8.3 | Waterford Airport
Waterford Airport provides key strategic infrastructure for the Waterford MASP area and is a Gateway for the wider South-East.
Business (including multi-national companies involved in export trade), support the development of TUSE, Research and Development with international partners and provide for increased tourist traffic. The runway extension of 500m sought by Waterford Airport would significantly increase the capacity of the airport to cater for larger aircraft and more frequent flights.
Investment in a runway extension will enhance the international connectivity potential of Waterford for
Waterford MASP Policy Objective 16
Waterford Airport It is an objective to support the further development of Waterford Airport and, in particular, the development of: • anextensionof theexistingrunwaytoaccommodate larger aircraft; • improved transport linkages and services between the airport, Waterford City and the wider South- East, i.e. roads and public transport; • measures to encourage additional operators offering services from this location; • the expansion and development of aviation-related industries at the airport.
In this regard, Development Plans should incorporate policies to protect longer-term flight path public safety zones and to control uses which could adversely impact on the airport’s operations or the potential for new runway development and extensions sufficient to handle larger aircraft. Local Authorities should ensure that consideration of airport-related infrastructure and facilities is informed by an adequate level of environmental assessment including assessment of potential impacts on designated European sites.
8.4 | Effective Supports and Infrastructure for Enterprise & Industry
The identification of effective supports for industry and enterprise will be critical to achieve propulsive growth of the Waterford Metropolitan Area. Improved international connectivity together with public transport links and infrastructure to Dublin and other cities will be required to support the targeted growth of Waterford. As a Smart University city and with an objective to become a UNESCO Learning City, Waterford will be a city that will facilitate enterprise and growth through targeted, enterprise support allied to high-quality, internationally-recognised research activity with an emphasis on technology. Investment in research capability and infrastructure is critical if these aims are to be achieved. Investment in digital connectivity, an Internet Exchange and associated infrastructure at ArcLabs would be transformative
for regional technology industries and would enhance the attractiveness of the region to high technology companies, as well as regional research capability. The functioning of the enterprise ecosystem relies on collaboration and mutual exchange of ideas and resources. The Eolas Comhroinnte Obair le Cheile / Shared Knowledge Working Together (ECOLC/SKWT) Framework provides a collective approach (also known as the Quadruple Helix).
Through ECOLC/SKWT , actions to support enterprise and industry can be pursued including those listed below:
• Identification of diverse economic sectors with growth potential & clustering to build resilience to fluctuations in economy; • Targeted development and supports for particular sectors to achieve the benefits of clustering, leading to a pool of skilled workers in that sector and additional job creation in specialist support services; • Building on the existing WIT ARClabs model,
Southern Regional Assembly | RSES
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