Innovation happens at the intersection of ideas, people, skills, funders, purposes, and places. Meaningful impact happens when we don’t just join dots, but work across the whole innovation and place ecosystem to connect, bridge, and amplify opportunities to create needs-based solutions.
The power of the Irish Sea Rim lies in our ability to connect across countries, sectors, talent, governments, capital, businesses, academia, places, and communities to transform the region from a collection of separate innovation hubs into a single, interconnected nationally and globally relevant supercluster. This is a positive-sum game where strategic collaboration ignites a virtuous circle of shared success, making every member stronger and the entire region more competitive on the global stage.
CONNECTING THE IRISH SEA RIM
The Irish Sea Rim’s extensive network of connections and partnerships makes us a critical enabler for creating sustainable, inclusive regional development and economic growth. We work in partnership with key stakeholders and places to enhance access to talent and skills, improve physical connectivity, connect businesses with capital, support local leadership and drive a vibrant culture of innovation across the region[1].
The Irish Sea Rim is home to around one million small, medium and large businesses (Figure 3.1) with potentially up to another 800,000 sole traders, freelancers, and single-person operators. Through the ISR50 Spherical Economy (Section 2) and Digital Membership Platform (Section 26), the Irish Sea Rim provides a new paradigm for business connectivity across the region, linking demand with supply, enhancing access to critical business and professional services, and transforming interdisciplinary skills development and innovation. We work in partnership with business support agencies to develop and deliver place- and sector-based projects and provide a conduit for targeted innovation investment (Figures 3.2 and 3.3).
Barclays Eagle Labs are an entrepreneurial network providing support to ambitious startup and scaleup businesses - particularly within technology and innovation sectors. Providing learning, dedicated growth programmes, access to experts and a collaborative community designed to help businesses on their growth journey through virtual support and physical spaces across the UK. Delivering programmes, networks, investor and corporate connections and resources.
From the map (Figure 3.3) it is clear there are numerous Barclays Eagle Labs that contribute to innovations in the major and key Irish Sea Rim cities.
There are over 50 Universities across the Irish Sea Rim, including world leading research institutions, highly focussed discipline and skills-based centres, and universities born out of the industrial eras of the 19th and 20th Centuries (Figure 3.4). Universities in the UK are facing unprecedented challenges with rising costs, real-term reduction in tuition fees relative to inflation, and pressures on international student income. The Irish Sea Rim is committed to working with universities across the region to enhance connectivity with businesses, innovation, third sector organisations, places, and communities to support real-world projects and opportunities for students, high impact research collaborations, and enterprise-focussed income generating activities. This will include the creation of an interdisciplinary, industry-focussed Doctoral Training Centre (Section 16).
Ulster University, Belfast. Image Credit: Irish Sea Rim
LIVERPOOL AND DUBLIN – THE TWIN ANCHORS OF THE IRISH SEA RIM
The recently reactivated twinning arrangement between Liverpool and Dublin marks a pivotal moment for economic growth and sustainable development within the Irish Sea region. This revitalised partnership, building on a foundation of deep cultural and historical links, is poised to unlock significant opportunities, with a strong focus on fostering trade, attracting investment, and driving innovation. The collaboration is set to generate a new wave of prosperity by leveraging the unique strengths of each city. Key initiatives include boosting foreign direct investment, harnessing the potential of the Liverpool Freeport to enhance trade flows, and creating a fertile ground for businesses to thrive on both sides of the Irish Sea. This renewed alliance it represents a strategic economic vision aimed at creating a more resilient and interconnected regional economy.
Dublin. Image Credit: Irish Sea Rim
The twinning arrangement places a significant emphasis on pioneering advancements in key growth sectors. In the maritime and green shipping industry, the partnership is positioned to lead the charge towards decarbonisation. A prime example of this is the exploration of a green shipping corridor between Holyhead and Dublin, with promising developments in the use of alternative fuels such as methanol. Liverpool's ambition to become a net-zero maritime hub complements Dublin's green initiatives, creating a powerful synergy for sustainable transport across the Irish Sea. In the digital and data economy, both cities are making substantial strides. Liverpool's cutting-edge work in digital twin technology and the application of artificial intelligence in public services, combined with Dublin's commitment to digital inclusion and its burgeoning tech scene, presents a wealth of opportunities for collaborative projects that can drive efficiency and innovation. Furthermore, in the energy and net-zero transition, the alignment of Liverpool's ambitious 2030 net-zero target with Dublin's own climate action plans creates a shared platform for developing renewable energy sources, such as Liverpool's HyNet hydrogen project and the Mersey Tidal Power project, and for exchanging best practices in sustainable urban development.
Titanic Memorial to Heroes of the Marine Engine Room, Liverpool. Image Credit: Irish Sea Rim
The overarching ambition of the Liverpool-Dublin twinning is significantly amplified by the possibilities presented by the Irish Sea Rim and our mission to cultivate a powerful and cohesive economic region, connecting the quadruple helix of government, business, academia, and place across the entire Irish Sea. By fostering a collaborative, transnational innovation ‘supercluster, the Irish Sea Rim acts as a crucial enabler, helping to scale up the benefits of the bilateral partnership between Liverpool and Dublin, translate the specific initiatives of the twinning arrangement into wider regional prosperity, and support sustainable economic growth to ensure that the economic, social, and environmental benefits are felt across the coastal communities of the Irish Sea. This collaborative approach is vital for transforming the Irish Sea from a barrier into a bridge for shared growth and a sustainable future and to for the region to be established as a strong complement and economic counterbalance to London and the Greater South East.
Horizon Geodrill ship, Liverpool. Image Credit: Irish Sea Rim