Prior to the upcoming General Election, the Government has released its Dublin Action Plan for Jobs, with the aim of not just creating 66,000 jobs in the region by 2020, but also developing smart internet of things (IoT) districts.
The region’s Action Plan for Jobs has big plans for the capital and its surrounding county and is the final regional plan for the country that is part of an overall €250m investment over the next four years.
With the Government aiming to create 66,000 jobs across all sectors in Dublin, it will do much to recover the estimated 90,000 jobs that were lost in Dublin between the heights of the recession from 2008 until 2011.
Of no surprise is a focus on start-ups, with an aim to increasing the number of businesses starting and surviving by 25pc and eventually delivering a 30pc increase in Irish companies growing to scale.
The key areas the Government has pinpointed for development include fintech, big data and software, with incentives such as the establishment of something called StartUpSpaceDublin, which is, unsurprisingly, planned to be a space to promote start-ups in Dublin.
Rolling out of smart districts
Between now and 2018, according to the plan, there will be a 20pc increase in spend on R&D from foreign companies, a 20pc increase made by Irish companies, with 33pc collaborations between business and research/tech centres.
The development of smart cities technology is also high on the Government’s priority list, with a vision of Dublin as “the ideas capital”, which will involve the four local authorities rolling out ‘smart districts’ as part of a Dublin IoT demonstrator project and a ‘street of the future’ project.
Dublin’s creative industry will also be boosted with plans to expand the sector, although exact details of how it plans to do this have not been revealed.
The Tánaiste, Joan Burton TD, said of the plan’s launch: “As our capital city, Dublin has a key role to play in driving Ireland’s economic growth. It has a dynamic energy and diversity that has enabled it to punch above its weight in an international context.
“Yet we know that the region faces its own challenges. So it’s essential that we respond to those challenges in a way that continues to drive up employment and opportunities across the Dublin region – and that’s precisely what this plan will do.”
GPO image via yykkaa/Shutterstock
