Supporting Innovation
Ballina Innovation Quarter
Funding for the development of an innovation quarter in Ballina’s former military barracks was approved by the Department of Housing, Planning & Local Government in 2019.
The development will transform the historic town centre military complex, that dates back to 1742, into a state-of-the-art digital hub and innovation centre. This will provide the capacity to create up to 210 jobs while also acting as a catalyst for the urban regeneration of the town and its surroundings.
The Ballina Innovation Quarter will be comprised of 20 spaces for technology, digital media and internet companies to scale and grow alongside local enterprises including a distillery which, thanks to a major investor, will create employment in the production of high-end rum.
Leeson Enterprise Centre
The Leeson Enterprise Centre provides a hub for innovation and business to help entrepreneurs and start-ups succeed in providing centrally located office space in Westport town and access to a range of business supports and agencies. The complex is a purpose-built community enterprise centre. It is the result of a public-private partnership between Mayo County Council and the Westport Multi-Agency Enterprise Group. For more information, visit https://www.leesonenterprisecentre.ie/
Castlebar Military Barracks
The Master-Plan to transform the Military Barracks in Castlebar into a regionally important Creative Hub and Visitor Attraction offers great potential for Castlebar to create high value jobs, retain and attract highly qualified young people and elevate the town to a centre of regional importance and excellence. The site will be developed in an inclusive and sustainable manner. Key elements of the vision include:
- To provide a number of complementary functions within this strategically significant space, balancing economic activity with social outputs and community engagement
- To provide an all-weather event space for the staging of festivals, events and civic gatherings
- To create direct employment in the facility and as a result support employment in Mayo
- To provide a creative hub: flexible co-working spaces in which emerging innovators, internet, craft and creative makers can cluster, collaborate and share ideas and grow their business in a dynamic changing economy
- To provide a covered Market Place for the promotion and sale of Artisan and Speciality Foods and Crafts to locals and visitors.
- To energise the entire community in Castlebar and stimulate the economic and social development of the region.
Swinford DigiHub
Mayo County Council and the Western Development Commission (WDC) are working in collaboration to deliver “DigiWest”, a rural digital working hub network. The aim of this hub network is to provide a resource to local entrepreneurs, workers and communities in providing workspace with high speed telecommunications capacity. Mayo County Council selected the former courthouse in Swinford as the first digital hub under this project. Work is ongoing, with the aim of having the space ready to use in 2020.