Companies from South West Ireland and the Midlands attend the UK launch of the Joining the Dots programme to promote stronger partnerships and collaboration
On Wednesday (July 3) the Department for International Trade’s Midlands Engine team welcomed a delegation from the South West of Ireland in Coventry at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) for the launch of the British Embassy lead programme Joining the Dots. The initial launch of the initiative was in Ireland in November 2018 with the Cork Chamber.
The report details areas for growth while making recommendations to promote stronger partnerships and collaboration between the two regions.
The 45 companies and organisations come from a variety of sectors, including agri-tech, ICT, cyber, precision engineering and manufacturing, and financial services. After a tour of the MTC, delegates saw the signing of a partnership agreement between MTC and the Irish Manufacturing Research, and then attended the report launch.
The delegation met with local businesses and stakeholders in the Midlands to learn more about scaling in the Midlands as well as investing and buying in the UK regions.
Putting the Midlands at the heart of the UK’s global-facing economy is a key part of the Government’s Midlands Engine strategy to boost prosperity and economic growth. Just last week, the Department for International Trade announced 6,867 new jobs have been created across the Midlands by 234 foreign direct investment projects in 2018/19.
Representatives from local government, academia, and enterprise and development agencies also attended. The event was an opportunity for Midlands businesses to meet South West Ireland businesses and decision makers involved in the Irish Government’s €116bn development programme.
Day two of the trip will see the delegation take study tours of Malvern Science Park and Harper Adams University, a specialist institution for rural and agriculture studies.
