By Alan Healy,Irishexaminer.com
Copyright irishexaminer
The three business bodies represent more than 3,400 member companies employing more than 520,000 people across Cork city and county, the greater Dublin area and Northern Ireland. Over the past year, the partnership has delivered a series of events and joint communications aimed at strengthening economic ties and promoting an all-island approach to economic development.
Along with flights and improved rail links, the newly launched agenda focuses on securing long-term port investment to support trade and offshore renewable development, building all-island innovation clusters in sectors such as life sciences, fintech and clean energy, strengthening tourism links and a shared modern brand for the island.
Cork and Belfast have not had a connecting flight for almost 15 years. Aer Arann operated a daily flight between the two cities up until August 2010.
The airline Max2 continued to operate a flight on the route but ended in March of 2011 following the crash on February 10 of that year, when the Manx2 Flight 7100 crashed while attempting to land at Cork Airport, resulting in the deaths of six people.
The tri-region partnership agenda
Across the two-day programme hosted in Cork this week, delegates engaged in a series of sessions and site visits designed to connect the themes of connectivity, enterprise, tourism and innovation to real-world projects.
Highlights included discussions with Irish Rail, Cork Airport, and the Port of Cork on critical transport and maritime infrastructure, a focus on Cork’s Docklands development, and insights from industry leaders including Qualcomm, Enterprise Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland, IDA Ireland and InterTradeIreland.
Conor Healy, CEO of Cork Chamber, said: “Cork is playing a central role in shaping Ireland’s economic future. We have many strengths in our region, and partnerships and collaboration enhance all of our opportunities.
“The tri-region agenda launch shows the ambition for growth across our regions. We face similar challenges and with joined up thinking and planning, our governments can unlock a more connected and prosperous island for all.”
Suzanne Wylie, CEO of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “This agenda is about unlocking shared opportunity. By focusing on key priorities such as connectivity, skills and innovation, the tri-region partnership creates the conditions for businesses to thrive and for our regions to compete successfully on a global stage.”
Delegates also visited the National Maritime College of Ireland for presentations on offshore renewables and maritime skills development, enjoyed an evening reception and dinner showcasing Cork’s history and tourism offering with minister Jerry Buttimer as special guest.
It concluded with a morning session at University College Cork focused on innovation clusters, education, and shared opportunities for skills development with input from Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA, minister for the economy in Northern Ireland.
