North West is EU 2018 Entrepreneurial Region
THE North West is punching above its weight again - this time it’s our entrepreneurs’ ambition which has just earned us the title of EU Entrepreneurial Region for 2018.
At a ceremony in Brussels tomorrow ( Wed), the European Union will name the Northern and Western region as European Entrepreneurial Region 2018, recognising the ‘enormous strides’ the region has taken to foster entrepreneurship and reverse decades of decline.
The award is a huge boost for a region that has developed policies that transformed the North West ‘from adversity to advantage’, making it one of the most resilient and ambitious places in Europe, according to the EU’s Committee of the Regions.
The European Entrepreneurial Region 2018 designation will be marked with a series of special events and initiatives all through next year to support job creation and innovation across the entire region.
Director of the Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA) David Minton, will accept the award on behalf of the eight counties of Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Roscommon, Leitrim, Monaghan and Cavan.
“This is an amazing honour and an opportunity for a part of Ireland that has been traditionally mar- ginalised to emerge stronger and more attractive as a place to live and work for our young people,” he told The Sligo Champion.
“The past eight years has seen regional and national policy invest in innovation; invest in people; and invest in education. Eight years ago, employment levels in the construction industry were decimated due to economic stagnation. Out of this stagnation has emerged a commitment ‘not to repeat the mistakes of the past’. In committing to resilience and investing in sustainability, this region has become truly entrepreneurial.”
Mr. Minton said this spirit of entrepreneurship was driven by the network of collaborative Local Enterprise Offices across the region which support over 45,000 businesses. The concept of ‘entrepreneurship as a career’ has also come from smart programmes such as Young Entrepreneur of the Year and New Frontiers, Enterprise Ireland’s national entrepreneur development programme for innovative, early-stage start-ups.
Sligo LEO Chief Executive John Reilly said: “Sligo companies like Lotusworks, SF Engineering, SL Controls, Voya and Arrotek are but a few examples of our progressive, now global, indigenous businesses. These companies have also inspired the development of facilities such as The Building Block. Our young people are inspired by their success and this prestigious European Entrepreneurial Award recognises this effort.”
Minster for Community and Rural Affairs Michael Ring said: “For me this award is about recognizing the risk taker – from entrepreneurs, to small business owners and indigenous enterprises growing in scale.”