Synopsis: Entrepreneurship:

Academy of Economies Studies from Bucharest Oncioiu Florin Rï¿zvan University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary medicine of Bucharest Romania

Enterprises extend their ability to develop new business concepts, their dynamic capability, by accessing external resources.

Small and Medium Enterprises, competitiveness, innovation JEL: O32, Q55 Introduction In an increasingly complex business environment, organizations have been confronted with rapid

changes in technology, competition, regulation and customer needs and demands. This has caused managers and researchers alike to search for new ways of developing organizational

capabilities by continuous adaptation and anticipation of the need for change. Organizational learning, which promotes continuous adaptation

imagination of managers seeking to survive the current turbulent operating environments Innovations may represent novelties in one or along several dimensions.

products or services to a market; they may introduce new technology to existing products; they

enterprise, the current markets and a perception of future market opportunities With the current rapid transformation of markets, enterprises would quickly stagnate and

competitive positions without renewing. Such renewal is produced most often by several small adjustments, commonly referred to as incremental, stepwise or gradual innovations.

challenges, that is, the capacity of the enterprise to muster resources and to act in a sufficiently

Innovation is confined not to the area of entrepreneurship. Also other agents such as government agencies or non profit institutions can †innovateâ€

but in this paper we limit the discussion to innovation and entrepreneurship, operating in a market environment

By definition, innovation processes address novel products or processes that require new ca -pabilities or a new application of existing capabilities.

The link between entrepreneurship and innovation has been established strongly since Joseph Schumpeter. Since then innovation is considered as an essential characteristic of

entrepreneurship. The link is emphasized by any textbook on entrepreneurship, even introductory ones, such as for example Zimmerer and Scarborough in its fifth edition (2008:

â€oeentrepreneurs also create innovations to solve problems they observe, often problems they face themselves†The fundamental issue is the management of innovation processes,

support the innovative capacity of the business sector, especially for smaller enterprises. The term innovation system (Cooke, 2001) has often been used to describe the interaction between an

as possible instruments for improving the innovation capacity of enterprises. It is imperative that innovation systems are developed with a thorough understanding of how enterprises utilize

external resources in their innovation processes During times of dramatic changes in the business environment or when SMES exploited

completely new opportunities, incremental innovations would not provide sufficient le for rapid and large transformations.

We refer to these large transitions over a short time period as radical innovations. They are referred also to with terms such as discontinuous

The innovation capacity of an enterprise thus rests on the foundation of its resources, which have

that enables the enterprise to change the content, structure and organization of the resources that

dynamic change patterns of the business environment is essential for the long-term survival of the

as high-tech but as well in very †traditional sectors in industry, services and even agriculture.

a national or regional government wants to design a policy to support entrepreneurship in general of innovation in particular, it has to focus on the businesses

carefully the rules of fair competition within the European Economic Area. The following quotations from European policy documents show that it is not easy for the European

free and fair competition. Without excluding any areas dorm such initiative, there is a clear public interest in helping the emergence of solutions that would provide answers to citizens

Many enterprises, especially SMES, encounter difficulties in planning, implementing and marketing innovative products and in innovating in their production processes.

The creation of new businesses is necessary for the renewal and modernization of the economy

tied connection between the work tax and the suburb economy, comparing that between the income tax and gray economy.

The Northern states with large amount of social expenses in the brut profit have increased also suburb economies.

Suede, Norway and Finland, have gray economies of 19, %while USA or Switzerland †only 8, 8%of the total economy.

In spite of reducing the income tax and those on the profit to 16%,Romania with assistance expenses of

38,6%has a suburb economy of 34,4%.%It is very logical why a company manager to be very

reticent to legalize his affair, as long as due to the â€oefiscal reform†it has a reduction for taxes

incomes and contributions by 2, 2%of the brut profit, and not 9%as the governors say

In Romania was created a vicious circle where the state is ensuring the minimum financial resources for stimulation of knowledge-based economy and only a few companies proved able to

compete through innovation. Very often knowledge is connected strongly with people and all or part of it can do a major challenge.

representing the economic opportunity of recombining knowledge. At top of that, more and more companies have involving in different stage of the innovation process.

private venture capital. The availability of that capital does not depend only on financial issues but also on other factors as follows

-the risk propensity 260 -the provider†s capacity for technical evaluation -the provider†s insertion on the innovation market

incubators (infrastructure for start-ups), technological parks (experimental facilities), technical transfer centers and the system of intellectual property

incubators Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology aim to attract to industrial parks with intention to create such parks in every

Romanian city that has a university center. They estimate that around 50 business incubators have been created,

but there are no monitoring mechanisms and no efficiency criteria or targets for them The whole set of documents released by the Romanian authorities regarding the evolution of

SME represent 98%of approximately all enterprises in Europe. Approximately 80%of their activities are carried out at a local or regional level

economic growth and a vector for disseminating the research and development results. The increase of the small and medium businesses sector had a positive influence upon the businesses

environment reducing the unemployment rate and increasing the productivity. It is necessary for the Romanian state to rethink the fiscal system

Strategies related to the environment characteristics, when an accentuate competition on the internal market and a rapid change rhythm in their activity domain can be associated with the

orientation to the international market-between them it should be mentioned the niche†s strategy which presupposes their concentration on the products

and services for which it is disposed competitive advantages as a result of their capacity of innovation, adaptability and

and to promote competition There is a high correlation but not full coincidence between entrepreneurship and innovation

261 The degree of innovation is monitored by policy makers. A high degree of innovation is considered to f make the economy more †competitiveâ€.

Innovation will not only support the development of new products or increase the productivity of labor and capital, 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 It is not easy to measure innovation. Businesses operate in international markets while policy

This is especially the case in a small open economy operating in this type of market as is illustrated by the case of Romanian

broad-based innovation strategy for the EU€, Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, Rapport voor Bel en Vlaanderen 6. Wickham, Philip A. 2006. Strategic Entrepreneurship, Pearson, Fourth Edition

7. Zimmerer, Thomas W. and Scarborough, Norman M. Essentials of Entrepreneurship and S Business management.

Pearson, Fifth Edition, 2008

SOUTH EAST REGION EMPLOYMENT ACTION PLAN SPOTLIGHT ON THE SOUTH EAST DECEMBER 2011 2 Table of contents

6. Business Process Outsourcing & Shared Services and the South East Region 50â 7. Higher education and Research 63â

s following a request from the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation of 14 september 2011 for input to the preparation of an employment action

It includes inputs from Enterprise Ireland (EI), IDA and SFI, Fás, the HEA and Fá

Ireland and other stakeholders, that reflects the work on the ground of the development agencies and other bodies

upgrading of the existing base of enterprise. There is a need to increase the contribution of

services enterprises, to develop †new†sectors in the region and to upgrade of the skills base

including a focus on business process outsourcing (BPO)/ international services activities which EI and IDA are committed to pursuing.

infrastructure investment and are positioned better than at any time in the past, including improved road connectivity, energy and infrastructure stock.

research strengths and a growing enterprise base in modern sectors. Specifically the development of the Belview Strategic Site is a particular advantage for manufacturing and

services businesses The restructuring of the local authorities in Waterford, combining the City and County Councils is welcome

strengths and areas of opportunity should be developed by means of a coordinated approach, involving the enterprise agencies, local authorities and other regional

stakeholders A2. Accelerated Development of the Waterford Gateway  A review of the Planning and Land use and Transport Strategy (PLUTS) and the

Strategy for Economic, Social and Cultural Development of Waterford City 2002-2012 should be undertaken under the auspices of the Regional Planning Guidelines

Particular attention should be brought to bear on barriers to enterprise development including  completion of the Viking Quarter and Historical Quarter an integrated regional

as part of the Infrastructure and Capital Programme 2012-16 announced on 10 November 2011 Â the extension of the Waterford CITY MAN to service the Belview Strategic Site and

B. Upgrading the Regional Enterprise Mix The enterprise development agencies will adopt a †spotlight on Waterford and the South East

region†to the end of 2012 (and review thereafter), implementing the range of actions as

Stimulating Entrepreneurship and new business start-ups The analysis demonstrates that the South East has the potential to increase the level of

entrepreneurship and sustainable new business start-ups. EI will intensify its focus and undertake the following actions

 EI will continue to work in collaboration with the County Enterprise Boards (CEBS) and intensify promotion activities in the region

 In co-operation with the CEBS additional Ideagen and Enterprise Start events will be held in the region in 2012 building on those in Q4 2011

 The Enterprise Platform Programme to incubate early stage businesses will recommence in a new format in Q1 2012.

focus on entrepreneurship and management training, one stop shop/online knowledge base awareness raising and micro-finance B2.

and upgrading of existing enterprise base The analysis highlights a clear need for continued focus on securing the sustainability and

upgrading of the existing enterprise base and identifying new business opportunities  IDA Ireland will continue to focus on sustainability and growth opportunities through

intense engagement with client companies in the South East Region  EI will continue engagement with established clients in the region to discuss potential

opportunities. A very close relationship is maintained with these clients by the Development Advisers and an intensive round of new meetings started in September.

