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EU Commissioner, Maire Geoghegan Quinn, launches An tSlí Ghlas-The Green Way -Ireland’s First Green Economic Zone

22 November 2010

Industry, academic institutions and local authorities have joined forces to develop Ireland’s first Green Economic Zone, An tSlí Ghlas- The Green Way, launched today by the European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn at a reception hosted by Professor Brian MacCraith, President of Dublin City University.

An tSlí Ghlas -The Green Way - which already has a number of enterprises and projects established - has been initiated by a powerful alliance of businesses, academic institutions and local authorities including Ballymun Regeneration, Dublin Airport Authority, Dublin City University, Dublin Institute of Technology, Fingal County Council, Dublin City Council and North Dublin Chamber.

The goal of An tSlí Ghlas-The Green Way is to position Ireland as a centre of Cleantech innovation and enterprise which will link business to investors and develop trade partnerships with other major international green corridors such as the US East Bay Green Corridor Partnership and Lahti Cleantech Science Park in Finland.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner said, “We are ambitious – we need innovation in every walk of life, not just in the laboratory or the factory. Not just in the most prosperous regions, but in cities and rural areas across the whole Euorpean Union. Not just research-driven innovation, but innovation in business models, management structures and processes, design and marketing”.

An tSlí Ghlas- The Green Way was conceived in response to the 2009 Report of the Government’s High-Level Action Group on Green Enterprise which stated that “Ireland needs to develop one or more green zones in order to create an environment that can support the development of green enterprise and be used to market Ireland overseas”.

Speaking at the launch, Dublin City University President, Professor Brian MacCraith said, "We are very confident about the success of this exciting venture for many reasons. In particular our real point of difference is that the key constituents and assets are already in place, and we are ready to do business with a team of partners all sharing a common goal and vision.

“DCU and DIT have a long and established tradition of engagement with industry and our links with business are well regarded both in Ireland and overseas. An tSlí Ghlas - The Green Way, drawing on our collective research expertise, will become a focused, internationally recognised hub for Cleantech businesses.”MacCraith said.

Tony Boyle, Chairman of the Steering Committee for the An tSlí Ghlas -The Green Way said: “We wish to create an internationally recognised green economic zone and position Ireland as a leader in the world’s most exciting and rapidly growing sector. The potential of this project, which builds on our existing assets and infrastructure, is that it can assist in the transformation of our economy.”

Boyle added: “Many projects are already underway. Designated Wetlab space for Cleantech industries are at advanced planning stage, the DIT Dublin Energy Lab with Ballymun Regeneration Ltd is providing training and re-skilling of building trade workers for the clean tech industries. DAA are regenerating the airport central area as a hub for Cleantech FDI. DAA have also just launched T2 which will obviously assist in connecting An tSlí Ghlas -The Green Way to emerging Cleantech centres in Europe, China, India and the U.S.

Boyle continued "The Green Start pilot programme has started to provide mentoring and training for Cleantech entrepreneurs. Ballymun, which has been acclaimed as Green Community of the Year for 2010, has seen the establishment of the Rediscovery Centre initiative, which encompasses all elements of waste management and currently employs 20 people in sustainable design, research and enterprise development".

“One of the first facilities in DIT’s new Grangegorman Campus is the Environmental Health Sciences Institute which involves DCU and DCC. DIT is also working on the establishment of an Energy Product Innovation Centre on behalf of An tSlí Ghlas–The Green Way partners in collaboration with the University of Houston, Texas” Boyle continued.

Professor Brian MacCraith added, "An tSlí Ghlas-The Green Way has a vision to play a major role in developing Ireland as a global centre and leader in Cleantech. This is the right time for academic institutions, businesses and local authorities to come together to make this vision a reality. An tSlí Ghlas -The Green Way will deliver investment and job creation and ultimately play a significant part in the economic recovery and transformation of the country. Along with our partners DCU is happy to play such a pivotal role in making this happen.”

Closing the launch, Maire Geoghegan Quinn said that she welcomed this innovation-led initiative. “Why shouldn’t Ireland, the country of forty shades of green, become a “green-tech” hub, with forty shades of innovation. I know that Irish people are among the most resourceful, dynamic and creative in the world, and I am confident that Ireland will recover its fighting spirit and seek out and capitalise on opportunities to build a new economy. An economy built on innovation”, she said.