This article is from page 10 of the 2006-05-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
SHANNON DEVELOPMENT staff will form the first wave of the decentralised Enterprise Ireland, the body’s CEO has said.
Frank Ryan was speaking at a lec ture evening organised by the Mid West Marketing Institute last week.
Speaking to The Clare People , Ryan said that plans are firmly in place for the move.
But he added that, as far as Enterprise Ireland having a particular plan for the Shannon region to replace the industry brief-stripped Shannon Development, “those plans are still in development at this stage.”
He added that he, “can say, having worked in the development agency for 27 years, that I have a very high regard for the Shannon development staff. We look forward to the staff in Shannon development joining us. They made a super contribution to this region and to this state.”
During his talk to the Marketing Institute, Ryan said that the main source of economic growth for Ireland in the post-Celtic Tiger era is indigenous industry which is exporting value-added products to a world-wide market.
He said Shannon Airport would have a vital role to play as a gateway for such products and for accessing markets.
“In a developed economy there are two main engines for growth – overseas investment and the development of the indigenous industries. Going forward, we plan to help develop indigenous industry – that means helping them to design products that are in demand overseas and help them break into those markets,” Ryan said.
The Enterprise CEO added that as a developed economy, they can no longer look to inward foreign investment to sustain growth as this is part of a phase common to developing countries.
And help getting co-operation between centres of education and companies which need research and development is another vital part of the support which Enterprise Ireland is offering companies who will form the business backbone of the future Ireland, he said.
Commenting on claims that there have been serious set-backs to Enterprise Ireland’s decentralisation schedule, Ryan said that plans are on-going for the move and that the Shannon Development staff who will be coming over to enterprise Ireland will form the first wave of the process.
“The first part of that decentralisation will be our colleagues in Shannon Development joining us. They will be the first core group in.”
Asked if he might personally make the move to Clare, Ryan said “that is the plan.”