Midlands Ireland

Athlone Castle is set to receive a €1.84m investment for enhancements works at the 12th century Castle in the heart of the town. The project will see public realm works take place around the vicinity of the historic castle to allow better accessibility and visibility, as well as creating spaces to enhance the visitor experience, for improved linger time and spaces for Events and Festivals. The works will also see improved connections to Athlone’s key heritage and tourism attractions, from the Castle itself, to the Athlone Greenway, the Luan Gallery, the restaurants and bars of the Castle Quarter and to the banks of the Shannon for access points to river tours and excursions. Funding for the project is from Fáilte Ireland, the Office of Public Works, Westmeath County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland Read more: https://lnkd.in/ex7qpupk #midlandsadvantage #athlonecastle #tourism #irelandshiddenheartlands #midlands #euinmyregion #ireland #athlone #heritage #irishcastle Midlands Regional Enterprise Local Enterprise Office Westmeath Athlone Chamber of Commerce Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone Campus

Transport logistics in the construction sector are set to get greener as Laois-based CJ Sheeran Timber Packaging & Pallets sign a strategic deal with The Pallet LOOP. Under the agreement, CJ Sheeran will manufacture the unique Pallet Loop products, and will distribute and collect them in the Irish market. As Ireland’s largest manufacturer of wood pallets, the initiative is set to have a significant impact on the sector here. The system is already proving successful in the UK market, with many leading construction suppliers already signed up to the initiative. Here in Ireland, BAM UK & Ireland have become the first construction company to become part of the initiative. The Pallet Loop system is unique in offering incentivised returns for pallets, meaning pallets are reused for an extended lifespan, reduced waste and a circular economy impact. CJ Sheeran have been at the forefront of sustainability initiatives in their industry, winning numerous awards in recent years for their impact. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gQZC79Dc #midlandsadvantage #circulareconomy #logistics #packaging #circular #reuse #extendedlifespan #thepalletloop #euinmyregion #midlands #cjsheeran Midlands Regional Enterprise Enterprise Ireland Laois Chamber atim cluster CIRCULÉIRE Local Enterprise Office Laois Irish Manufacturing Research

Mullingar looks set to continue at the heart of Irish food trends as 2210 Patissiere have teamed up with Baileys and Diageo to create a unique range of limited edition products for Easter. The award-winning patisserie, led by pastry chef Una Leonard, has collaborated with Baileys on 2 unique Easter treats, the Baileys Deluxe Treat Box is filled with gooey Baileys-infused brownies, deluxe stuffed cookies and a layered Baileys cake jar, made for sharing, while for those who prefer a twist on their Easter Egg, the handcrafted Baileys Easter Egg is equally irresistible, a half eggshell is filled with fudgy brownie bites and golden kataifi pastry clusters swirled with Baileys caramel and a hint of salty pretzel crunch, all tucked into a rich chocolate shell. Each will be available online or from 2210 Patisserie stores in Mullingar and Powerscourt Town Centre. The collaboration is another sweet success for Mullingar, with neighbouring Sugar Plum Sweetery recently achieving huge success with their Dubai Chocolate Bar. Read more: https://lnkd.in/en7HdTD9 #midlandsadvantage #midlandsflavours #baileys #easter #foodanddrink #collaboration #foodtrend #euinmyregion #mullingar #cakes #pastry Midlands Regional Enterprise Midlands Flavours Mullingar Chamber Local Enterprise Office Westmeath

The final event in the recent series of County Community and Enterprise Support events takes place for Offaly on Tuesday April 8th in Kilcormac. The events focus on the supports available for communities and enterprises and is free and open to all, providing valuable insights into funding, mentoring, climate action initiatives, and training opportunities. Organised as part of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Pathway for Just Transition programme, this initiative is designed to highlight the supports available to communities and enterprises in regions affected by the transition to a green economy. The Just Transition Fund aims to facilitate economic diversification, job creation, and social inclusion by providing financial and advisory support to enterprises, workers, and communities adapting to a low-carbon future The Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Pathway for Transition is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund Programme 2021-2027. This project is a collaborative initiative of the Local Authorities of the Midlands region, with Laois as the lead partner, alongside Longford, Offaly, and Westmeath. Come along to discover how your business or community can benefit from these supports and take the next steps towards a resilient and sustainable future See below for more information and to register: https://lnkd.in/ev2b7GmF #midlandsadvantage #euinmyregion #community #enterprise #supports g #justtransition Offaly County Council Local Enterprise Office Offaly Offaly Local Development Company Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Tóchar Wetlands Restoration The Wheel Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly