSI will be more effective when the unused technologies of large companies are commercialised through spin-offs
iii) highlight the reworking of good ideas through suitable business models and highly-efficient markets for technology and knowledge workers.
general and abstract knowledge and the division of innovative labour, Res. Policy 23 (5)( 1994) 523 532.45 M. Nelson, J. L. Mason, How the South Joined the Gambling Nation:
Policy 35 (7)( 2006) 994 1017.98 H. Katajisto, J. Kimari, Education, Training and Demand for Labour in Finland by 2015
For the past two and a half years she has been working as a strategy consultant at Atos.
South american CIO Executive, IBM Tom Velema EMEIA IT Advisory Leader, EY Michael Golz CIO Americas, SAP Alexander Gornyi CIO, Mail.
leading Chinese telecommunications company CIOS Subject matter experts See demographics for a full overview of the research methodology.
Our acknowledgments 1 In this report Foreword 2 Executive summary 4 Section 1 The rise of the digital business 6 Section 2 The DNA of the IT-intensive industry CIO
Staff members wonder why their work tools aren't all available as mobile apps, as they are in the rest of their lives.
and research on this characteristic group of executives, we know that there is a distinctive subset of CIOS who have embraced already the digital world
But it also extends through their work experience: they actively seek out opportunities to work in other parts of the business and in other geographic regions.
And they engage extensively outside the business by, for example, taking on external advisory roles or directorships.
In a survey, carried out by MITSLOAN, 1 of executives from different business functions across a wide range of industries
argues Bob Concannon, a partner at executive recruitment firm Kornferry. Companies are recognizing that a judicious use of IT can lead them toward increases in sales and returns on investment never before possible.
how business processes work, and how these all fit together, adds Tom Velema, EY's EMEIA IT Advisory Leader.
from strategic engagement with the rest of the business, through to even acting as a marketer for technology recruitment.
which receives strong engagement from senior executives across the business. As would be expected, much is being done digitally in these IT-intensive industries:
Spanish South american CIO Executive, IBM As might be expected of a leading technology brand, IBM is engaged deeply with digital.
when executives are pushed to focus on higher-level strategic issues, there is a consequent shift in the skills that they need to succeed.
but it suggests that these businesses are making a greater effort to attract more female executives.
Her work in using mobile and analytics to drive greater sales is representative of where this role is headed (see next trait for more).
digital changes the way many businesses work, opening up wholly new possibilities, but people have to buy into this vision,
says Diego Calegari, Spanish South american CIO Executive at IBM, who explains that true storytelling requires a deep grasp of the core of the business and how it works,
in order to explain how it can change in future. SAP Americas CIO Michael Golz cites examples of CIOS he meets in his peer-to-peer customer conversations,
Diego Calegari, Spanish South american CIO Executive, IBM External Internal 26 Born to be digital Swanepoel has engaged sometimes external management consultants to help bring a fresh perspective on
An important factor that can further put weight on CIOS'communication skills is their relative position within the business.
UCB's Herman de Prins, who prefers to keep work-related topics out of social media, uses his passion for cycling as a source for non-work-related updates and links them to technology,
They are happy in their work: 64%plan to remain where they are, or move into a bigger CIO position,
most importantly around ensuring a multidisciplinary approach to their education and work experience. Section 4 It is clear that digital CIOS take a different approach to tackling their roles.
High job satisfaction The first thing to point out is that digital-ready CIOS appreciate the opportunity they hold:
Across all elements of their jobs, they express greater satisfaction with their work than their IT-intensive industry peers do.
compared with 45%of IT-intensive industry CIOS. The potential for future career development: 54%are satisfied strongly,
given that they are more often called upon for advice by executives in the rest of the business.
60%benefits and incentives 40%48%The work-life balance 33%The allocation of resources such as 37%head count and budget to IT 43%54%The potential for career development 45%People
Case study Our company has a personnel arrangement mechanism that allows a CIO to switch roles with other executives.
Our company has a personnel arrangement mechanism that allows a CIO to switch roles with other executives,
and hard work (Percentage of respondents who have chosen 8, 9 or 10 on a scale from 1=not required at all to 10=absolutely required) Not only a CIO's responsibility All of this highlights a further important point in CIOS'career paths,
whether from their peers, external consultants, the print media, online webcasts or others. They are interested strongly in building their career upon management skills.
