Waterford set to be economic anchor of the South East in new regional strategy vision
Waterford Chamber has unveiled a long-term vision strategy for the future of Waterford and the Southeast, with Waterford & The South East 2075: A Regional Strategy for Prosperity & Connectivity. Photo: Waterford Chamber
Waterford Chamber has unveiled a bold long-term vision for the future of Waterford and the Southeast today, Wednesday, September 30.
The vision, Waterford & The South East 2075: A Regional Strategy for Prosperity & Connectivity, was developed and presented by Waterford Chamber following extensive research and stakeholder engagement led by Dr Ray Griffin of SETU, Gerald Hurley, CEO of Waterford Chamber, and Niall Harrington, Chair of Waterford Chamber's Infrastructure & Development Panel.
It sets out a long-term framework for transforming the region through investment in infrastructure, housing, healthcare, higher education, energy, enterprise and connectivity, whilst positioning Waterford as the anchor city for a connected Southeast region of 650,000 people.
The strategy identifies the South East as a region poised for tiger growth of upwards of 8% per year, with an opportunity to double the regional economy from €20bn to €45bn within the next 10 years.
Dr Griffin said the significance of the strategy lies in its long-term perspective.
"The evidence is clear. The South East has the structural capacity to grow at tiger rates and double its economy within the next decade.
"What it requires is what has worked everywhere else: further connectivity to bind a 45-minute region of 650,000 people into a single economic unit; investment at scale in higher education to end the brain drain; and the regional governance architecture to make that investment stick for the next generation.
"These are not regional asks. They are a national policy choice."
Central to Dr. Griffin’s suggested governance architecture is the proposed South East Authority for Regeneration (SEAR), a collaborative regional body designed to build on coordination work already underway in the region, rather than building a new structure from outside.
Locally led, with representation from Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow and South Tipperary, SEAR would leave each local authority in full control of its own area, while coordinating strategic planning, aligning investment across the region, and presenting a unified case to national government and EU bodies, Waterford Chamber says.
Funding for SEAR will come from a pooled model of exchequer, EU and local contributions, the report says, with annual reporting and citizen engagement providing transparent accountability.
The southeastern vision was presented at a keynote address in front of a host of international ambassadors, Oireachtas members and business leaders, by Simon Coveney, Head of Global Affairs for EY EMEIA and former Tánaiste, who highlighted the importance of ambition and collaboration in securing the region's future.
"Waterford and the South East is a dynamic, ambitious region and an important part of Ireland’s economic story," the former Tánaiste said, "The Waterford and South East 2075 strategy is hugely important as we navigate an increasingly uncertain global environment, where many of the rules and norms under which Ireland has thrived are fundamentally changing.
"With renewable energy and energy security set to play a crucial role in the years ahead, making the right decisions now will be key to seizing the opportunities ahead."
The unveiling of the strategy was followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Jim Power, focusing on some of the critical building blocks of the region's future, including higher education and employment, healthcare, housing, offshore energy, regional collaboration and business growth.
Panel contributors included Prof Veronica Campbell of SETU, Gwen Daniels of UPMC Whitfield, Dr Ray Griffin, Simon Coveney, Niall Harrington of WhiteBox Developments, Sean Kirwan of ESB, Ivan Grimes of Waterford City & County Council and Anne Lannigan of Enterprise Ireland.
For outgoing Waterford Chamber President Eadaoin Carrick, the event provided an opportunity to reflect on her year in office and the ambition she believes exists across the region.
"Tonight is about ambition,” she said, “It is about believing that Waterford and the South East can be bigger, more connected and more prosperous, and then having the courage to set out what that future could look like.
“During my year as President, I have been struck again and again by the quality, ambition and commitment that exists across this region. The 2075 strategy captures that spirit. It gives us a long-term destination, but it is now up to all of us to turn that vision into action."
Waterford Chamber CEO Gerald Hurley said the strategy represents the beginning of a longer-term campaign for the region, commenting, "Waterford & The South East 2075 is about changing the conversation. We need to be ambitious about the scale of opportunity in this region and equally ambitious about the investment and collaboration required to realise it.
"This is not a five-year plan. It is a long-term framework for the kind of region we want to leave to the generations that follow us."
He added: "The Advantage Dinner brought together many of the people who will be central to delivering that vision. The challenge now is to move from ambition to action and ensure that Waterford and the South East secure the investment, infrastructure and opportunities required to fulfil their potential."
The Waterford City region Advantage Dinner, at Faithlegg Hotel, brought together representatives from business, government, local authorities, education, international diplomatic missions and the wider regional community, reinforcing Waterford Chamber's role in advocating for the region and building connections between the public and private sectors.
Waterford Chamber said the unveiling of Waterford & The South East 2075 marks the beginning of an ongoing programme of engagement around the strategy and its ambitions for the region.
Click here to download and view Waterford & The South East 2075.