A number of projects have been identified in Q4 2011 to be developed further particularly in the food sector

-continue to support enterprise led initiatives in the region, in particular the Spirit of Enterprise Forum and FUSE

B3. Sectoral Development The review of sectors within the region has identified growth potential in certain areas.

concerted regional approach focused on building a supportive business environment within the region informed by the needs of the sectors highlighted below should be advanced.

opportunities specific to the region within the national context, and to drive actions to mobilise the regional ecosystem to improve its attractiveness for enterprise

investment1. Existing structures (such as the RPG Implementation group), could be adapted to bring together sectoral expertise within the enterprise agencies and other

relevant bodies (e g. Bord Bia, Teagasc, Fáilte Ireland) the planning and development expertise within the local authorities, the Higher education Institutes (HEIS), and

other relevant stakeholders as and when appropriate  Tourism: build on the progress achieved to date under the Fá

There are significant opportunities to increase national primary production in the dairy and beef sectors, by up to 50 percent,

-E I held a Lean Workshop for the Food, Engineering and Services Sectors in WIT

exploit opportunities in renewable energy supply chains. The region has already attracted interest from wind energy manufacturing companies based on available port

engage in discussions on supply chain opportunities for the region -A clear value proposition and coordinated marketing is required to realise

opportunities in the cleantech sector for the region  Lifesciences: Existing strengths in the region include GSK in Dungarvan, Merck in

spotlight on Waterford for Lifesciences investment and seek to develop collaborative initiatives in connected health and Silver-technologies

1 Including entrepreneurship, indigenous investment and foreign direct investment SOUTH EAST EMPLOYMENT ACTION PLAN †FORFà S

 Internationally trading services. With improved access, broadband and the research and graduate output in the region, Waterford has the potential to develop activities in

opportunities in these areas, building in particular on the evaluation and research strengths in the region

A key part of developing the enterprise base in the South East region is to ensure that the

WIT is particularly strong among Iots nationally in terms of enterprise relevant skills development, research and linkages.

There is scope for greater HEI/enterprise collaboration and to build further on the success to date in research commercialisation to

underpin enterprise growth in the region  A programme of structured engagement between the key research groups in the Iots

within the region and the enterprise agencies sector teams and SFI should be developed and implemented over the coming 12 months to

-identify potential collaboration opportunities with existing enterprises in the region -identify research partnerships with other HEIS nationally in order to develop

stage start-ups and the marketing of the region for mobile investment particularly in emerging sectors (including cleantech, biotechnology, Cloud

The enterprise development agencies are taking steps to try to secure additional investment in contact management and BPO activities in the South East region and to support the

IDA is very active in seeking to win additional investment for Waterford utilising the skill sets

companies to highlight the attractiveness of this facility as a potential opportunity for a Greenfield investment or as an expansion opportunity

 IDA is targeting overseas companies based in Ireland to bring the facility and its skilled

Enterprise Ireland actions underway EI is progressing a number of actions to support the Talk Talk workers impacted.

 Mentor appointed to one group of employees exploring business opportunity in call centre related activities

The fall off in opportunities in construction and traditional manufacturing has a particularly hard impact on certain occupational groups, in crafts and production

s Training Services will continue to provide appropriate training options in 2012 across a wide range of courses, to assist job seekers with re-entry to the labour market and to

In October 2011 Skillnets announced an investment of â 250,000 for the immediate provision of training for Talk Talk employees, to be delivered through the CCMA Ireland Skillnet and

responses to future enterprise needs and to identify any gaps in provision D2. Labour market Activation

announced an investment of â 250,000 for the immediate provision of training for Talk Talk employees, to be delivered through the CCMA Ireland Skillnet and Waterford

Job Opportunities in personal services  Review the potential for further employment in the personal services areas and any

barriers to jobseekers taking up opportunities available in the region. Almost a third of the new work permits issued in the region in 2010 were for personal service staff

domestic staff, caring, health and childcare) and further scrutiny may be required of new applications for work permits for such personal service vacancies

s has undertaken a review of infrastructures nationally in the context of enterprise development objectives of the agencies,

prioritised by the enterprise agencies as set out below. These are important to improve the functioning of the region itself and its connectivity with other regions and the access to

road infrastructure would improve access to Cork and Shannon for air services. The Government has committed to providing capital and operational funding to Waterford Airport

Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme 2012-16 announced on 10 november 2011  SOUTH EAST EMPLOYMENT ACTION PLAN †FORFà S

All of the regions in Ireland have potential for economic growth and employment creation. It is critical that we focus on the potential within regions to position them as key contributors

maintaining competitiveness, identifying new opportunities and building on strengths Waterford City and the wider South East region face a particular challenge in terms of job

structural adjustment within the regional economy and the region†s unique locational factors including a dispersed urban configuration with a less than dominant regional Gateway and for

required to support enterprise potential and employment creation. This report revisits the RCA for the South East, taking account of recent developments and analysis, and outlines

Although services employment has grown in the South East, at least in the period up to 2007 the proportion employed is lower than the average nationally.

%Other Services 75,900 34.7 %70,500 37.5 %863,300 41.3 %731,600 40.5 %Source: CSO QNHS, Q1 2011

5 Employment in companies that are clients of the enterprise agencies; Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland

Shannon Development and à darã¡s na Gaeltachta 6 Based on total employment reported in CSO QNHS Q1 2010

purchases of â 2bn in the economy. These enterprises account for 9 percent of EI clients and

almost 20 percent of their large firms (employing greater than 250. Employment in Waterford in EI clients was 4, 982 in 2010 (30 percent of EI employment in the South East

traded services enterprises and in more modern manufacturing. Food sector employment declined slightly, but is still extremely important accounting for 42 percent of EI employment

employed up to 1, 000 at mid-2011 in customer contact and business services operations in the

There were 11 investment/job announcements in the region from 2008 to 2011 of which five were for Waterford City and County

international services (Rigney Dolphin, Netwatch, Intellicom Figure 3 Agency supported employment by sector, South East, 2001 & 2010

Small firms and entrepreneurship There are 20,947 micro enterprises with less than 10 employees in the South East region and

an additional 1, 556 small businesses with between 10 and 49 employee †taken together this

is about 11.5 percent of the total small enterprises in the State7. The region has a

proportionally higher number of people employed in micro enterprises (those employing less than 10) than the average for the State.

the number of small enterprises and employment overall in these firms has declined, and at a

The GEM entrepreneurship survey found that the level of early stage entrepreneurship within the South East (in 2008) was compared relatively high to other regions in Ireland.