, Zooplus 2007 2012 Consultant Business and Information Strategy, Capgemini Consulting 2007 2012 Post graduate Management, Otto-Friedrich-University Bamberg 2002 2006
Consultant, Centrum für betriebliche Informationssysteme 2001 2002 Product Portfolio Manager, Atraxis (Swissair) 2000 2001 Consultant Strategic Product Management, Lufthansa Systems
and Development, Nykredit 1991 1997 CEO Nybolig Retail Estate Agency, Nykredit 1982 1991 Various executive posts at Nykredit, primarily on the business side within Nykredit retail
DANSK IT 1975 1982 Master of Economics, University of Aarhus 1989 MDP program, Cranfield University Diego Calegari IBM 2013 today Spanish South america CIO Executive
From our interviews with leading experts and CIOS, we gathered advice and guidance on how to prepare for a digital world
We also conducted detailed interviews with a range of CIOS and IT experts, to add additional context to our data and findings.
Marketing's two-headed beast, 5 insights for executives series, EY, 2013.7. Why does Kenya lead the world in mobile money?
a CIO's key to the boardroom, 5 insights for executives series, EY, 2013. The digitisation of everything:
'and to develop the promotion of markets.‘‘Innovation management'is a prerequisite for innovation to flourish in firms.
Norway (16,3%),Island (13,7%),Switzerland (11,5%),USA (10,1%)and Denmark (2, 2%).The data confirms a much tied connection between the work tax
Results and discussion At the moment, companies hiring less than 10 employees produce more than 20%of Europe's value added
and offers employment for approximately 50 million European union'citizens. SME represent 98%of approximately all enterprises in Europe.
but also bring more economic growth, employment, a better balance of payments, improve the labor conditions etc. There is clearly a link between microeconomic issues such as entrepreneurial startups and macroeconomic performance.
The downturn in employment is marked particularly in the construction, retail and manufacturing sectors and, given the reliance on these sectors,
Process The process involved extensive collaboration with the Development Agencies4, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), the Department of Environment, 1 NUTS III level:
Investment Priorities,(Fitzpatricks Associates, Consultants, Doehlg and Forfás, 2004), and complements the NCC report: Our Cities:
and ongoing discussions with the Doehlg to influence alternative mechanisms to drive regional development Informed the work of the Midwest Task force appointed by the Tánaiste
for development, arising from its endowment of natural resources, population, labour, its economic and social capital, infrastructure and its location relative to markets.
Competitiveness Factors Enterprise Dynamic assessing the enterprise structure, employment and GVA, the contribution from agency supported enterprises,
and labour/talent. Leadership and Strategic Capacity outlining relevant organisations and indications of locally driven initiatives and outcomes.
This leaves a potential gap in terms of designated regional leadership and authority to ensure adherence to the RPGS post 2010.
Sectoral focus Entrepreneurship Rising unemployment and reskilling The‘new'unemployed Innovation Supports for SMES A Sectoral Focus The RCAS are premised on the fact that a main platform for the realisation of regional potential
Rising Unemployment and Reskilling The current economic downturn has resulted in a significant increase in unemployment across the country, primarily within construction, retail/hospitality and manufacturing activities.
the pace at which unemployment has been increasing and uncertainty have exacerbated fears and a call for action.
and the nature of future employment that would in turn inform the type of training and/or reskilling required.
Much of this has been addressed by a recent Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) report
Forfás contends that continued up-skilling for those IN employment is equally important 19 FGS Consulting (2008) Developing and Coordinating Skills at the Regional Level (unpublished report) FORFÁS REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AGENDAS:
Many professional, highly qualified and experienced people are finding themselves without work and with uncertain prospects in the short term.
so that they are searchable by technology/capability and not based on a‘research centre'promotion. Fig (i) Activities that Stimulate Innovation Source:
Much of this work is undertaken at national level and crossagency collaboration has been effective in this regard over recent years.
and to create significant employment and regional dynamic24, and is of vital importance if we are to realise the full potential of indigenous companies.
