1 COMPETITIVE INVERNESS THE CITY OF THE HIGHLANDS CONFERENCE INVERNESS IN A EUROPEAN CONTEXT: OBSERVATION FROM IRELAND “THINK GLOBAL, ACT REGIONAL” Inverness 28 October 2005 Dr Jim Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick Associates 10 Lad Lane Dublin 2 Tel: Fax:

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Output per Head, Ireland and EU 3 Index of GDP at Market Prices Per Capita

Key Ingredients in Ireland’s Growth 4  inward investment  relatively low cost labour (at the time)  educated workforce  English language  international conditions  tourism growth  EU membership  growth of Dublin as a “city-region”

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Urban Centres Over 5,000 Population Proportional Size, 1996 (Including Northern Ireland) 6

Drivers of Urban Competitiveness 7 CriticalImportantAmbiguous  innovation in firms and organisations  skilled workforce  connectivity, internal external  economic diversity  strategic decision-making capacity  diversity and social cohesion  exhibition facilities  distinctive city centre  cultural facilities  quality housing  fiscal incentives  national policies  environment, responsibility  effective governance, efficient services Source: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Competitive European Cities: Where Do The Core Cities Stand, Jan. 2004

8  Second level 

Strengths, Weaknesses in Irish Gateway Development 9 LevelStrengthWeaknesses National Level  strong enterprise policy  pragmatic approach  relatively simple governance structure  very centralised  spatial prioritisation difficult  rural emphasis  not “joined-up” Local Level  strong loyalties  some success stories  dynamic individuals  lack of clear leadership, vision  over-emphasis on infrastructure  lack of integration  poor land-use planning  entrenched interests

GVA Per Capita and Urban as % of Total Population,

So.. 11  Its critical mass….  Focus on  political acceptance  working together  hard and soft interventions  making the most of what you’ve got  Think global, act regional