Overall, EI would view the level of entrepreneurship in the region as generally low. The level of HPSUS emerging from the South East is about half of

Cluster Ireland, Investment support, Business guidance, South East Diaspora, Technology Group The procurement element of the programme identifies the sourcing requirements of all participating

companies, and provides each of the participants in the programme with the opportunity to identify

products and services which the member companies can then decide if they wish to bid for business

owner/managers of SMES and micro-enterprises have been established, three in Ireland and three in Wales

The project is being undertaken by the Centre for Enterprise Development and Regional Economy CEDRE), School of business, WIT in partnership with the School of management and Business

-ordination unit and will organise Ideagen and Enterprise Start events in the region. EI 8 The rate of early stage entrepreneurships is the highest in the South East across the regions, 10.7

percent, reflecting the highest rate of new firm entrepreneurship (6. 1 percent) combined with strong

nascent rate8 (5. 1percent. The region has the highest rate of early stage entrepreneurial activity

among men, 15.5 percent (GEM Entrepreneurship in Ireland, 2008 20 EI also launched a new format for the Enterprise Platform Programme in early 2012, to

which colleges were eligible to apply for funds. A joint initiative between WIT and Carlow

These improvements are linked most likely to the decline in the economy, with many students seeing an increased emphasis on school completion in 2009/2010 compared to those that may

economic downturn. Persons employed in Craft and Related Occupations have declined by 49 percent in the South East since Q2 2007, compared to a 39 percent decline nationally.

Protective Services(-15 percent) have experienced also significant relative declines compared to the national averages(-13 percent and 6 percent respectively.

of occupations is highly dependent on personal expenditure in the local economy, which is directly impacted by employment losses more widely

declined regionally and nationally indicates reasonable demand for these types of occupations in the South East

From an enterprise development perspective, the timely delivery of advanced broadband services in key urban centres is the top infrastructure priority.

The widespread availability of advanced broadband infrastructure and services is essential to realising future growth

potential in existing and emerging sectors10. It will also play a key role in supporting the

growth of small business, capturing opportunities for productivity and innovation, supporting regional development, enabling greater public sector efficiency and marketing Ireland as a

While the advanced broadband needs of ICT-intensive enterprises are met generally well in the large urban centres, businesses, particularly SMES, outside the main urban centres have

significantly less choice and less access to good quality services. Forfã¡s believes that Ireland

10 Advanced broadband services are defined as services with speeds of at least 100 Mbps, and that are

a need to extend the existing MAN to meet enterprise needs at the IDA strategic site at

In addition, there is a lack of choice/competition in the backhaul provision within the region generally, from towns such as Kilkenny, Carlow and Clonmel

which is important for ro-ro services to/from Ireland12. The Government has committed to deliver this investment by PPP as part

of the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme 2012-16 announced on 10 november 2011 Completing the Atlantic corridor from Galway to Waterford (including the N25) remains an

important medium-term priority for the development agencies to support sustained economic growth and job creation.

location in the eyes of potential investors and overseas customers. For the South East this is a

securing business friendly services that are faster and more convenient alternatives to using Dublin, Cork or Shannon airports

The South East†s location makes it an important point of access for shipping services to and

Rosslare Europort offers passenger and freight services to the UK, France and the Netherlands. It accounts for 8 percent of national ro-ro traffic

In general, with the exception of the Dublin-Waterford route, rail services are relatively slow and infrequent,

The provision of adequate and affordable water and waste water services is crucial to ensure

the sustained growth and development of enterprise in the main urban centres. Although Ireland has made substantial investments in water and waste water infrastructure in recent

years, further investment is required to address water and waste water capacity deficits in a number of key urban centres.

Forfã¡s reviewed water and waste water supply and demand in all NSS centres in 2008.

Based on an analysis of demand and supply, the priority in the South East region is additional waste water treatment capacity in Wexford town.

Forfã¡s will be working with the Department of the Environment to update the water/waste water needs of

enterprise in the NSS centres later in the year16 In terms of the price of water and waste water services combined, Kilkenny (â 2. 89 per cubic

metre) is the third most expensive local authority while Wexford and Waterford county â 2. 66) are joint fifth highest.

Though charges in Wexford declined by two percent between 2010 and 2011. Waterford (â 2. 35) and Carlow (â 2. 30) are ranked mid-table on water services

charges. The average price of water services in Ireland in 2011 is â 2. 59 per cubic metre.

The lowest is Kildare at â 1. 49 per cubic metre Waterford City is served well in terms of water supply and wastewater treatment.

14 Irish Maritime Transport Economist, April 2011 15 According to Cruise Ireland, cruiser traffic to Ireland created an economic benefit of around

as it will increase the volume of water available to meet demand without necessitating significant capital investment in new water treatment capacity

SOUTH EAST EMPLOYMENT ACTION PLAN †FORFà S to supply 9, 000 cubic metres of water a day.

This represents a unique opportunity for water intensive industries to locate in the Waterford area,

manner to ensure the current and future needs of enterprise are met Each year, Eirgrid reviews the capability of each of the 110 kv and 220 kv electricity stations

to accommodate additional demand, in excess of projected demand, without the need for additional grid reinforcement17.

for new enterprise †it currently has 80 MW available and that is to increase to 100 MW by

Capability (MW) for Additional Demand at 220 kv and 110 kv Stations in the South East

Significant investment in the transmission and distribution networks is planned over the period to 2025 to meet our renewables target

support energy intensive investment projects18. As the cost of network investment is passed directly through to energy users in the form of higher energy prices, the timing of grid

investment plans need to be reviewed to take account of the implications of reduced demand and planning delays

while ensuring that future enterprise needs are met. We also need to ensure more geographically focused renewables investment to minimise the amount of

additional grid investment required. In particular, optimal wind sites in terms of electricity generation potential and proximity to the grid should be prioritised

17 See Table 8. 1 http://www. eirgrid. com/media/Transmissionpercent20forecastpercent20statementpercent202011 -2017-webpercent20version2. pdf 18 Eirgrid originally estimated the cost of delivering Grid25 at â 4 billion but in light of significant

technology developments, this has been reduced to â 3. 2 billion 26 The advantages and disadvantages of infrastructure provision in Waterford City are

Air services x Seaport x Water supply capacity x Waste water treatment x Waste disposal x

improved, with eight services daily to Dublin and a journey time of 2 hours and 20 mins

the health of the city, its environment and people through all groups and agencies working

enterprise agencies and undertake promotional activities for the City internationally. The waterfordbusinessinfo. ie web portal has been developed by Waterford City council in

conjunction with the enterprise development agencies Waterford County Council has zoned 163ha †Waterford Knowledge Campusâ€.

The MOU sets out the development objectives of the campus to host the knowledge economy

the presence of a range of highly productive and successful exporting enterprises on which to build for the future

 The region has a strong natural asset base in the quality of the natural environment and

find increased application in the context of opportunities in the green economy  The region benefits from strengthened road access, most recently with the completion

resource sectors and in services that can served to underpin future enterprise development  A variety of lifestyle choices can be accommodated in the diverse physical landscape

The good quality of the natural environment and landscape presents opportunities for further development of cultural and

recreational assets  The region possesses some strong national and international brands, including: Kilkenny medieval city;

the South East Enterprise Week; and the South East Spirit of Enterprise Initiative  Waterford is placed well for further enterprise investment (incl. large scale) with the

availability of strategic serviced lands at Belview and Knockhouse and the Business and Technology Park at Butlerstown

SOUTH EAST EMPLOYMENT ACTION PLAN †FORFà S Weaknesses  The region has a distinctive settlement pattern with five relatively large centres of

 Entrepreneurship potential in the region rates comparatively well with other regions according to GEM research.

 The existing enterprise base is distinctive in terms of the above average proportions employed in manufacturing, construction and agriculture/food production.

the region and a skills mismatch (to varying degrees) with respect to new enterprise investment. As part of this structural change, some industrial relations issues have

achieved national prominence resulting in some reputation loss for the region  While the region has research strengths in the higher education sector, in particular in

local economy and increased pressure on state services. A particular challenge in reskilling those who have lost employment from sectors that have declined

services (than other city regions †Cork, Limerick, Galway) and hence the need to upgrade the N25.