and cross border development funds for investment There has been a reduction in the number of‘unskilled'within the labour force over the past decade
OVERVIEW, FINDINGS & ACTIONS 16 Productivity levels (using GVA31 per worker as an indicator) are considerably lower than the State average 70%of agency supported employment is in indigenous companies:
Recent connections into international broadband infrastructures are a positive development for realising future potential in these activities The food sector (including fishing) remains a significant employer,
Key Data and Statistics Border Border State Average Dublin Unemployment (Q1 2009) 11.7%10.2%8. 9%Employment Growth 1998-2008 38%33
%22%GVA per worker (productivity) €59, 774 €76, 799 €103, 104 GVA per person €26, 566 €36, 606 €51, 596 Educational Attainment
Marked decline in Mfg employment compared to national average (98-08)- 13%-4%-8%More dependent on growth in retail and wholesale trade (98-08) for employment than national
Manufacturing employment declined however over the 1998-2008 period in line with the decrease nationally Medical Devices is the most significant employer within the exporting sectors
and continues to demonstrate strong employment growth. There is also a strong ICT (software) base and a growing creative sector and activities (including digital media).
This'combination'of sectors provides an excellent base for development within the context of increased convergence of technologies
Key Data and Statistics-West West State Average Dublin Unemployment (Q4 2009) 11%10.2%8. 9%Employment Growth 1998-2008 37%33
%22%GVA per worker (productivity) €58, 922 €76, 799 €103, 104 GVA per person €27, 469 €36, 606 €51, 596 Educational Attainment
Public sector Employment 26%23%23%Entrepreneurship (Early Stage as a%of the Population) 10%8%8%FORFÁS REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AGENDAS:
and evidence suggests that a large number of people commute to the GDA to work. The Midland's central location and close proximity to Dublin give the region a natural advantage in terms of interregional and international accessibility.
The skills development and unemployment issues faced by the Midlands region mirror those which are being experienced nationally,
Growth in the construction sector was at a rate higher than the national average over the period to mid 2008-which is now having a significant impact on unemployment levels
Key Statistics and Data-Midlands Midlands State Average Dublin Unemployment (Q4 2009) 11.7 10.2%8. 9%Employment Growth 1998-2008 45%33
%22%GVA per worker (productivity) €53, 216 €76, 799 €103, 104 GVA per person €24, 496 €36, 606 €51, 596 Educational Attainment
%of Employment Growth due to construction (1998-2007) 31%26%21%The engineering skill-sets and materials research capabilities in the region are key assets for the future of advanced manufacturing in Ireland.
and targeted skills development programme to address the needs of those employees emerging from the declining construction sector in particular is required (FAS, Skillnets).
Key Data and Statistics Southwest Southwest State Average Dublin Unemployment (Q4 2009) 9. 9%10.2%8. 9%Employment Growth 1998-2008 32
%33%22%GVA per worker (productivity) €91 366 €76, 799 €103, 104 GVA per person €42, 961 €36, 606 €51, 596 Educational Attainment 3rd level 28.6%29.1%35.9
OVERVIEW, FINDINGS & ACTIONS 24 HEIS to consider work placement where students would take up opportunities in a flexible
and the region recorded the highest number of EI supported high potential start-ups (HPSUS) of all regions during 2007 Informed by employment trends and the existing enterprise base,
and other Services, Food and Tourism Key Data and Statistics Midwest Midwest State Average Dublin Unemployment (Q1 2009) 11.4%10.2%8. 9%Employment
Growth 1998-2008 27%33%22%GVA per worker (productivity) €66, 098 €76, 799 €103, 104 GVA per person €31, 859 €36, 606 €51, 596 Educational Attainment 3rd level 26.5%29.1%35.9
Manufacturing Employment 18%14%11%The proportion of people with a 3rd level degree or higher in the Midwest is compared underrepresented to other regions such as the Mid East,
and Education. 44 Dell plans to retain approximately 1, 200 people in employment in Limerick FORFÁS REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AGENDAS:
45 This work has contributed to the deliberations of the Midwest Task force appointed by the Tánaiste earlier this year 46 Ongoing interagency work on Enhanced Agency Collaboration will help to advance this action point in the short term,
but also presents an opportunity to work with this distinctive diversity through a more coordinated regional approach.
