Midlands Showcase Opening Address by Peter Burke TD, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Wednesday, 3 December 2025 : TUS Sports Arena, Athlone, Co. Westmeath
More info at https://www.midlandsireland.ie/successful-midlands-showcase/
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, elected representatives, chief executives, and other speakers, and of course Deirdre Hunt and all the regional stakeholders involved in implementing the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan.
It is my genuine pleasure to address you today as we open the first ever Midlands Showcase; this event is a celebration of creativity, innovation and collaboration across the Midlands region.
Today’s showcase really establishes the Midlands as best in class when it comes to regional stakeholders cooperating for the greater good – being driven of course with the support of the four Chief Executives of the local authorities in the region and their teams, to whom I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation.
This morning, we bring the region’s businesses, educators, communities and innovators together as a collective to highlight the unique strengths, education opportunities, and supports that the Midlands offers.
We are all aware that the Midlands has long been at the heart of Ireland’s energy sector. For decades, the reliance on the peat industry to fuel homes and industries and to create employment, contributed to a sense of shared community and purpose.
Now, as the world changes we still share that sense of community and purpose, but with a new focus on the region’s vision, talent and innovation.
The EU Just Transition Fund, or JTF, is a vital tool in driving this focus. The EU and the Irish Government have established a €169 million Just Transition Fund Programme for the Midlands for the period 2021 to 2027.
In doing so, we are sending a strong message: we are committed to investing in our people, our enterprises and our environment. This funding is not simply an economic stimulus; it is a promise to the people of the Midlands that their future will be one of opportunity.
The Pathway for Just Transition, which I launched in October of last year, provides a comprehensive framework for stimulating job creation, supporting new enterprises and fostering a more resilient regional economy. The €3.9 million project is focused on innovation, investment and inclusivity, creating jobs and fostering new opportunities in sectors such as renewable energy, digital transformation and the green economy in the Midlands. It also places a heavy emphasis on education and future skills.
The purpose of the fund is to help the Midlands not only move towards a new green future, but to ensure that it has a strong economic path to thrive and be a great place to live, study and work.
I’m delighted to see these themes are addressed in the panel discussions today. They fall under the strategic objective of ‘Placemaking’ in the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan, which is dedicated to positioning the Midlands as a community of choice in which to create, work and invest.
I would like to acknowledge the amazing work of Midlands Ireland, which is a product of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan and the four local authorities; Midlands Ireland continues to grow and develop as a platform for promoting the region.
I must give a special mention to the further education and training sector in the Midlands, which is at the forefront of providing skills development programmes that are focussed on equipping people with the skills required by labour markets, now and in the future.
The excellent further education and training provision in the Midlands helps to build stronger communities by providing community-based, learner-centred education and training opportunities that provide life-long learning pathways for learners at all levels.
Access to further education and training encourages those who live in the region to return to education to upskill or reskill and progress to employment.
On the topic of education and study, I applaud the Midlands region as the first region in Ireland to appoint STEM Engagement Officers within the local authorities, to develop and enhance early pathways to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education working across primary and secondary schools.
On this note, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Longford County Council who were shortlisted for the Innovation in Politics Awards in Vienna this year for their ‘Driving STEM in the Midlands’ project, which undertakes STEM education initiatives with a view to preparing for future skills needs. It is no mean feat to receive this well-deserved international recognition and congratulations to all involved.
In terms of the future, the Government is fully committed to keeping its promise to the people of the Midlands that theirs will be one of opportunity.
Through the National Development Plan and the Just Transition Fund, we are working to ensure the Midlands has access to the investment needed for sustainable development, and for continuing to attract private investment and support the establishment and growth of local businesses.
As a country, we are facing a constantly evolving landscape, from shifting trade policies and global conflicts to accelerating climate change impacts.
Despite these challenges, and intense competition for foreign direct investment, there is still a strong flow of projects and clearly, international investors remain confident in Ireland’s offering and our economy.
This year, the Midlands Region was once again recognised as a ‘European Region of the Future’ by the Financial Times earning a prestigious ranking in fDi Intelligence’s latest assessment of FDI Strategy in Europe.
In the 2025 rankings, the Midlands region climbed six places to secure second position in Europe in the Small European Regions category for FDI Strategy. This recognition highlights the region’s exceptional performance in attracting FDI and its ambitious roadmap for continued economic growth, as outlined in the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan.
And this is borne out by the numbers. Around the country there are over 1,800 IDA client companies employing over 302,000 people – more than half outside Dublin.
52 of these companies are in the Midlands employing over 8,000 people, which represents a 26% increase over the last five years.
This will be of no surprise to anyone familiar with the region – the Midlands rightly enjoys a reputation for the strength of its company base across the life sciences, technology, engineering and business service sectors.
Launched in February, IDA Ireland’s new strategy, ‘Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation’, is targeting 550 investments outside Dublin from a total target of 1,000 investments over the lifetime of the strategy.