Access to business friendly services to London and European hubs need to be strengthened  Although there have been improvements in water and wastewater infrastructures and

services within the region, additional wastewater capacity is required for Wexford town. Also, water charges in the region are amongst the highest nationally

extension of the MAN to service IDA Belview lands is required from an enterprise development perspective

Based on current regional enterprise strengths as well as existing and developing regional assets (including skillsets, key infrastructures, natural resources, research and development

led by market demands. Today, many people are focused more on a healthier lifestyle and on †wellness. †This has resulted in a growing demand for lifestyle related products such as health

enhancing functional foods (e g. cholesterol reducing products. Agribusiness also plays a significant role as part of a wider †bio-economyâ€,

agri-environmental products and services, as well as energy and bio-processing) 20 The agriculture and food industry is one of Ireland†s largest indigenous sector,

Amongst enterprise agency supported enterprise, the sector contributes the highest proportion of IEE (Irish Economic Expenditure) in terms of salaries and third party services

and materials-higher than any other agency supported sector23 Harvest 2020 targets an increase in exports of 42 percent for the sector by 2020, centred

around the following opportunities  The lifting of dairy quotas from 2015  Building new international markets in dairy, beverages, seafood and niche meat

 High growth opportunity in functional foods/nutraceuticals to address the †wellness†market; and

and in-region stakeholder consultation carried out as part of the Forfã¡s Regional Competitiveness Agendas (2009) and updated to take account of more recent

Bio-economy 21 CSO, QNHS. Includes the following subsectors: Agriculture and Food Production and Beverages

In addition to primary production, there are 7, 772 employed in enterprise agency supported food and beverage firms in the region, again considerably above the national average (food

Fishing Ports are an important part of the economy along the South East coast, with Duncannon, Kilmore Quay and Dunmore East among the top 20 fishing ports in the country.

Harvest 2020 presents a particular opportunity for the South East region, given its existing strengths in dairy and beef sector production and related engineering and services businesses

The key challenge nationally in ramping up agricultural production is how best to increase the

 Continuation of EI€ s role in enterprise development for firms operating in the sector

 Alignment of research with near term development opportunities in the region, i e ensure that areas being researched can be exploited in the region

the identification and exploitation of opportunities in the area (in co-operation with EI and CEB€ s,

and other enterprise support bodies  Support from regional and local authorities for the development of the bioeconomy in

Green enterprise is a high growth sector and encompasses a wide range of goods & services

within the scope of environmental & natural-resource use, management & protection Key sub-sectors are:

Green enterprise has a pervasive impact on a variety of other sectors enabling innovation productivity enhancements and greater customer and market reach.

Such change can create additional opportunities Ireland has a growing base of companies in the sector, with many engaged in leading edge

There are opportunities for growth in a range of areas Renewable energy; efficient energy use and management, water and wastewater treatment

Cross sectoral opportunity areas include; green financial services green tourism, agri-food and green transport Key Regional Assets

includes expertise from its Rural Development and Information and Communications Technology Departments. The Centre is involved in all areas of sustainable energy with

and enterprise'with a focus on environmental technologies, including Envirocore, which is focused on the development of niche areas within bioenergy, waste management, bioenvironmental

monitoring and high value commodity products from biomass, and Geocore which includes expertise in civil engineering, construction, architecture and technologists to

for the built environment  Teagasc has its national headquarters in the South East,(at Oak Park,

The opportunities arising within the green and cleantech sector may offer existing enterprises new business opportunities, and new

employment opportunities for skilled individuals emerging from activities in decline The Environmental protection agency (EPA) is located in Co. Wexford

to investigate and develop opportunities in this area. However, regional opportunity in green and cleantech enterprise will be optimised in the context of coordinated and urgent response

from Government and relevant agencies in addressing key barriers at the national level. Key actions include

 Address licensing and regulatory barriers to renewable energy and continue to focus on development of smart grid.

Unit, OPW, State-Owned Enterprises such as ESB, Board Gáis, Bord na Mona  Develop an overall R&d research strategy for the wider green and cleantech sector

enterprise within the sector-in line with recommendations made in EGFSN Green Skills report. HEA, Universities, Institutes of Technology, FÃ S, Skillnets, VECS, Enterprise

 Rapidly progress policy measures that support financing of SMES (in particular the loan guarantee scheme.

DJEI, Dof, Financial institutions, Enterprise Ireland, VCS, Angel Investors  Need to coordinate efforts between agencies with responsibilities for the development

utilisation of environmental goods and services in the region. Leadership and enhanced focus on specific areas where returns can be identified will be required for the successful

realisation of opportunities From a usage point of view, more efficient and sustainable generation and consumption of

high growth opportunities. There is also a greater focus on enhanced efficacy of treatments 27 Programme for Government focuses on the application of technological innovation in established

sectors of the economy like energy generation and supply, transport, creative industries, high-value services and architecture and construction by identifying challenges, establishing priorities and

developing strategies which specify necessary actions to transition to more innovative approach 28 Assessment of The irish Ports & Shipping Requirements for the Marine Renewable Energy Industry, SEAI

creating opportunities for smaller companies to position themselves within the global supply chain with innovative, technology intensive solutions, partnering opportunities, shared

revenue deals and licensing. Multinational companies in the sector are tending to focus on activities where they have strengths and to outsource non-core activities (such as late stage

growth in a variety of sub-supply and services activities serving the Lifesciences sector e g

formulation development and clinical trials supply services Some of the major Lifesciences companies undertake infirm research and development

30 Using enterprise agency supported companies as a proxy (Forfã¡s, Annual Employment Survey, 2008

Lifesciences Sector †Enterprise and Research Activity Realising Regional Potential The South East has additional capacity for growth in Lifesciences manufacturing with the

There is potential for new mobile investment; however, continuing change at a global level within the sector including the trend towards increased automation, and competition

from lower cost locations will impact on employment levels overall and could result in a net

spillovers into other aspects of the region†s economy and society, such as quality of life improvements for the region†s permanent residents,

region for inward investment Key Regional Assets The †Sunny South East†has established an reputation for tourism, particularly domestic

weakens demand for foreign holidays among Irish holidaymakers The South East has a number of high profile cultural events

The diverse landscape and natural environment across the South East region, from rolling countryside and fertile agricultural land, to rugged uplands and expansive coastlines provides

feature of the landscape providing links between the physical, the historic, the environment and individuals.

An Enterprise Outlook 34 Regional Planning Guidelines for the South East Region SOUTH EAST EMPLOYMENT ACTION PLAN †FORFà S

Improve transport services to and within the region through actions to address issues relating to road, rail, sea and air services

In the period March 2010 to September 2011, Fáilte Ireland awarded a total of â 12. 2m for

capital investment in tourism product development in the South East. This included an allocation of â 8. 6m for tourism capital investment in the Viking/Heritage Triangle project in

Waterford City. As the physical development of the Viking/Heritage Triangle reaches conclusion in 2012, it is planned to make a further and complementary investment in

interpretation and product animation Fáilte Ireland has for some months been in discussion with Kilkenny Co. Co. regarding the

This will involve investment in the presentation and interpretation of Kilkenny†s Norman heritage in an integrated and holistic

A proposal to support an investment programme in Kilkenny over the period 2012/2013 will be presented to the Fá

Under its Enterprise Support Programme, Fáilte Ireland has provided a range of business supports to 170 Key Accounts and tourism sector groups in the South East at a cost of â 300k

investment falls within the Market development Programme which, in addition to conventional domestic marketing, seeks to support festivals and events as a key driver of

economy Access road improvement projects such as the M9 and M8 have enhanced greatly access to the South East.