Key Data and Statistics Southeast Southeast State Average Dublin Unemployment (Q4 2009) 11.4%10.2%8. 9%Employment Growth 1998-2008 40%33
%22%GVA per worker (productivity) €57, 864 €76, 799 €103, 104 GVA per person €26, 735 €36, 606 €51, 596 Educational Attainment
Agricultural Employment 9%6%2%Manufacturing Employment 17%14%11%47 CSO Population & Migration Estimates, April 2009 FORFÁS REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AGENDAS:
and a formal application by WIT for upgrade to university status is currently with government The region has benefited from a strong international brands through the promotion of Waterford Crystal,
These growth sectors are owned dominated by foreign firms Contributing 9%to overall employment the agricultural sector remains a significant part of the Southeast economy.
In terms of economic activity, the most prominent sectors in employment terms are the public sector, the financial services sector,
Unlike most other regions in Ireland, the East's employment was not dominated by construction sector during Ireland's period of rapid economic growth.
and underlines the need for coordination of planning and development policies at the regional level Employment in the East (Dublin and Mideast) grew by 32%between 1998 and 2008.
unemployment has risen sharply over the last twelve months, rising from a rate of 4. 6%at the end of 2007 to almost 9%in early 2009 ICT services accounts for over a third of agency supported employment,
Key Data and Statistics-East Dublin Mideast State Average Unemployment (Q1 2009) 8. 9%9. 2%10.2%Employment Growth 1998-2008 22
%50%33%GVA per worker (productivity) €103 104 €57, 871 €76, 799 GVA per person €51, 596 €28, 387 €36, 606 Educational Attainment 3rd level 35.9%30.8%29.1
Túsnua Túsnua (translated as‘New Start')is a response to the increasing number job cuts recently in Limerick and the Midwest region.
Education Enterprise and Employment. Its website presents a comprehensive overview of the range of supports available,
interactive group of all interested parties involved in the promotion and encouragement of enterprise and entrepreneurship in the Southeast region.
Workforce Development Fora (Northern ireland & Northwest region) The Department for Employment and Learning in Northern ireland
sought to drive the implementation of their Skills Strategy through six regionally based employer-led Workforce Development Fora (WDF.
and sub-regional employment and skills needs to ensure that appropriate responses are planned and delivered across NI.
A report commissioned by the Department of Employment and Learning undertook a review of the WDF
as is demonstrated through Louth County Council's recruitment of a UK based company, H2o Networks (see link below),
Employment by Sector and Region, Q4 2008 Source: CSO, Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) Database Direct Figure A2. 2:
Employment in Enterprise Agency Supported Companies, Selected Sectors, 2008 Source: Forfás Annual Employment Survey, 2008 Table A2. 1 GVA Statistics by Region Distribution of GVA across Regions(%)GVA per Person at Basic Prices (Euro) Region
as a%of State GVA per Person (State=100) Region as a%of EU GVA per Person (EU=100)% Change in GVA per Person 2000-2006 2006 2006 2006 2006
Productivity Levels as measured by GVA per worker (State=100%)Source: CSO National Accounts, Database Direct 1 1. 1 1. 2 1. 3 1. 4 1. 5 1. 6 1. 7 2000
We have seen already the impacts in terms of a decline in economic activity and increases in unemployment. The more recent downturn in employment is marked particularly in both the construction
and manufacturing sectors and has greater implications for the regions outside of the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) in the medium term.
People can and will choose where they want to live and work. Quality of life factors take on a new dimension in this context.
but in terms of access to skills and talent, access to markets and customers (whether physical or virtual), an innovative capacity and capability and a dynamic environment offering an attractive quality of life basically a good place to work,
Competitiveness Factors Enterprise Dynamic assessing the enterprise structure, employment and GVA, the contribution from agency supported enterprises,
to the attraction of mobile investment and labour/talent Leadership and Strategic Capacity outlining relevant organisations and indications of locally driven initiatives and outcomes 4 Forfás,
SOUTHEAST 6 Enterprise Dynamic The Southeast region exhibited strong employment growth over the period 1998-2008 and, not unlike other regions in Ireland,
and public sectors. Employment growth in construction activities was particularly strong in the Southeast and suggests that the recent and dramatic down-turn in this sector may have a greater overall impact here than in other parts of the country.
particularly in the Lifesciences sector, have boosted manufacturing employment and have helped to offset decline in the more established manufacturing sectors.
However, continuing cost pressures, particularly in more labour intensive activities, combined with the deteriorating economic conditions globally present serious challenges in the immediate future.
The agricultural sector contributes 9%to overall employment, greater than the national average of 6%.This is complemented by the employment provided by strong international food processing companies.
