sandbox1 | Atlantic Economic Corridor

What is the Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC) Enterprise Hubs Project?

The AEC Enterprise Hubs Project is a three-year project to create an interconnected community network from the 101 hubs identified as either operating or in development, in the AEC region.

The Enterprise Hubs Project will be coordinated by the Western Development Commission (WDC) to deliver on the following key areas:

Establish a community network between the hubs identified in the region
Provide a suite of back office ICT infrastructure including an online booking engine
Rollout of a Hub Improvement Plan
Promotion and Branding
Training and Business Development
Promotion of Remote Working*

* Remote Working is a form of organising and performing work which could be carried out at the employer’s premises but is carried out in a hub or home on a regular basis

Why is this project happening?

The AEC Enterprise Hubs Network as scoped has the potential to deliver significant achievements under all three of the key pillars of the wider AEC Initiative; developing connectivity, promoting innovation and supporting the growth of a robust and diverse economy in the region.

The WDC in its role as coordinator of the Enterprise Hubs Project has conducted extensive research which indicates that many hubs in the AEC region would benefit from becoming part of a larger hub ecosystem for the following reasons:

Low occupancy rates in a significant number of hubs
No centralised ICT systems
Limited use of collaboration technology
Limited capacity or strategy to market or promote hubs
Access to funding
Establishment of best practise in service provision

Participation in a hub network is a proven driver for hub development; it leads to increased hub occupancy and cross pollination of ideas which drives business development in communities across the region.

What will the Enterprise Hubs Project do?

The Enterprise Hubs project will establish a network from the 101 hubs in the region.
It will achieve this through a strategy which will focus on three pillars:

Partnership and Collaboration

The development of a hub network has the potential to bring significant economic value to the AEC. The WDC is ideally positioned to coordinate this project in conjunction with the Department of Community and Rural Development and the AEC Officer Network. The WDC already has a team in place and an initial €1 million of funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund, but success will depend on establishing strong partnerships and collaborative relationships.

Watch our videos about the AEC Hubs Project

Tomás Ó Síocháin, CEO of the Western Development Commission discussing the Atlantic Economic Corridor Hubs project.

Stephen Carolan – Atlantic Economic Corridor Enterprise Hubs Program Manager discussing our plans to build a toolkit for the 101 hubs identified in the region to support growth, encourage remote working, facilitate second sites and promote shared learning.

Tracey Keogh from Grow Remote explaining how the Atlantic Economic Corridor hubs project is bringing the community together.

Eamonn Sayers, centre manager at Guinness Enterprise Centre discusses their Prosper Series and how it will link with the Atlantic Economic Corridor hubs project.

Mary Rodgers is the Innovation Community Manager at The PorterShed in Galway. “The future of work is co-working, people want to work with other people and collaborate”.