As well as large scale infrastructural investments, access for the tourism market can also be improved through innovative initiatives using local facilities,

in order to maintain the quality of the local environment Product: Fáilte Ireland†s strategy for the region is multifaceted based on a brand, building

by stakeholders and tourism promoters for the successful exploitation of particular market segments, especially domestic holidaymakers

Internationally Traded Services (excluding ICT) 35 Today, a wide variety of services are traded internationally, including such activities as

finance, insurance, computer-related activities, R&d, advertising, marketing, accounting and consultancy. In addition, there is an increasing level of services activity taking place within

manufacturing firms †the so-called †servicisation†of manufacturing. Moreover, globalisation along with the enabling technologies that underpin it,

more complex business models. Increasingly, multinational companies seek to maintain competitive advantage by out-sourcing, moving selected business processes to more economic

generated a raft of new mobile investment activity in global business services (& global business services centres) to manage more complex global corporate structures and activities

such as shared services, customer support and customer management, business process outsourcing, supply-chain/procurement, IT operations, human resources and

finance/transaction processing Key Assets The South East has a lower than average proportion of employment overall in services

in internationally traded services has been far more rapid. Employment levels in agency supported firms (typically internationally trading) almost tripled over the 2001 †2010 period

Much of the growth is accounted for by investments by overseas companies into the region such as Sunlife Financial, State street, PFPC, Equifax and

support services The region has built a sizeable portfolio of international financial services (IFS) companies which, depending on wider economic circumstances,

35 ICT Software & Services are considered separately below SOUTH EAST EMPLOYMENT ACTION PLAN †FORFà S

Future business investment within the region in international and financial services will require advanced, high quality and competitively priced broadband infrastructure

However, the limited demand for language skills by the existing cohort of companies in the South East can result in reduced

A detailed overview of the trends and opportunities in Business Process Outsourcing and Shared Services type activities is contained in Section 6

ICT †Services & Software What has been termed †The New Software Economy†36 sees a number of trends that provide

both opportunities and challenges for software companies, and for small and medium sized companies and start-ups in particular

 Increasing end-user demand for less expensive, more efficient ways of paying for software  Vendors responding to these demands by embracing new delivery and pricing models

such as software as a service (Saas), infrastructure as a service (Iaas), platform as a service (Paas; and software on demand  The emergence of the networked value chain, a distributed business model where

different value adding activities are carried out where they can be done most efficiently and cost-effectively

36 Enterprise Ireland (2009) Best Connected-Software from Ireland-A strategy for development of the

indigenous software industry 2009-2013 42  The application of software technologies (such as Services Oriented Architecture †SOA

Open source, Web 2. 0 and Mash-ups) are continuing to drive the development of new

applications and business models The emergence of †Cloud computing†is a key enabler †whereby computing resources and

in locations such as data centres and delivered on demand. Cloud computing is impacting the ICT industry in terms of the products

and services offered, how they are delivered and revenue models e g. online subscriptions rather than CD ROM.

quality IT services ICT Impacts All Sectors: ICT today is more than an enabling technology. It has a pervasive

it changes the way services are delivered e g. remote learning or healthcare and diagnostics simulation (training), virtual reality (architecture and design;

it provides opportunities for new converged products and customised digital content (e g. micro apps, digital gaming);

Communications Services. The TSSG€ s main area of research is communications software services and it has developed strong expertise in the areas of distributed systems and service

oriented architecture The TSSG€ s commercial division has created also new companies which have emanated from TSSG€ s research activity (spin outs)

and has attracted also companies to locate some or all of their activity in Waterford with links to the TSSG (spin-ins.

Akruu †on-line billing and accounting services; Hasf6 †interactive radio; IMS-Stream †Voip solutions

The TSSG€ s deepening expertise in the area of future internet infrastructure and services and

and FDI enterprise potential Digital Media (including animation and games Digital Media is a broad and dynamic sector,

Internationally Traded Services The broader sector, including advertising, publishing and printing, encompasses firms that trade domestically as well as those trading internationally and employs circa 26,000 people37

 consumer information (online publishing, digital publishing, location based services and  Infrastructure-such as NGNS, data hosting, etc

growing dominance of the internet experience reflected in radically altered business models The games industry in particular is showing very healthy and rapid growth globally.

strongly positioned to avail of opportunities that will arise  The region already has an emerging strength in business process services

which form a key element in the digital economy, for example Ireland has attracted already major games companies from overseas who have sited their customer support and

community nationally through the networking opportunities and the talent exchange initiative being driven as part of the strategy;

the enterprise agencies have a role to play in ensuring maximum engagement, as do based regionally initiatives that provide

opportunities for cross fertilisation amongst a range of capabilities (animation, the arts, music, IT, health and wellbeing etc;

tendering for services under the 2010 Labour market Activation Fund The Labour market Activation Fund is currently being evaluated in relation to programme

 Bachelor of arts (Level 8) in Finance and Investment †9 Places  Bachelor of science (Level 7) Information technology †17 Places

FAS Training Services will continue to provide a wide variety of courses, including a growing

employment, welding, fabrication, hairdressing to information and communications technologies and has centres of excellence for training related to Motor Mechanics

environment in the Region, together with research and analysis of employment opportunities in the South East Region

 Master of science in Sustainable Energy Engineering-The Green Economy (Level 9) †30 Places  Higher Certificate in Good Manufacturing Practice and Technology Biopharma

Skillnets announced an investment of â 250,000 for the immediate provision of training for Talk Talk employees, to be delivered through the CCMA Ireland Skillnet and Waterford

The number of new employment permits issued in recent times is indicator of the demand for

the permits were issued to workers in the personal services occupations, agriculture related occupation, sales and healthcare.

focus may be required in the provision of career guidance services and mapping out career paths, particularly with regard to those unemployed with high levels of

 Upskilling †Boosting our human capital by enhancing education and skills levels in line with the National Skills Strategy and the needs of the †Smart Economyâ€.

 There needs to be greater interaction between enterprise bodies, agencies and education and training providers in addressing skills demands in a systematic and co

-ordinated way. Education and training provision needs to have greater alignment with enterprise skills needs both current and future

 Industry and education and training providers need to work more closely together in the development and revision of course curricula to ensure that students have the most

Structured internships and opportunities providing work experience opportunities within enterprise are hugely valuable in improving the success of students

and job†seekers. Internships should have identified goals and outcomes with a particular focus on employability  The Jobbridge programme should be examined with a view to identifying best practice

SSC Shared Services Centres 6. Business Process Outsourcing & Shared Services and the South East Region

Background This analysis was initiated following the closure of Talk Talk, with a view to identifying the potential for

immediate opportunity in the sector for the displaced workers. Although the South East is home to some major

The enterprise development agencies are taking steps to assist the displaced Talk Talk workers, and these are set out at the end of this chapter

The assessment of the BPO sector and the Shared Services activities in Ireland that follows

higher order investments are realised. In recent surveys, a number of respondents anticipate growth in revenues and employment44,

 From the perspective of FDI in shared services, IDA continues to work to attract

investment for Ireland in the face of intense global competition from larger scale countries. Evidence indicates that companies investing in shared services activities

44 A recent survey by CCMA indicates that 73 percent of the contact centre companies surveyed

-Sustaining High performance in Shared services †An Irish Perspective, stated that nearly half of the

BPO, Shared Services and Contact Centres Although the skills-sets are somewhat similar, it is worthwhile outlining the different

perspectives and opportunities for the following 1. Business Process Outsourcing 2. Shared Services Activities and Functions †Foreign Firms

3. In-house Contact Centres 1 Business Process Outsourcing Business process outsourcing (BPO) is the contracting of a specific business task to a third

includes both inbound and outbound call services including problem resolution, information provision, technical support (through from

services, catering services and fleet management services are also often outsourced to third party providers,

although these are outside the scope of this review There is an important distinction that is not always readily understood between onshore

HP that provide BPO services to The irish market47 2 Shared Services Shared services are different in that they are centralised activities within a multi-site

global corporation. Shared services have become a well accepted model for globally dispersed companies across a wide range of sectors such as financial services, ICT, Medical

Technologies etc. As with BPO, functions include both  Centralised business functions-providing services to a captive market of affiliates;

and  Customer contact centres †servicing a global and/or regional customer base (e g.

EMEA for the corporate entity Shared services centres based in Ireland are owned, in the main, foreign. Ireland has a strong

track record to date as an offshore location for centralised customer support and shared services activities with companies such as Facebook, IBM, Dell, Google, HP, Cook and others

3 In-House Call centres Many large scale firms have †in-house†contact centres to service their own customer base

They are not, in the main, enterprise development agency clients A Growing Global Market Because the global outsourced business services market includes a variety of disparate

activities, there are differing estimates as to the value of the sector †depending on what is included in the scope.

despite some set-backs arising from the global economic crisis. Gartner predicted that the global outsourcing industry would see a 10-15 percent annual growth over

to get an indication of the scale of Shared Services Activities. However, it is a business model

that is continuing to grow as the range of activities and functions being centralised expands It is also becoming much more widely accepted in the public sector than in the past

An Evolving Business model and Considerations for Ireland When BPO emerged as a sector originally in the 80s, the primary driver for companies to

KPO services include activities such as business research services, data analytics, patent research services etc. The increasing complexity of

activities being outsourced often goes hand in hand with increased sensitivity of the related data †which may impact on a company†s location decisions

50 The corporate shared services activities are evolving in much the same way requiring a strategic

Business services being outsourced Source: Everest Institute Global Trends in BPO, 2008 Advances in technologies are also playing a key role in how the sector is evolving.