Although the performance of the region in terms of High Potential Start up (HPSU) 6 companies has been comparatively low,
A particular challenge for the region will be to address skills development needs of those employees emerging from these sectors
likely to achieve significant growth in 3 years (sales of €1m per annum and employment of 10+;
A particular challenge for the region is to ensure greater co-ordination in the promotion
and perhaps also a missed opportunity to work with this distinctive diversity through a more coordinated approach to regional development.
The industry profile for the region demonstrates high levels of employment in construction, agriculture and manufacturing
A particular challenge for the region will be to address skills development needs of those employees emerging from sectors that demonstrated strong growth over the period to 2008,
and activities and to stimulate employment opportunities in particular. The areas outlined below were highlighted during the regionally based workshop9
and one-toone consultation, informed by employment trends and the existing enterprise base. The outline for each sector that follows demonstrates the suite of assets that provide a platform for growth;
contributing 9%to overall employment. This is on a par with the West region and higher than all others.
and are significant employers and exporters. The map overleaf highlights some of the enterprise and research strengths of the agribusiness sector (particularly food in this instance) in the Southeast and in adjacent regions. 11 See http://www. teagasc. ie/publications/2008/20080609/Foresightreportvol1. pdf 12 Teagasc
SOUTHEAST 14 Existing Initiatives Fáilte Ireland is the primary state agency responsible for tourism promotion. In its most recent operational plan, the agency sets the objective of achieving revenues of €600m in the region by 2010, with a 20%increase in holiday visitors15.
The continued development and promotion of such heritage sites in the region, of which there are many,
such as shared services, customer support & customer management, business process outsourcing, supply-chain/procurement, IT operations, human resources and finance/transaction processing.
Key Assets Regional Competitiveness Agenda Volume I for the Southeast highlighted the fact that the region has a lower than average proportion of employment overall in services activities.
Moreover, services growth (excluding the public sector) contributed significantly less in terms of employment creation in the Southeast (38%)than it did nationally (50%)over the past 10 years.
employment in internationally traded services has been far more rapid. Employment levels in agency supported firms (typically internationally trading) almost quadrupled over the 1998 2008 period from a very low base of c. 900 to over 4
000. Much of the growth is accounted for by investments by overseas companies into the region such as AOL (Carphone Warehouse;
SOUTHEAST 16 of these companies were attracted to the region because of its close proximity to Dublin, the availability of skilled people as against a tighter labour market in Dublin,
Realising Potential The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs in its commentary on IFS noted that
18 Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (December 2007) The Future Skills and Research Needs of the International Financial services Industry 19 Enterprise Ireland (2009) Best
With 160 active staff and students, the TSSG is a significant pool of specialist expertise within the Southeast
(and is itself a significant employer). The Group promotes a trans-disciplinary approach, combining mainly engineering, computing and business,
The internationally trading companies21 within the sector account for just over one-fifth of employment overall,
Parametric Modelling and Rapid Prototyping which have varying applications in the Medical Technologies area 21 Using enterprise agency supported companies as a proxy (Forfás, Annual Employment Survey, 2008
partnerships and through labour market dynamics. The Southeast is placed well to leverage its particular strengths in manufacturing to support the next generation of production.
and an ability to work in multidisciplinary environments22. The HEIS in the region will have a key role to play in developing
As an increasing number of people face unemployment, many are stimulated to develop their own businesses
interactive group of all interested parties involved in the promotion and encouragement of enterprise and entrepreneurship in the Southeast region.
which is happening in the context of increasing unemployment and the proactive Enterprisestart initiative currently being rolled out regionally by EI in conjunction with the CEBS.
In addition, current labour market trends have seen increasing levels of highly skilled people becoming unemployed. Although the scale of the phenomenon is not clear in the Southeast,
sectoral experts and entrepreneurs for on the spot brainstorming and knowledge sharing on successful commercialisation strategies. The intention is for Ideagen to spark new ideas for new businesses and joint ventures with high-growth potential in an open environment.
but reasonably well connected, urban configuration presents considerable choice in terms of housing, employment, recreation, shopping, entertainment etc.
attracting and retaining skilled people, particularly internationally mobile skilled labour; and creating the conditions to foster
As a measure to tackle social exclusion and offset the negative effects of rising unemployment, a focus on building a stronger community spirit throughout the region could have a very positive impact on quality of life in general.