This is an ambitious target and will only be achieved through continued partnership with regional stakeholders and through Government investment in the IDA’s regional property programme 2025-2029.
The new strategy also points to the need to attract new investment in the key future-orientated sectors of digitalisation and AI, semiconductors, health, and sustainability. Sectors that this region is well positioned to capitalise on.
The new strategy also aims to broaden the impact of multi-national corporations by working with Enterprise Ireland on enhancing supply and innovation links with Irish-based enterprises.
Enterprise Ireland also launched its new strategy earlier this year – Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally. The strategy prioritises regional enterprise development, sustainability and building the capability of Irish companies to grow in world markets. Here again it is worth highlighting that over half, indeed over 60%, of Enterprise Ireland client company employment is outside Dublin – with close to 12,000 people employed in EI client companies here in the Midlands.
In addition to working directly with companies, Enterprise Ireland is working with stakeholders to strengthen the environment for business. This includes supporting development of clusters through the Regional Technology Clustering Fund. Many of you will be aware that one of these, the Midlands-based Advanced Technologies in Manufacturing cluster, or ATiM, was recently announced as a pilot cluster under the new International Impact Clustering Programme, which I launched in October.
This programme will initially provide €2.3 million over the next six years for three pilot clusters that support national strategic enterprise development priorities.
Our enterprise agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, together with the Local Enterprise Offices, or LEOs, are working hard towards our ambition of balanced regional enterprise development – a core objective of this Government.
Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland’s regional teams work closely with stakeholders right across the region to foster the development of Irish-based businesses through a suite of supports and funding – some of which I have outlined earlier.
Alongside all of this is the trojan work of the Local Enterprise Offices and local authorities in Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath to support local businesses.
Their knowledge of the region and local enterprise landscape, coupled with tailored business supports and mentoring, allows new entrepreneurs and established business alike to reach their potential.
In 2024, the Midlands LEOs worked with 873 small businesses in a wide range of sectors, which together employ 5,104 people in the towns and villages across the region – and supporting 880 new jobs through direct grant assistance.
Alongside the work to support the development of world class enterprise clusters, my Department, through Enterprise Ireland, has been investing millions of euro to build and sustain the enterprise ecosystems around the country.
The Midlands region has been awarded over €6.6 million in approved funding for projects under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund. These projects cover a range of sectors including manufacturing research and have helped establish enterprise and incubation hubs including The Cube in Portlaoise, Irish Manufacturing Research in Mullingar and Stream in Birr. These projects also align with the strategic objectives in the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan.
The Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan complements the work of the enterprise agencies and focuses on collaborative initiatives to help strengthen the enterprise ecosystem in the Midlands. The Regional Enterprise Plans are a core element of Ireland’s regional enterprise development policy, aimed at driving economic growth and sustaining better standards of living throughout Ireland.
Under the auspices of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Development Office, regional stakeholders, public, private and communities, have supported the development and delivery of action plans to support the aims of the Midlands REP – to support the climate transition, to build on the region’s enterprise strengths and to promote the region as a place to live, study, work, visit and invest. And the event here today is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate much of this work.
I would like to commend Dr Anne Cusack, former Chairperson of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Steering Committee, on her commitment and energy in delivering on the plan during her time as Chair.
I thank the Chief Executives of the local authorities for their strategic vision for the Midlands, and I would also like to extend my thanks to Paul Madden, who has stepped into the role of interim Chair of the current Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan to see it through to completion.
I would like to acknowledge the remarkable efforts of Deirdre Hunt in continuing to drive the implementation of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan as interim Programme Manager, building on the work for Sarah Morgan before her.
However, despite all the work that I have outlined so far, the Government recognises that there remain challenges facing businesses.
Government is working to address these challenges. The Programme for Government sets out the clear ambition to prioritise delivery of transformative, critical and growth-enhancing infrastructure over the next five years by driving delivery of projects as early as possible and within budget.
A key commitment was an early review of the National Development Plan, which was completed in July and in September of this year, the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity was published.
While Ireland is recognised as an excellent location to both attract and start high-growth businesses, the international landscape is increasingly competitive, and we need to continue to evolve our supportive ecosystem to maintain a leadership position.
I am hopeful that high growth companies – both indigenous and international – will continue to contribute to the creation of good jobs and economic security for the people of Ireland into the future. And the Midlands needs to be ready for this.
As I close, I want to extend my deep appreciation to everyone who has played a part in the success of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan – none of this would be possible without the partnerships and dedication of all involved.
I want to acknowledge again the commitment of the regional enterprise stakeholders, local authorities, educational institutions and businesses who work together implementing the Midlands Regional Enterprise – thank you for your vision and collaboration.
Together we have achieved so much and together we will continue to build a brighter and more sustainable future for the Midlands. I hope you call enjoy today’s Showcase.
Go raibh maith agaibh.