The emergence of Cloud technologies also opens opportunities for innovative IT firms. In 2009 Gartner estimated that the proportion of BPO services sourced through the Cloud would grow

from 5 percent to 20 percent by 2012 Considerations for Ireland As a developed economy, the sustainability of the sector in Ireland requires that companies

based here continue to evolve to deliver the more complex, sophisticated services required by the market53.

The success of companies engaged in (relatively) lower margin activities here will be predicated upon the ability to innovate in business process improvements, to

deliver increased efficiencies and productivity through investments in technologies and/or to deliver niche services based on strong domain knowledge and expertise

In terms of KPOS, Ireland has demonstrated already some success in attracting Clinical Research Outsource providers, and there could be further potential in areas such as Legal

Process Outsourcing, Research/Patent Support Services etc. Ireland has a good reputation in terms of its ability to understand

53 A number of existing operations have transitioned to offer higher order value services †for example

achieving growth in higher order, knowledge based services Technological developments and the evolution of the virtual call centre and home-based

working54 should also offer considerable opportunities for regions throughout Ireland Aspects such as data protection and information security become increasingly important â€

emerging opportunities in Cloud which would have direct relevance for this sector as it evolves

Shared Services Centres †IDA supported companies There are 140 shared services centres (SSCS)( including contact centres),

employing approximately 35,000 people, within IDA€ s portfolio of companies operating within all sectors and providing a broad range of services (Figure 7

With a small number of exceptions, stand-alone SSCS are located primarily in urban areas †Dublin and Cork and to a lesser extent, Galway.

In general, foreign investment is attracted to the scale of the labour pool, and availability of multilingual skills in an urban area, and ease

services was identified first as a new business model for large corporations with a global footprint. Since the mid 90s the SSC functions undertaken in Ireland have been significantly

low value-add transaction based services initially being undertaken to increasingly complex and higher value-added activities

The most common functions performed by Irish Shared Services Organisations Source: Sustaining High performance in Shared Services †An Irish Perspective, Accenture

2010 In a report published by Accenture in 2010, Sustaining High performance in Shared Services â€

An Irish Perspective, found that  Ireland has a far greater proportion of high-end SSCS, with 25 percent considered

their shared services as high performance businesses in their own right, and they invest in the practices

a continuous improvement model as an opportunity to increase scope and add higher -value activities,

 Nearly half of those surveyed said the numbers employed in shared services in Ireland

 52 percent of Irish respondents indicated a desire to expand the scope of services

and to strengthen its capabilities in delivering integrated business services †functioning as a 55 Key performance indicators, voice-of-the-customer surveys and external benchmarking were the

Despite intensified global competition, the IDA has announced 13 new investments and/or expansions in SSCS over the past 9 months which are expected to generate over 1, 200 new

broadband connectivity Ireland is an attractive location for Shared Services/Contact Centre activities Table 6. 1:

Ireland†s Strengths in Shared Services Centres Strength in Ireland Requirements from Companies Expertise Ability to secure functional expertise across a range of activities such as finance

are other companies within the EI IT portfolio that also provide outsourced services employing circa 150

Services offered by these companies are delivered through The english language in the main although there are some multilingual capabilities.

competition from the larger global players based here †not only for new business opportunities within the domestic market,

but also for skills and labour 56 http://www. idaireland. com/news-media/announcements /58 Future growth opportunities exist particularly in the financial services sector and in the public

sector †although developments in the public sector have not advanced as quickly as the BPO sector had anticipated initially.

EI is also working with these firms to capture opportunities for internationalisation †particularly in the expanding market in the UK for outsourced

services in the more immediate term Given that one of the key drivers for firms to outsource is cost reduction57,

existing customers against intensified global competition. Innovative approaches are being adopted which involve offering a blended model,

delivering services from Ireland as well as a lower cost location Companies need to keep abreast of the pace of change in IT platforms and technologies, to

services direct to consumers ranging from reservations, to problem solution, cross selling and up-selling.

Opportunities for Ireland The sector globally is growing and evolving. The activities encompassed within BPO/SSC now

value knowledge intensive services. Global competition is intense †and Ireland cannot afford 57 Cost reduction remains a key driver,

even in the context of an evolving sector and other considerations such as skills and expertise

as a leading BPO location can offer low cost services †yet is also pursuing its own strategy to move up the value chain

opportunities, by  Embedding best practice, high quality standards, client-centric offerings and continuous improvements as the norm

 Delivering Integrated Business Services †functioning as a strategic business partner to the organisation;

Within Shared Services, Ireland has the potential to provide higher -order solutions to firms based on a strong competence in management and decision

services and building domain expertise (e g. Community Management & Analytics games), Document Management Services for regulated sectors, Contract Research

Outsourcing, Legal Process Outsourcing  Expanding Ireland†s ability to offer multilingual services †both through increased

language capabilities within Ireland†s indigenous population, as well as ensuring that Ireland remains an attractive location of choice for other Europeans60, and open to non

-EU nationals (as appropriate to address specific enterprise needs61 Â Vertical sectors that offer potential for growth include financial services, games, online

provide considerable opportunity for the growth of the indigenous sector  Cloud Technologies may offer opportunities for innovative IT companies to deliver IT

infrastructures, applications and services on an outsourced, managed basis-in effect these companies would become part of the BPO sector

Challenges While there is potential for future growth there are also a number of challenges, some of

which are well known in terms of enhancing Ireland†s business environment  For the indigenous companies, access to finance (investment

and working capital) is cited as a challenge 60 Many companies indicate a preference to source native speakers for contact centre activities †in jobs

s recent study indicates the need for a specific suite of skills to service customers in

 Ireland†s overall costs of doing business have a direct impact on the pricing of services

career opportunities, as a stepping stone into an organisation that offers wider potential, as an interim phase offering a two year experience in another country.

offer career progression opportunities will become an even greater challenge62 Â Although not regarded as a barrier today, the availability of,

the world-enabled by telecoms and internet technologies †and presents opportunity for SMES and regionally based firms However,

services Actions Business Environment  It is critical that the necessary actions are taken to ensure that Ireland realises

structural changes in the costs of doing business, so that the current cyclical adjustments are sustained beyond the recessionary period

 The ongoing study by EGFSN on Key Skills for Enterprise to Trade Internationally scheduled for completion early 2012) should ensure that the needs of both BPO and

Shared Services Centres64 are taken into account, including language skills and cultural awareness  The SSC/BPO sector should be promoted actively nationally to highlight the range of

 The National Recovery Plan 2011-2014 identifies the potential for shared services to increase efficiencies and to reduce costs65.

considered as part of the overall solution †which could in turn offer opportunities for Irish based BPOS to develop scale

62sustaining High performance in Shared Services †An Irish Perspective, Accenture, 2010 63 A detailed analysis of the broad range of skills sets required today

out the suite of actions required to address barriers to investment, focused on areas of

pro-investment regulation, infrastructure planning and investment and demand stimulation. There is a need to enhance backhaul capacity for the region

The BPO/SSC sector/activities are key areas of focus for the enterprise development agencies, and they aggressively seek new investments, both foreign (Greenfield and

expansion) and indigenous, through new start-ups/entrepreneurship  The Enterprise development agencies also continue to work with existing firms through

transformational change initiatives: innovation in business process, business models technologies etc. productivity enhancements, re-skilling and up-skilling

 EI is proactively working with firms to identify and target opportunities for internationalisation ï¿

EI€ s Prospecting Unit will undertake a review of the BPO sector, in particular the changing business models of customers (driven by new technologies, the Cloud, data

processing capacity, social media etc. and â€oemega-trends†such as ageing globalisation of financial services, carbon reduction, debt de-leveraging etc

ï¿The Prospecting team†s work will focus on emerging export opportunities which the companies could hope to start generating revenue from in the next 2-5 years.