One aspect that could have several positive benefits is the promotion of volunteerism. A high profile example of how volunteerism can reap significant benefits is the annual Spraoi festival in Waterford City
Large scale unemployment makes skill retention and development a daunting task. A number of issues are at play, the resolution
and help to prepare the labour force to take greater advantage of an economic up-turn
Skills related labour market interventions at both national and regional level will need to realise the following aims:
which will enable them to improve their employment prospects. Those still in education should be encouraged strongly to obtain minimum level qualifications before entering the labour force.
Of paramount importance will be the role of third level educational providers in the region (and in adjacent regions) in producing graduates with enterprise focused skills,
Túsnua (translated as New Start) is a response to the increasing number of job cuts recently in Limerick and the Midwest region.
SOUTHEAST 28 Up-skilling/Re-Skilling Alongside the need to produce industry oriented graduates will be the requirement to retrain workers
higher education and local government and it seeks to facilitate the supply of appropriately skilled labour to local employers by identifying regional skills needs
Skills retention In the context of rising unemployment across a wide range of sectors and professions, the retention of existing skills within the region is a key concern.
A number of crosscutting recommendations concerning national level action arise from Forfás'work in relation to all of the individual regions as part of the Regional Competitiveness Agendas process.
Encourage an innovative mindset in the region through the promotion of examples of successful innovation from across the public and private sector.
and reskilling (considering innovative delivery/access)- focusing on people in the labour force with basic/sector-specific qualifications who are seeking to broaden their potential employment options.
All of the agencies work to deliver value for money for their expenditure, which is monitored using a range of indicators including increased exports, productivity, innovation and employment.
Enterprise Ireland Enterprise Ireland's core objective is to drive export growth by creating and growing internationally competitive businesses
Enterprise Ireland Activity in the Southeast Region The Enterprise Ireland client base in the Southeast (in 2008) employs over 17,000 people, accounts for approximately 8%of total employment in the region,
Employment in EI supported companies in the Southeast, by sector (2008) Source: Forfás, Annual Employment Survey, 2008 Enterprise Ireland has supported the development of 15 Community Enterprise Centres across the region, with one in Carlow, two in Kilkenny, seven in Waterford, three
in Wexford and two in South Tipperary. The Agency has provided funding for the development of Campus Incubation Centres at Carlow and Waterford Institutes of Technology.
EI also works closely with the CEBS in the region, for example, enabling access to the EI First Flight Programme to eligible CEB client companies who are ready to enter export markets.
SOUTHEAST 39 IDA Ireland Activity in the Southeast Region The IDA Ireland client base in the Southeast (in 2008) employs over 12,000 people, accounts for approximately 5%of total employment
Employment in IDA supported companies in the Southeast, by sector (2008) Source: Forfás Annual Employment Survey, 2008 A key activity for IDA in the regional context is the development of a strong value propositions for attracting high value foreign direct investment to the region based on its particular strengths
and competencies and leveraging complementary strengths and competencies in other regions. Údarás na Gaeltachta Údarás na Gaeltachta is the regional authority responsible for the economic, social and cultural development of the Gaeltacht areas of Ireland.
Its economic mission seeks to encourage new investment and employment opportunities in Gaeltacht areas. The Gaeltacht covers parts of counties Donegal
Cooperating and collaborating with other statutory bodies in the promotion and encouragement of oriented basic research;
and Employment Authority and provides training courses, apprenticeship programmes and re-skilling/supports. The FÁS Corporate Strategy sets out the strategic direction taken by the Authority
and outlines the action that it will take to progress the Strategy under eight High Priority Goals.
These goals cover areas such as services for jobseekers and the unemployed, workforce development, labour market policy, social inclusion, equality and diversity, and customer service.
FÁS has six employment services offices in the Southeast Region and two Regional Training Centres (located in Waterford and Wexford).
Thirdly, it builds human resource capability in the industry, investing in training provision and standards across the publicly supported educational system, through a training network of outreach centres and also via an executive and management development programmes for the tourism industry.
Skillnets Skillnets provides industry specific training programmes to employees of networks of firms, based on their defined needs.
Trade and Employment. FORFÁS REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AGENDA: REALISING POTENTIAL: SOUTHEAST 43 Appendix 2 IDA Business & Technological Parks The availability of a choice of high quality property solutions to a potential investor or startup company is essential.
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