7 Reinforcing sectoral strengths

Strategic Goal 7:

Smart Specialisation will encourage the maximising of sectoral strengths through

clustering and the scaling of Ireland’s existing areas of research excellence.

Summary

Ireland’s Smart Specialisation Strategy recognises clustering as a key tool for achieving enterprise policy objectives, including driving innovation, attracting and embedding foreign direct investment (FDI) and developing linkages between multinationals and indigenous firms. It also notes the role that clustering can play in the green and digital transitions.

Strategic Goal 7 is supported by the development of a new national clustering policy framework which will see the establishment of cluster organisations of scale.

Development of a National Clustering Programme

The White Paper for Enterprise 2020-2030 proposes the establishment of a National Clustering Programme (NCP). This will see the establishment of a central co-ordination entity to bring coherence to the current clustering landscape and targets funding five national cluster organisations.

A March 2023 Grant Thornton report advises there would be “significant merit in establishing an open and multi-layer cluster programme” which encourages collaboration between Industry, Academia and Government in a triple-helix model. DETE is progressing work on a multi-layer NCP in line with this recommendation. The draft NCP is undergoing a review by The Competitiveness Institute (TIC) Network which involved a stakeholder engagement workshop in Trinity College Dublin on 23 May 2024.

Furthermore, clustering has been identified in the Offshore Renewable Energy sector as offering a mechanism to share knowledge, collectively build supply chain capacity and build new networks. With this in mind, Powering Prosperity, Ireland’s offshore wind industrial strategy, includes an action which focuses on clustering, with a commitment for DETE and other stakeholders to engage with offshore wind industry partners throughout 2024 to raise awareness of and encourage participation in the forthcoming national competitive call for clusters.

Clustering initiatives in Ireland’s regions

Each of the nine REPs mid-term progress reports highlights examples of clustering initiatives which are supporting key and emerging sectors at a more local level. The following are some examples of such initiatives:

In the Mid-East Region, the Boyne Valley Food Hub was officially launched by the then Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Neale Richmond TD, on 19 May 2023. The Hub represents approximately €2.4 million in investment by EI and Meath County Council.

In September 2023, the Atlantic Technological University launched a project for a network/cluster in the North-West Region to co-lead an all-island research and innovation response to the challenges outlined in the European Chips Act.

In the West Region, stakeholders have been successful in securing funding under the Shared Island Fund for the Atlantic Region of Creative Content initiative bringing together the expertise and strengths of the partner organisations to support the development a creative industries cluster, facilitated through virtual production spaces.

In the Mid-West Region, the IDEAM Cluster has delivered the Digi Manufacturing 2.0 project in collaboration with Manufacturing NI and InterTrade Ireland to establish collaborations between members to drive the digital and green transitions. To date, IDEAM has supported over 40 industry collaborative projects with a combined value of over €8 million.