Report makes series of recommendations for Grand Canal Innovation District

A new report being published by the Government today (Friday) has
made a series of recommendations for the development of the Grand Canal
Innovation District. The initiative is central to the Government’s aim
to make Ireland the tech capital of Europe and will complement Trinity
College Dublin’s planned development of their Grand Canal Quay campus.

The
Grand Canal Innovation District, which was announced by the Taoiseach
in July 2018, will be modelled on similar successful initiatives which
have been put in place in cities like Barcelona, Boston, and Rotterdam
and will focus on improving links between academia, established
enterprises and start-ups.

To support the future growth and
development of the area, an Advisory Group, chaired by the Secretary
General to the Government, was established to develop and agree a vision
for the Grand Canal Innovation District. The group includes
representatives of business, the universities in Dublin, the local
community and the public service.

Among the recommendations of the Group’s first report are:

• The development of the Grand Canal Innovation District with a university innovation campus at its physical centre;
• Establishment
  of new multi-institutional research centre specialising in technology
  to tackle the world’s most challenging problems in a cross disciplinary
  manner;
• Establishment of a large start-up hub with shared
  infrastructure to allow scientists and companies to progress
  developments in the area of digital technology and associated
  applications;
• Establishment of community liaison group to understand how the needs of the local community can best be taken into account;
• Establishment
  of an innovation hub network that would link Ireland’s leading
  innovation centres to provide strong regional connectivity; and
• The Advisory Group be reconstituted to oversee the next steps in development of the wider Innovation District.

Speaking about the report the Taoiseach said:

We
are really serious about making Ireland the tech capital of Europe. We
have so many of the right ingredients; a young and talented workforce, a
competitive corporate tax environment and of course many of the world’s
top tech firms already have their European headquarters here. Now, we
are bringing together business, Government and the university sector to
maximise the Silicon Docks as an Innovation District where companies,
researchers and entrepreneurs link up.

This first report from the
Advisory Group has lots of good recommendations which must now be acted
on; from establishing a new start up hub with shared infrastructure, to
the need to work closely with the local community to ensure their needs
are met as the area continues to expand. We now have a path forward to
realise our ambition to establish a world class Innovation District in
Grand Canal Dock and the surrounding area.

Report of GCID Advisory Group

The post Report makes series of recommendations for Grand Canal Innovation District appeared first on Council.ie.