IDA Ireland and Invest NI launch NorthWestNow promotional programme
IDA Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland today, (Tuesday February 10th 2009) launched the NorthWestNow promotional programme aimed at enhancing the promotion of the North West Business Technology Zone (NWBTZ) and the wider North West Region.
The NorthWestNow promotional programme was launched by Denis Molumby, Executive Director, Corporate and Business Development, IDA Ireland and Ian Murphy, Invest NI Managing Director of Clients and Entrepreneurship, at an event hosted in Derry.
The promotional programme includes a new website http://www.northwestnow.eu and brochure which will be distributed worldwide through the IDA Ireland and Invest NI networks.
The NWBTZ project has created a focused partnership between central and local government, business and academia known as the Wider Stakeholders Committee. This Committee includes senior personnel from the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, the CEO's of Derry City and Donegal County Council, the University of Ulster & North West Regional College in Derry and Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Pramerica Ireland, local Chambers of Commerce, a director of InterTrade Ireland and the former Chairman of Invest NI.
Commenting on the project Denis Molumby said, ‘IDA Ireland and Invest NI have collaborated on the NWBTZ project for a number of years with the aim of building a solid platform from which to increase investment to the North West Business Technology Zone and the greater North West Region.'
‘The joint initiative between the two enterprise agencies, IDA and Invest NI, is characteristic of what can achieved by working together and today we are seeing the result of this work with the launch of the NorthWestNow promotional programme, as a result of which the North West Region will be promoted as a location for investment on a global scale.'
Mr Murphy said: "The NWBTZ, substantially funded by the EU Interreg programme, is an extremely significant cross border initiative on which Invest NI and IDA Ireland have been working in active and real partnership since 2003. It has resulted in an ideal infrastructure especially for technology-led business investment.
"Against the current economic background of job losses and closures in the North West, it is important that we are all working to a common goal. This means striving to sustain the businesses we have and doubling our efforts to secure new investment that will deliver a diverse and balanced economy for the future.
"The promotion of the NWBTZ to potential investors is an integral part of the overall project and will be an important tool for both agencies in helping attract future investment to the North West," he added.
Referring to the Inter - Governmental North West Gateway Initiative (NWGI) Mr Denis Molumby Executive Director IDA Ireland said, ' The range of infrastructural developments currently underway or planned under this initiative would further strengthen the North West Business and Technology Zone and compliment the work successfully completed to date.'
He specifically highlighted the ‘highly imaginative ILEX regeneration project currently underway in Derry City and the trans Atlantic Kelvin Communications project - only the second project of its kind on the Island of Ireland, offering a direct link to North America.'
Mr. Molumby said, ‘The Kelvin project will provide high speed bandwidth at substantially reduced prices and will remove a significant impediment for inward investment particularly those with an intensive Telco requirements.
Combining the Kelvin project with the planned motorway links between Letterkenny/Derry and Dublin and Belfast will remove the perception of the North West as a remote location and position the entire North West as a smart economy of the future,' maintained Mr Molumby
The NWBTZ includes:
- High spec property solutions in both Derry and Letterkenny,
- Improved cross border broadband telecoms and IT linkages
- Education and Training programmes designed to meet the skills needs of existing and potential ICT and financial services investors.
The Interreg IIIA programme provided €10 million on a 60:40 split between North and South. This funding levered additional money from the public and private sectors resulting in a total investment of over £30m/€35.
Specific projects within NWBTZ already supported include:-
The North West Business Complex and Entrepreneurial Hub - 53,000 sq ft of high spec flexible workspace at Skeoge Enterprise Park.
Timber Quay - a £10 million speculative building project in the City which provides 57,000 sq ft of open plan flexible workspace and is now the site for the Fujitsu Services FDI project which will provide over 300 high- quality, IT jobs in the City.
C-TRIC (formerly ABC) at Altnagelvin Hospital - a £2 million facility providing 9400 sq ft of research laboratories and business workspace provision.
North West Labour Market Initiative - to meet the skills needs of existing and potential ICT and financial services investors and incorporating an MSc in Computing for Financial Services at the University of Ulster and training/courses in software engineering and ICT at North West Regional College.
The IDA Ireland Letterkenny Business and Technology Park - comprising three fully serviced parks, landscaped to a high standard, with a total of c.100 acres is linked by the Letterkenny Outer Relief Road and the Metropolitan Area Network. The Park currently has two office and two advanced technology buildings, provided by the private sector, available for new inward investment as well as a range of medium to large serviced sites. Expansions by existing IDA Ireland clients notably United Health Group and Pramerica Systems Ireland combined with new start up projects notably ZEUS Industrial Products has resulted in c. 600 new jobs being created on the Park since 2003.
For information:
IDA IRELAND: Trevor Holmes, Head of Communications, 01-6034023/ 0872425560
