West Cork Development Partnership

David Tuohy

Republic of Ireland

National Picture

4,585,400 population 70,273 km2 66 people per km2

High Population concentration around Dublin

Emerging urban influence Heterogeneous population

The Irish economy is small and highly open

Gross Value Added at Factor Cost by Sector of Origin: 2012

Rural Development Policy in Ireland

Ensure a competitive agri-food sector by boosting innovation, added value and consumer focus;

Address structural problems in the agricultural industry and the need for on-farm capital investment;

Support agriculture in its provision of public goods; Enhance the environment & biodiversity; Build on the success of existing environmental measures; Recognise the economic dimension of environmental

support and the significant role it plays in supporting a multi-functional farming system;

Address local needs, boost the quality of life in rural areas and promote the creation of micro-enterprise.

West Cork

West Cork

Area Characteristics

100,000 population 3000 km.² 350 km coastline Fragmented settlement pattern Different Geographic & Demographic

Contexts Heterogeneous population Emerging urban influence Changing structure of Local economy

Current Challenges

Infrastructure development Reliance on Agri-output Poor geographic dispersal of

enterprise activity Externalities/macro environment Development pressure on coastal

& peri-urban areas Distance from & access to markets

Vital Themes

Education Broadband + Digital Services SME Empowerment Community Building Profiling & Branding

Education

West Cork Future Skills Needs Research

3rd level outreach Community Computer training

Broadband + Digital Services Mixed quality Affordability key challenge Mixed terrain and dispersed, low

population density Amazon example

SME Empowerment

Business Development Training Focus on Strategy and

Innovation Clustering and enhancing

networks

Community Building

Future West Cork Strong, parochial community

spirit in West Cork. Extremely resilient

Community Led Local Development v. Top Down

Profiling & Branding

Fuchsia Brands - 1998 “Achieving competitive advantage through

the use of the area’s unique image & identity”

Branding West Cork

Thank You