Presentation to Interregional Steering Committee Galway 181105

1
Presentation to Inter-regional Steering
CommitteeGalway 18/11/05

• Examples of Sub-projects in the BMW Region
• Louise Kinlen, BMW Regional Assembly

2
Overview of BMW Sub-projects

• 4 Projects in 4 themes
• B1 Western Food Trail - Quality Territorial
  Approach (products)
• B2 Slieve Bloom Rural Development Society-
  Quality Territorial Approach (heritage)
• B3 Cavan Enterprise Board Innovation and
  Competitiveness
• B4 Westbic Sustainable Networks
  Micro-enterprise support

3
B1 Western Food Trail

• Development of a high-quality food trail along
  Western Seaboard
• Steering Committee made up of food producers,
  food agencies and Western Development Tourism
  Programme
• Participated in Festambiente in Tuscany in August
  05
• Later study visit to Grosetto focusing on best
  practice in rural and food tourism
• Insights gained from Tuscany enabled further
  development of project
• Extensive on-line questionnaire being conducted
  on of potential food producers in trail
• Seminar to be held in Sligo on future of food
  tourism in the region in February 06

4
B2 Slieve Bloom Rural Development
Biodiversity Project

• To create greater environmental awareness and
  appreciation of the Slieve Bloom Environmental
  Park, strengthening its viability as a tourism
  and educational resource in the Midlands
• Development of 5 econode sites important in
  terms geology, biodiversity and heritage
• Walks and educational resources developed around
  each site and links between them
• On-going work to market area as a a tourism and
  educational resource
• Expert from Grosetto region visited Slieve Bloom
  to advise on tourism and marketing and linkages
  with similar facilities
• Planning to host eco workshop in April 06

5
B3- Cavan Enterprise Board-Enterprise Development
through learning and innovation

• Identification of barriers for small business in
  the Border area to innovation
• Development of best practice model to be used in
  all Border County Enterprise Boards
• Focus on role of training and education and
  linkages with 3rd level colleges
• Participated in a number of transnational events-
  Oulu, Podkarpackie, Athlone, Galway on developing
  models of innovation

6
B4 Westbic Sustainable Business Networks

• Linkages with Enterprise Boards and Athlone
  Institute of Technology in developing
  micro-enterprise networks
• Need identified to develop networks for women
  in business conference held on 16/11/05 on Women
  Networking in Business in the Midlands
• Feedback from conference to identify specific
  supports/actions needed for women in business
• Participated in a number of inter-regional
  activities Oulu, Athlone, Galway, Podkarpackie
  and Figeac
• Close co-operation with Cavan Enterprise Board
  (B3)