The Irish Sea Rim as a Driver for Regional Development and Innnovation
While the economic value of the UK-Ireland relationship is clear, the analysis of the economic and research investment landscape across the Irish Sea Region presents a strong argument not just of the need for the Irish Sea Rim Investment, Innovation, and Enterprise Zone, but also for the opportunities for creating quantifiable, non-linear improvements in sustainable, inclusive economic growth which benefits under-served places and communities and works in partnership with the environment.
The places that define the Irish Sea Rim hold some of the UK’s richest natural resources with twenty UK National Landscapes, eight Irish Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, nine National Parks and thirty-seven UNESCO sites and cities. The land and seascapes of the Irish Sea have defined and been shaped by its people over millennia. Harnessing the Irish Sea Region’s innovation and enterprise potential with and through its physical, cultural, social and natural assets is the defining feature of the quadruple helix model.
As innovation drives investment, productivity and growth, places drive stories, visions for the future and reasons to lean in and engage with change. With community and place as the fourth core driver for the Irish Sea Region’s unique ISR50 Spherical Economy growth model, the Irish Sea Rim will develop business and high street initiatives, sport and landscape initiatives, regenerative tourism and circular economy initiatives that generate new 21st century models for creating inclusive growth.
Manchester Ship Canal, Media City UK. Image Credit: Irish Sea Rim
A CROSS-BORDER REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY
The Irish Sea Rim is an excellent example of a focussed cross-border regional development opportunity. It builds on the already strong economic and cultural relationships between the UK, Ireland, and Isle of Man, while defining a clear, ‘innovation-relevant’ functional region which transcends administrative boundaries, comprises defined environmental ecosystems, and serves previously underserved coastal communities. It also builds on the active commitments of the UK government to invest in devolution in its nations and regions. The Great North Partnership is a self-initiated partnership led by eight current metro mayors in the North of England launched in May 2025 aimed at connecting the region towards common trade and investment, innovation and inclusive growth goals. The Irish Sea Region is perfectly positioned to build on this longstanding partnership and recent momentum.
The Irish Sea Rim aligns closely with the rationale and condition for cross-border collaboration for innovation outlined by the OECD in its 2013 Regions and Innovation: Collaborating Across Borders report[105], including: economies of scale; greater political power as a combined unit; enhanced delivery of specialised services; a diverse and complementary research, technology, and economic base; supply chain linkages; shared identity and cultures built on familial connections and migration; an internationally recognisable geographical region; attractiveness to both trading partners and skilled labour; centres of excellence in research and innovation; potential for shared science and technology facilities; and strong cross-border transport and cargo routes. This provides a unique opportunity for impact across the region, and a rebalancing of the currently London-centric UK economy.
The nature of the Irish Sea Region means that there exist many individual initiatives which cross national and administrative boundaries, such as including (but not restricted to) the Green Shipping Corridor, the proposed twinning of Liverpool and Dublin, and Freeports. The author has intensified relationships at all levels and in all regions, since the UK-Ireland Summit in March[106], with significant support from regional authorities from around the Irish Sea Region. Appendix 3 gives a list of Irish Sea Rim presentations and papers, while Appendix 4 provides a list of key partners and stakeholders. The power of the Irish Sea Rim is our cross-cutting remit, combined with our new paradigm for driving sustainable, inclusive economic growth (Sections 21 and 22), which enables us to connect individual projects and initiatives with key partners at the macro level, catalyse new projects or approaches, and connect, bridge, and amplify infrastructure projects and innovation ecosystems.
The Irish Sea Rim, as a collective, represents a significant market and a diverse talent pool. By collaboratively promoting the region as an attractive investment destination for key global sectors – such as green finance, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and digital technologies – the constituent nations can amplify their individual efforts. This could involve joint trade missions, and shared branding initiatives which highlighting the combined strengths, market access opportunities (including to both UK and EU markets where relevant), and supportive innovation ecosystems of the six stakeholder countries. Developing a stronger, shared "Irish Sea Rim" strategic identity can be a powerful tool for attracting investment, talent, and political attention, creating a virtuous cycle where collaboration enhances identity, and a stronger identity facilitates further collaboration.
THE ROLE OF THE IRISH SEA RIM IN PARTNERSHIPS
The UK Local Innovation Partnerships fund to develop and scale high potential innovation clusters will be a critical driver of regional development and innovation. The Irish Sea Rim’s apolitical and cross-sector focus, diverse regional access, and strong relationships at all levels of the innovation ecosystem enables us to play a key role in identifying high value opportunities and convening leadership around shared growth objectives. We work within and across regions to identify, enhance, and catalyse innovation clusters, bridge and connect key actors, and broker relationships between civic institutions, businesses and universities at all levels. This form of supra-regional collaboration can only strengthen initiatives, by leveraging maximum return on investment, and access to wider markets.
In its 2024 report on the next steps for social mobility, the Social Mobility Commission identified the need for a wider approach to economic growth[107]. The Irish Sea Region comprises many coastal and rural communities which have traditionally seen lower levels of benefit from investment in larger urban areas and centres of excellence. As a purpose-led organisation, the Irish Sea Rim is committed to working with these communities to address regional and local disparities and generate inclusive place-based socio-economic benefit from innovation investment, by providing vital two-way communication link with Local Innovation Partners and projects. Enhancing the wider economic and social landscape is crucial for social mobility.
STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE IRISH SEA RIM
Over the past two decades, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have increasingly developed their links with the private and public sectors to enhance and complement the provision of research and teaching. One of the principal ways in which this has been achieved is through the engagement of undergraduate and postgraduate students on business-related projects and placements. An exploration of university degree programme advertising reveals that most HEIs now offer students the opportunity to undertake a short-term or dissertation project in partnership with an external organisation. The rationale for this is clear; students gain valuable employment experience through their studies, whilst the business concerned gains new insights into an area with which it needs help or expertise but lacks in-house capacity or capability. Furthermore, many placements are undertaken at low or zero cost to the business involved, making them attractive, especially for the SME community. With academic supervisors also involved (usually in longer term placements) such projects have the potential to develop into longer term contract or collaborative research between the university and outside organisation involved.
The Irish Sea Rim project has the potential to link across the universities, businesses, and community organisations within the region, providing unparalleled opportunities for student placements, live briefs, continuing professional development, and enterprise-related research. This provides significant potential for students to gain real-world experience and develop much-needed transferable skills. This in turn supports enhancement of knowledge transfer and student employability throughout the area as a whole.
Whereas many placements set up by HEIs may be sourced within the nearest town, county, or region, the Irish Sea Rim has the potential to enable HEIs to source placements from other regions and countries, whilst the businesses and organisations around the Irish Sea can access a much broader wealth of expertise than their local HEIs may be able to offer. Furthermore, as many students within the host organisations are from other parts of the UK, Ireland, Europe or indeed the rest of the world, and given the national and export aspirations of many businesses based around the Irish Sea, there is the potential for a considerable impact to be made far beyond the geographic boundaries of the Irish Sea Rim.
Ulster University, Belfast. Image Credit: Irish Sea Rim
In an era of economic uncertainty, a highly competitive labour market, and increased tuition fees in some countries within the Irish Sea Rim, there is a strong case for student projects to benefit three distinct parties. For the businesses and organisations which wish to engage, there is an opportunity to investigate a new area of business without excessive expenditure, and potentially recruit a high-calibre future employee. For the student there is an opportunity to enhance their CV whilst still at university, gain a non-academic, work-based reference for future job opportunities, and potentially secure employment directly with their host. For the HEIs, there is the prospect of a more diverse range of placement opportunities for its students, identified from a larger pool, with associated benefits to student satisfaction scores and recruitment. The Irish Sea Rim has the potential to bring such benefits to a wide and diverse array of stakeholders based permanently or temporarily around the Irish Sea.
THE UK BORDERLANDS INCLUSIVE GROWTH DEAL
The UK Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal is a significant long-term investment aimed at fostering economic prosperity across the border region of England and Scotland. Formally signed in March 2021, the deal brings together five local authorities: Cumberland, Dumfries and Galloway, Northumberland, Scottish Borders, and Westmorland and Furness. With a total funding package of £452 million, contributed by the UK and Scottish Governments along with the partner authorities, the initiative seeks to address historic economic challenges and unlock the region's full potential. The core objectives of the deal are to boost productivity, increase the working-age population, and deliver inclusive and sustainable growth that benefits all communities within this unique cross-border area.
The funding is allocated strategically across four key themes: improving places, enabling infrastructure, encouraging green growth, and supporting business, innovation, and skills. A wide array of projects is being implemented under these themes, ranging from large-scale infrastructure developments to targeted local initiatives. Notable investments include the development of the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre in the Scottish Borders, the regeneration of Carlisle Station Gateway, and the establishment of a Dairy Nexus in Dumfries to foster innovation in the agricultural sector. Furthermore, a dedicated 'Place Programme' is channelling funds directly into towns to support their revitalisation and enhance their appeal as places to live, work, and visit.
Over its ten to fifteen-year lifespan, the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal is projected to deliver substantial economic benefits. It is anticipated to generate an additional £1.1 billion in Gross Value Added for the region's economy and create approximately 5,500 jobs. The delivery of the various projects is being managed by the Borderlands Partnership, with ongoing monitoring to ensure the deal's objectives are met. By focusing on the region's unique strengths and addressing its specific challenges, the funding aims to create a more resilient, vibrant, and prosperous future for the communities spanning the Anglo-Scottish border.
Irish Sea Rim has the potential to enhance the Borderlands programme from a regional initiative into a strategically vital international gateway. By focusing on its coastal assets, the region can position itself as a critical hub for trade, energy, and tourism connecting Great Britain with both Northern Ireland and Ireland. As well as local improvements, the Irish Sea Rim could help open up opportunities to attract significant investment into logistics and supply chains, support the growth of the major offshore wind industry in the Irish Sea, and create a compelling, cross-water regenerative tourism proposition built on shared heritage. In essence, this will elevate the Borderland’s Inclusive Growth Deal impact, anchoring the region's future prosperity in wider national and international economic currents.
Carlisle Citadels, Carlisle, Cumbria, Image credit: unknown