Contact NWRA
Northern & Western Regional Assembly
Dillon House, Ballaghaderreen
Co. Roscommon
F45 WY26
Ireland
+353 (0) 94 986 2970
Smart City Bootcamp
There is an increasing trend at EU and national public policy level towards ‘Greener’ and ‘Smarter’ practices. One commonality between these two pillars is the application of innovative technology.
David Minton, Director with the NWRA said that ‘policy and funding is shifting towards Smart City principles and we would like to make sure our Smart Region (Smart City+Smart Rural) has the full capability to take advantage of opportunities associated with regeneration and disruptive technology funds’.
At the Smart Cities Bootcamp, the NWRA is looking at taking a deep dive into technical advancements and future-thinking that will lead the next generation of urban & rural development. The programme is open to all but we will be collaborating closely with the Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC).
Tomás O’Siochain, CEO, WDC said the Bootcamp is a great opportunity for the AEC in its development as the course is a blend of ‘practical exposure and learning’ focused on new technologies and their application to the built environment and place making.
The 3 Day intensive Bootcamp aims to collect senior personnel around a discussion on how the growth of future and smart cities & towns will influence construction, transportation, public policy, manufacturing, and the environment.
Learning about innovative technology and hearing from leaders in IoT, transportation, energy, health and public safety, artificial intelligence and data analytics.
3 Days 3 Cities will take stakeholders to Dublin, Leuven and Ghent exploring new and innovative practices in Smart Cities / Smart Town practices.
More information can be found on www.nwra.ie or contacting Marie Moriarty – ei.ar1752073806wn@yt1752073806rairo1752073806mm1752073806
Food for Thought
Over 30 leading Gastronomy experts from accros Europe will be hosted in Sligo and Galway by the Northern & Western Regional Assembly in early March.
EUREGA is a €1.7M European Territorial Cooperation project looking at food under 5 headings; Education, Health, Urban/Rural, Tourism and SME Supports. The project partners from seven different countrys across Europe will come to Ireland to discuss how the EU can help Member States support businesses in the Gastronomy Sector.
The European partners will be exposed to the array of supports currently available in Ireland for busineeses in the gastronomy sectors. From the Food Works Programme, The Food Acadamy to the new Bia Innovator Campus in Athenry in Galway costing €5.5 million, the partners visiting will certainly have some food for thought on how best to support their SME folllowing their vist to the West of Ireland.
Brendan Mooney, EU Programmes Executive in the Northern & Western Region Assembly “This is an opportunity to showcase our great gastronomy culture and the vibrant sector that we have here in the northern & western region of Ireland, we hope that the partners visiting learn from what supports are available in Ireland, but also for our stakeholders to use this opportunity to learn from the visiting experts”.
DEVISE Project Featured on Euronews
Euronews, “Europe’s number one news channel” which reaches 400million homes across 160 countries, has selected DEVISE project to be promoted through their ‘Smart Regions’ programme.
The Smart Regions series visits “cities and towns where Cohesion Policy projects are reducing regional disparities and bringing real, tangible benefits to communities across the EU”. In reference to this opportunity, Jose Manuel San Emeterio Project Manager at ERNACT and DEVISE Project Leader stated that, “we are delighted for having been selected by Euronews to explain what we are doing in the DEVISE project and in particular in the North West region in Ireland. It is very important for peripheral regions, like the ones involved in DEVISE, to have the opportunity to present our challenges and how are we embracing digital transformation for more developed and sustainable places where companies can grow offering the same opportunities than in the main urban areas”.
Euronews visited the North West of Ireland in December 2019 to film the DEVISE project in Donegal and Sligo. DEVISE project partners ERNACT in Donegal and the Northern and Western Regional Assembly along with stakeholders in Sligo had the chance to share the local expertise that is being carried out through the Interreg Europe funded project. DEVISE aims to increase by 15% the number of digital tech SMEs enabling competitiveness in smart and strategic sectors through improved policy instruments.
The video by Euronews features two local SMEs involved in the DEVISE project. The first was Dara Burke’s virtual reality start-up, ShowHouse VR, located in CoLab, a business incubator in Letterkenny Institute of Technology in Donegal. Dara develops virtual reality solutions solving hands-on problems before an engine is built.
The second SME featured in the programme was Ward Automation, based in Sligo. This company specialises in robotic solutions for the medical sector. The team from Euronews also visited IT Sligo where many of the staff at Ward Automation studied Mechatronics and learnt how to programme and create robotic solutions.
Speaking about the programme on Euronews, Patrick Devine, EU Projects Officer at the NWRA said “It was a great experience to promote the DEVISE project and the region on Euronews. Showcasing companies in Donegal and Sligo and the knowledge been transferred from IT Sligo and LYIT into industry helps promote the North West as a Smart Region. The Digital Transformation of SMEs and the need to support SMEs with this process so they can remain competitive in a global market has been recognised as vital to the economy, which is one of the reasons I believe Euronews were interested on reporting on the DEVISE project and this subject”, explained Patrick Devine, EU Projects Officer at the Northern and Western Regional Assembly.
You can read the full story and watch the video here on the Euronews website. https://www.euronews.com/2020/02/03/devise-project-ireland-puts-the-spotlight-on-digital-smes
