Cork MASP Policy Objective 11
Transition to Digital Future The SRA will seek investment in the delivery of accessible and improved high speed, high capacity digital infrastructure in the Cork Metropolitan Area subject to the outcome of environmental assessments and the planning process including: a. Support and seek investment in Cork City and Cork County Council’s Digital Strategies, harnessing the roll out and delivery of various forms of high capacity ICT infrastructure that will support the Digital transformation of Cork and which recognises that ICT or digital connectivity infrastructure requirements will vary depending on the desired outcome, location, activity etc. b. Support the collection of better real time city data to enable city users and management to make better data driven decisions. c. Support Cork City Councils participation in the European Commission’s Digital Cities Challenge
programme to develop a digital transformation vision and action plan for Cork to enable a better quality of life in a greener, more innovative and smarter city. d. Support the initiatives of the Cork Smart Gateway to enable a better quality of life, greener and more innovative and smarter city and metropolitan area. e. Support Cork County Council’s Digital Strategy for the County, harnessing the roll out and delivery of high capacity ICT infrastructure and high-speed broadband to improve “relational proximity”, where peripheral locations can interact more successfully with larger urban centres and the metropolitan area. f. Support and seek investment in initiatives enhancing digital infrastructure access in our public buildings and spaces, such as Cork’s participation in the WiFi4EU Initiative.
8.3 | Distribution of Employment Growth As an open economy at the innovation edge, where technologies and business models evolve at a rapid pace, it is difficult to specify jobs targets for every type of economic activity and location in the MASP. strategic employment locations are accessible via the integrated Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy with significantly enhanced public transport and sustainable travel infrastructure.
The larger scaled high value manufacturing operations across the Cork Metropolitan Area in sectors including technology, engineering, life sciences and food and beverages will be supported as strategic enterprise and employment assets into the future as these sectors evolve and embrace new disruptive technologies. The Cork MASP identifies strategic employment centres within the metropolitan area. However, achieving NPF growth targets will require in depth consideration for new locations and initiatives by each local authority in consultation with the Enterprise Agencies including IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. The MASP recognises the need to be flexible to accommodate opportunities and that additional sites may emerge. It is critical however that any such opportunities are integrated with sustainable land use and transport planning objectives of the RSES.
However, as a functional economic area, certain assumption can be made. The NPF used a ratio of 1.6 between the population growth targets and employment growth targets for the whole Region. Applying a similar ratio to the population growth targets for the metropolitan area can provide an indication of additional jobs targeted in the Cork MASP. Additional jobs to 2026 would be in the order of at least 44,000 and additional jobs to 2031 at least 65,000. The sustainable distribution of employment growth needs to consolidate and regenerate existing strategic employment locat ions, acknowledging older established, lower density industrial areas in the city and suburban areas will transition under the next Core Strategies to higher density, higher value mixed use locations. It will be a requirement that all
Southern Regional Assembly | RSES
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