8.0 | Employment and Enterprise 8.1 | Introduction
Investment in the creation of ‘place’, access to talent and the presence of an innovative and smart economy are key factors to realising the potential of the Limerick- Shannon Metropolitan Area. Together with improvements in existing sectors such as retail and tourism will play an important role in creating a stronger economy.
Limerick City and Shannon are Ireland’smost connected fulcrum; the Metropolitan Area is the only location in Ireland with access to all other regional urban centres within 2 hours and within 90 minutes of Dublin. The continued growth of Shannon International Airport, Shannon Foynes Port and third level education facilities is essential for future growth based on leveraging national and international connectivity, higher education capacity and quality of life to secure strategic investment.
8.2 | Economic Resilience and Clusters
The diversification of industry and the development of clusters will increase economic resilience andreduce overall risk. By developing industrial clusters, benefits such as lower production costs, increased innovation among related businesses and increased co- location of similar and supporting businesses can be realised. Working together, companies can be more innovative, create more jobs and register more international trademarks and patents than they would alone. The EU Cluster Portal39 provides tools and information on key European initiatives, actions and events for clusters with the aimof creatingmore world-class clusters across the EU.
There are positive examples of clusters in the Limerick- Shannon Metropolitan Area. The IASC recently became the first Irish member of the European Aerospace Cluster Partnership (EACP). Firms within the cluster can co-operate on a European level to identify new projects, funding sources and development opportunities. The National Sports Business Cluster will leverage elite sporting facilities established at UL’s sports campus and LIT’s Sportslab (Europe’s leading strength and conditioning centre) in Thurles in addition to thirty sport-related companies currently operating in Limerick and its catchment.
Limerick-Shannon MASP Policy Objective 11
Economic Resilience and Clusters It is an objective to develop, deepen and enhance the economic resilience of the Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area through creating a vibrant and diversified enterprise base, with strong, healthy, connected Clusters drawing on Eolas Comhroinnte Obair le cheile / Shared Knowledge Working Together (ECOLC / SKWT) to assist in bringing disruptive technologies and innovations to national and global markets.
39. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/industry/policy/cluster_en
Southern Regional Assembly | RSES
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