It will involve in depth SWOT analysis and benchmarking of the sector  Companies themselves need to develop a talent management mindset and to recruit

Services Forum and CCMA could play a role in this regard Agency Responses In relation to Displaced Talk Talk Workers66

IDA has been very active in its quest to win additional investment for Waterford utilising the

companies to highlight the attractiveness of this facility as a potential opportunity for a Greenfield investment or as an expansion opportunity

66 Extracted from their direct submissions to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation 62

 Operations Divisions in Ireland have targeted overseas companies based in Ireland and in the region to bring the facility and its skilled workforce to the attention of potential

Enterprise Ireland Immediate Talk Talk Related Activities Undertaken  Enterprise Ireland participated in the agency information day for employees held at end

September 2011 Â Idea generation and start your own business workshops for employees of Talk Talk in

co-operation with the Waterford City Enterprise Board took WIT Â EI/CEB representatives were available to employees on site every Wednesday and CEBS

 A mentor was appointed to one group of employees exploring business opportunity in call centre related activities

Enterprise Ireland is undertaking a broader range of initiatives within the South East region to intensify their efforts on start-ups.

Waterford Institute of technology is particularly strong among Iots in terms of enterprise relevance and linkages. It delivers a range of industry relevant full and part time course and

much of WIT€ s enterprise interactions involve companies from outside the South East region it does have a number of engagements with firms in the region,

environment to foster graduates of distinction who are ready to take a leadership role in

significantly underpin the Priority Area of Future Networks and Communication. The Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre has also been identified as a

converged communications industry, particularly in managing networks and in developing innovative new services for those networks.

Established in 1997 the centre has a long history of working with industry and the centre is renowned nationally for its phenomenal success in

TSSG leads the FAME (Federated Autonomic Management of End-to-end Communication Services) SFI Strategic Research Cluster (a â 5. 86m investment from SFI.

A number of industry partners including Cisco systems (Galway), LM Ericsson Ltd. Dublin), IBM (Dublin), Telefonica

Through its Masters in Communication Services the TSSG has delivered up-skilling and training for staff in local companies.

With ongoing investment by SFI and EI in the TSSG, its leadership role in European projects, its cluster Of high Potential Start-up and its strategic partners with

international leaders in the internet and model networks and services the TSSG is well positioned to support economic development in the South East

has undertaken 59 enterprise collaborations (total value â 4 million), secured â 14.7 million in applied research funding from

created 11 spinouts in the mobile services/internet application space. Feedhenry now employs over 30 people, Zolkc over 10 and the group previously started Catch (Hash6 Ltd

terms of projects completed with enterprises (101 from 2008 to 2011 SOUTH EAST EMPLOYMENT ACTION PLAN †FORFà S

Enterprise Ireland Incubation and Enterprise Platform Programme (EPP EI have provided over â 4m for the establishment and management costs of two campus

Incubation Centres in Carlow IT and Waterford IT. Between them, they house 30 companies employing over 100 people.

Carlow IT also has an EPP as a hub for entrepreneurship and training activities in the region

The Enterprise Platform Program which is part of Arclabs in WIT has supported the creation of 200 companies employing 350 people.

Enterprise Collaboration The Industry Services Office within the School of Research at WIT promotes and facilitates

interaction between the Institute and external organisations. As noted above WIT collaborates with a wide range of companies on Enterprise Ireland-supported Innovation Partnership

projects and the Innovation Vouchers scheme The Separation Science research group has research collaborations with Merck Sharpe Dohme

In a similar manner, the Department of Computing Maths and Physics has put together A level 8 course in Business Systems analysis specifically for Sunlife

WIT has multidisciplinary links with the Health Services Executive (HSE), e g. its research training programme to healthcare workers and its co-ordination of a series of master classes

Enterprise Support Unit to deliver a range of further and higher education programmes in Wexford. The Centre Manager, a WIT employee, cooperates with Wexford County Enterprise

Board and County Wexford Partnership to deliver education and training programmes for SME owners and industry in the Wexford area

 Business & Humanities (Business Communications, Management, Humanities, Sport Media & Marketing  Science & Computing (Computing, Networking, Science & Health

 Engineering (Built Environment, Electronic, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering As well as the main campus in Carlow town, the IT provides courses in Business, Humanities

Investment Servicing in Wexford Research areas include: Industrial design and product innovation (Designcore), interactive applications software and networks (Gamecore), geo-environmental technologies (Geocore

entrepreneurship training activities such as the Enterprise Platform Programme that operate out of the hot-desk space at the incubation centre.

enterprises in the South East region. SFI will continue to work with IDA and EI to provide the

people and ideas to underpin enterprise development in the region, as it is essential that the core research strengths built up to date through the PRTLI,

and oriented around national priorities and the specific development opportunities of the region Conclusion The higher education sector in the region can play an increasing role in meeting the growing

regional stakeholders to act cohesively-in support of key enterprise sectors/activities with potential for growth,

stakeholders have acted collaboratively to achieve certain regional goals-for instance, the co-ordination and roll out of the MANS project,

or the organisation of'Enterprise Week'which is coordinated through the Spirit of Enterprise Forum

There is an opportunity through the existing regional authority and/or Spirit of Enterprise Forum to provide strong leadership

and a space for constructive debate on overarching strategic issues, not least the accelerated development of Waterford City as the regional

 Environmental Issues, Water Services and Waste Management  Energy and Telecommunications  Education and Health care

The enterprise agencies, IDA and EI are part of the Steering/Implementation Committee for the RPGS in the South East.

appreciation of the enterprise development agenda in the process compared to the first set of

Spirit of Enterprise Forum The Spirit of Enterprise Forum is integrated an, interactive group of agencies and bodies

involved in the promotion and encouragement of enterprise and entrepreneurship in the South East region:

including the South East Regional Authority, Enterprise Support Agencies Higher education institutions, Primary and Post-Primary Teaching, Research Organisations

Entrepreneurs, Industry Representatives (indigenous and multinational), Local government Research Centres and the WIT Centre for Entrepreneurship

The Forum meets every quarter and one of its key achievements has been the establishment of a Spirit of Enterprise Week:

a week of intensive advice, inspiration and training to stimulate entrepreneurship and business growth, that includes a variety of events that are

coordinated throughout the South East region http://www. spiritofenterprise. ie /Waterford Gateway †Historical Quarter

enterprise development agencies in Waterford City (CEB, IDA, EI, SEBIC, WIT) †with the objective to provide a virtual (web based) †one-stop-shop†to provide information and

facilitate access to the services of the enterprise agencies and to generally promote Waterford City as a location to invest

sectors for the region such as Lifesciences and international services The global recession and the collapse in the construction sector nationally has impacted the

upgrading of the existing base of enterprise. There is a need to increase the share of

exporting manufacturing and internationally trading services, to develop †new†sectors in the region and to upgrade of the skills base in general

including a focus on BPO/international services activities), which IDA and EI are committed to doing. Aligned with this, targeted career,

infrastructure investment and are positioned better than at any time in the past, including improved road connectivity, energy and infrastructure stock.

research strengths and a growing enterprise base in modern sectors. Specifically the development of the Belview Strategic Site is a particular advantage for manufacturing and

services businesses The restructuring of the local authorities in Waterford, combining the City and County Councils is welcome

strengths and areas of opportunity should be developed by means of a coordinated approach, involving the enterprise agencies, local authorities and other regional

stakeholders 74 A2. Accelerated Development of the Waterford Gateway  A review of the Planning and Land use and Transport Strategy (PLUTS) and the

Strategy for Economic, Social and Cultural Development of Waterford City 2002-2012 should be undertaken under the auspices of the Regional Planning Guidelines

Particular attention should be brought to bear on barriers to enterprise development including  the extension of the Waterford CITY MAN to service the Belview Strategic Site and

B. Upgrading the Regional Enterprise Mix The enterprise development agencies will adopt a †spotlight on Waterford and the South East

region†to the end of 2012 (and review thereafter), implementing the range of actions as

Stimulating Entrepreneurship and new business start-ups The analysis demonstrates that the South East has the potential to increase the level of

entrepreneurship and sustainable new business start-ups. EI will intensify its focus and undertake the following actions

 In co-operation with the CEBS more Ideagen and Enterprise Start events will be held in

