Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Government's White Paper on Enterprise recognises clustering as a key tool for achieving enterprise policy objectives, including driving innovation, attracting and embedding FDI and developing linkages between multinationals and indigenous firms. It proposes the establishment of a National Clustering Programme (NCP), with a target to fund five national cluster organisations by 2025, and the establishment of a central coordination entity to bring coherence to the current ad hoc landscape around clustering in Ireland.

The proposed approach for the development of the NCP is to adopt a multi-layer programme. Clusters of national scale will receive the highest level of funding, with levels of funding tapering down through the layers to enable the ongoing funding of smaller and emerging clusters from existing programmes, subject to the rules of those programmes, while incentivising clusters to move to national scale. In the event that a cluster is not successful in its application for funding under the NCP, it can still apply to be recognised as part of the NCP if it meets certain criteria.

The draft NCP is currently undergoing a review by The Competitiveness Institute (TCI) Network and which involved a stakeholder engagement workshop in Trinity College Dublin in May, which was facilitated by three international clustering experts. The international experts' report is currently being prepared and, subject to their findings, it is proposed to publish the NCP in Q3 of 2024.

My Department has already supported the development of regional clusters through a number of funding schemes including the Regional Enterprise Development Fund and the Regional Technology Clustering Fund.

The three calls under the REDF all included funding streams to support enterprise led clustering initiatives to stimulate enterprise clustering and support the development of established clusters.

The Regional Technology Clustering Fund was launched in 2019 with the aim of supporting Institutes of Technology and Technological Universities to establish and develop clusters to achieve increased SME productivity, drive SME competitiveness and support internationalisation activity. €4.6 million in funding was approved for Educational Outreach Managers for 12 clusters aligned to a particular sector and engaging with relevant start-ups, SMEs and multinational companies.

My Department’s support for regional clustering is continuing through the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme, which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The scheme is aimed at accelerating economic growth in all regions of the country, by working with stakeholders to deliver on their potential regional enterprise strengths, taking an entrepreneurial ecosystem approach aligned with the nine Regional Enterprise Plans.

Stream 2 of the Smart Regions Scheme recognises the importance of clustering and is aimed at supporting innovation clusters and consortia. The funding will provide support to enable personnel to drive collaboration, marketing and managing of the cluster or consortium.