Plan to develop county-wide cluster of digital innovation hubs
A SENIOR Cork County Council official has confirmed the authority is actively investigating the possibility of developing a cluster of new digital innovation hubs at rural locations across the county.
Last year, a study commissioned by Vodafone, which analysed the impact of six Irish digital hubs, including one in Skibbereen, found that more than 1,000 new businesses and almost 8,500 jobs could be created by developing a digital hub in each county.
A digital hub is defined as a shared workspace that usually provides additional support services that help people, and in particular smaller start up companies, to work in a more flexible environment.
The study, carried out by economist Jim Power, was undertaken in a bid to assess how ‘smart working’ from digital hubs could help breathe new life into rural communities.
It found that the six hubs assessed collectively house 176 businesses employing more than 460 people, contribute €27.3 million to the economy and generate €18.2million in net wages earned.
In addition to alleviating urban migration and slower regional economic growth, the study suggested the widespread adoption of smart working practices would result in a reduction in congestion and commute times, ease pressure on urban housing, provide greater availability of school places and generate jobs for local graduates.
“In a world where issues such as climate change, congestion, more balanced regional economic growth and development, and quality of life are becoming increasingly important and topical, the contribution that remote working will make to addressing these problems is very significant,” Mr Power.
The findings of the survey prompted Kanturk/Mallow area county councillor Bernard Moynihan to ask Cork County Council what, if any, plans were in place to develop digital innovation hubs across the county.
“It is plain to see for all that rural areas of Cork such as Western Duhallow are dying before our eyes due to a lack of investment. As an authority, Cork County Council needs to put in place a network of hubs that would give businesses the option of basing their operations in rural areas,” said Cllr Moynihan.
In response, Sharon Corcoran, head of the council’s Economic, Enterprise and Tourism Directorate, wrote that the authority had secured money under the Rural Regeneration Fund to appoint someone to scope out the potential of developing hubs across the county.
“The Digital Hub Innovation Officer will take up duty in February and will commence the development of a feasibility study/business case around this proposal,” wrote Ms Corcoran.
“The objective in examining the development of such hubs is to attract and retain talent to rural communities and encourage large scale multinational employers to consider agile working for their teams from such locations,” she added.
While Cllr Moynihan welcomed the news, he said the initiative would prove futile unless the necessary services were in place to service the digital hubs.
“The very least they need will be a reliable, high-speed broadband connection and decent transport links. That is before you even take into consideration providing the housing needed to cater for people working out of these proposed hubs,” said Cllr Moynihan.
“This will involve investing massive amounts of money into rural communities, something that this Government, despite its claims to the contrary, has patently failed to do,” he added.