 The Enterprise Platform Programme to incubate early stage businesses will recommence in a new format in Q1 2012

Initiatives will focus on entrepreneurship and management training, one stop shop/online knowledge base, awareness raising and micro

and upgrading of existing enterprise base The analysis highlights a clear need for continued focus on securing the sustainability and

upgrading of the existing enterprise base and identifying new business opportunities  IDA Ireland will continue to focus on sustainability and growth opportunities in its

intense engagements with client companies in the South East Region  EI will continue engagement with established clients in the region to discuss potential

opportunities. A very close relationship is maintained with these clients by the Development Advisers and an intensive round of new meetings started week

commencing 19th september. In addition, EI will -systematically reach out to companies on a one to one basis that would have less

convened with enterprises and Mentors in October/November 2011 which focussed on the UK, North america and Asia

concerted regional approach focused on building a supportive business environment within the region informed by the needs of the sectors highlighted below should be advanced.

opportunities specific to the region within the national context, and to drive actions to mobilise the regional ecosystem to improve its attractiveness for enterprise

investment69. Existing structures (such as the RPG Implementation group), could be adapted to bring together sectoral expertise within the enterprise agencies and other

relevant bodies (e g. Bord Bia, Teagasc, Fáilte Ireland) the planning and development expertise within the local authorities, the HEIS,

and other relevant stakeholders as and when appropriate  Tourism: build on the progress achieved to date under the Fá

69 Including entrepreneurship, indigenous investment and foreign direct investment 76 -A particular focus is required in relation to regional product and brand

There are significant opportunities to increase national primary production in the dairy and beef sectors, by up to 50 percent,

-EI held a Lean Workshop for the Food, Engineering and Services Sectors in WIT in

opportunities in renewable energy supply chains. The region has attracted already interest from wind energy manufacturing companies based on available port facilities

opportunities in the cleantech sector for the region  Lifesciences: Existing strengths in the region include GSK in Dungarvan, Merck in

spotlight on Waterford for Lifesciences investment and to seek to develop collaborative initiatives in connected health and Silver-technologies

 Internationally trading services. With improved access, broadband and the research and graduate output in the region, Waterford has the potential to develop activities in

A key part of developing the enterprise base in the South East region is to ensure that the

Iots within the region and the enterprise agencies sector teams and SFI should be developed and implemented over the coming 12 months to

-identify potential collaboration opportunities with existing enterprises in the region -identify research partnerships with other HEIS nationally in order to develop

start-ups and the marketing of the region for mobile investment particularly in emerging sectors (including cleantech, biotechnology, digital media (& games

The enterprise development agencies are taking steps to assist secure additional investment in contact management and BPO activities in the South East region and to support the

IDA has been very active in seeking to win additional investment for Waterford utilising the skill sets of the Talk Talk employees, the ready-togo facility and the Gateway location of

companies to highlight the attractiveness of this facility as a potential opportunity for a Greenfield investment or as an expansion opportunity

 IDA is targeting overseas companies based in Ireland to bring the facility and its skilled

Enterprise Ireland actions underway EI is progressing a number of actions to support the Talk Talk workers impacted.

co-operation with the Waterford City Enterprise Board took place in WIT and further workshops will be held in 2012

 Mentor appointed to one group of employees exploring a specific business opportunity related to the call centre sector

The fall off in opportunities in construction and traditional manufacturing has a particularly hard impact on certain occupational groups, in crafts and production

responses to future enterprise needs and to identify any gaps in provision D2. Labour market Activation

The Skillsnet investment of â 250,000 in Q4 2011 is welcome in this regard D4. European Globalisation Fund

Job Opportunities in personal services  Review the potential for further employment in the personal services areas and any

barriers to jobseekers taking up opportunities available in the region. Almost a third of the new work permits issued in the region in 2010 were for personal service staff

domestic staff, caring, health and childcare) and further scrutiny may be required of new applications for work permits for such personal service vacancies

s has undertaken a review of infrastructures nationally in the context of enterprise development objectives of the agencies,

enterprise agencies. These are important to improve the functioning of the region itself and its connectivity with other regions and the access to essential service.

to Cork and Shannon for air services. The Government has committed to providing capital and operational funding to Waterford Airport post 2012

and this commitment is welcome 80 Action  Completion of the N11/M11 upgrade, specifically Gorey to Enniscorthy and New Ross

and Capital Investment Programme 2012-16 SOUTH EAST EMPLOYMENT ACTION PLAN †FORFà S Appendix 1

value-creating performance, of an economy. However, GVA is an imperfect value creation 71 The value of the region†s output less intermediate materials and services used in its production

Latest available regional data is for 2006 86 metric for a number of reasons, particularly because †transfer pricing†by multinational

Number of active enterprises by size and region, 2006 and 2009 2006 2009 CAGR 06

Number of persons engaged in active enterprises by size and region, 2006 & 2009 2006 2009

Number of employees in active enterprises by size and region, 2006 and 2009 2006 2009

available at regional/county level, the unadjusted national rate is used as the benchmark SOUTH EAST EMPLOYMENT ACTION PLAN †FORFà S

Department of Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation   According to table A16 overleaf, there were just under 300 new work permits issued in the

services occupations, agriculture relayed occupation, sales and healthcare       Â

CPL Managed Services Dublin Reed Recruitment Dublin Meridian Global Services Dublin Roar Promotions Dublin Popgap Games Dublin

Lex Consultancy Dublin Zynga Dublin SAGE Dublin UPS Dublin Uniphar Group Dublin HP Dublin Three Ireland Dublin

Business Process Outsourcing †A Broad Range of Services and Activities Customer Contact Centres Customer Supports

Technical support Services Round the clock technical support and problem resolution Installation and product support, up and running support, trouble

Data entry/conversion or indexing services to various verticals including e g. FMCG businesses, Medical sector, publishing

Litigation support, risk assessment, patent writing, IP services legal research services etc Contract Research Outsourcing

Managing clinical trial processes, often across multi-sites and multi-jurisdictions. Clinical data management Supply Chain/Procurement services

Managing supply chain activities including Order to Cash, Procure to Pay, inventory management, logistics, forecasting and

planning services, vendor management, etc Document Management Services Compliance with records management †filing, retrieval

destruction etc IT services Including fully managed services, or elements of IT services including e g. data hosting, Software as a service, Infrastructure

as a Service, Platform as a service etc 102 Appendix 7 Business Process Outsourcing An Evolving Sector From Business Process Outsourcing to Knowledge Process Outsourcing

Characteristics BPO Professional Services/KPO Business Process Standard Nonstandard, knowledge-intensive Drivers Costs, Labour Value, time to market, scale flexibility

Stage of Industry development Mature Relatively young, evolving Risks Leveraged by infrastructure and processes Data security, IP leakage

Target Economies of scale Domain expertise Depth not size Challenges Attrition, wage inflation Skills availability, regulatory limitations

 Because of the nature and range of activities, the range of skills sets requires is also broad â€

 In activities that involve HR services or Finance/Accounting †an understanding of country

relevant as the sector evolves toward knowledge intensive services Business Process Outsourcing and Services Centres †based in South East, October 2011

Company name Location Activity Detail Ownership Technology Sales Leads Ireland Carlow Sales development for business-to-business technology companies Irish

HR and recruitment services Irish UNUM Carlow Services centre Foreign State street Kilkenny Fund administration and services centre Foreign

Mycroft Waterford Financial services/Software. Newly established Irish base Foreign Citi Hedge fund Services Waterford Hedge fund administration services Foreign

Sunlife Information Services Waterford Software development, business administration and technical helpdesk services for Sun Life†s North american divisions Foreign

Ubiqus Waterford Translation Services Foreign SRAM Waterford Back office shared services Foreign Equifax Wexford Credit assessment bureau-business services centre Foreign

PNC Financial Wexford Fund administration and services centre Foreign Ridge Telemarketing Carlow Outbound telemarketing, telesales and sales lead generation Foreign

VHI Healthcare Kilkenny Contact and customer services centre for VHI clients Irish Eishtec Waterford Provides customer contact solutions for clients Irish

Notes

< Back - Next >

Overtext Web Module V3.0 Alpha
Copyright Semantic-Knowledge, 1994-2011