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COMPETITIVE INVERNESS

THE CITY OF THE HIGHLANDS CONFERENCE

INVERNESS IN A EUROPEAN CONTEXT: OBSERVATION FROM IRELAND

“THINK GLOBAL, ACT REGIONAL”

Inverness28 October 2005

Dr Jim FitzpatrickFitzpatrick Associates10 Lad LaneDublin 2Tel: +353-1-6763200Fax: +353-1-6767972www.fitzpatrick-associates.com

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Output per Head, Ireland and EU

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Index of GDP at Market Prices Per Capita

103

135113

150

9376

0

50

100

150

1998 2002

Year

Ind

ex V

alu

e

Key Ingredients in Ireland’s Growth

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inward investment

relatively low cost labour (at the time)

educated workforce

English language

international conditions

tourism growth

EU membership

growth of Dublin as a “city-region”

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Urban CentresOver 5,000 Population Proportional Size, 1996(Including Northern Ireland)

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Drivers of Urban Competitiveness

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Critical Important Ambiguous

innovation in firms and organisations

skilled workforce connectivity, internal

external economic diversity strategic decision-making

capacity

diversity and social cohesion

exhibition facilities distinctive city centre cultural facilities quality housing fiscal incentives national policies environment, responsibility effective governance, efficient

services

Source: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Competitive European Cities: Where Do The Core Cities Stand, Jan. 2004

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Second level

Strengths, Weaknesses in Irish Gateway Development

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Level Strength Weaknesses

National Level

strong enterprise policy pragmatic approach relatively simple

governance structure

very centralised spatial prioritisation difficult rural emphasis not “joined-up”

Local Level

strong loyalties some success stories dynamic individuals

lack of clear leadership, vision over-emphasis on infrastructure lack of integration poor land-use planning entrenched interests

GVA Per Capita and Urban as % of Total Population, 2002

10

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

South-West Dublin & Mid-East

South-East Mid-West Border West Midland

Area

Urb

an

as

% o

f P

op

.

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000

GV

A p

er

ca

pit

a

Urban as a % of Pop.

GVA per Capita

So..

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Its critical mass….

Focus on political acceptance

working together

hard and soft interventions

making the most of what you’ve got

Think global, act regional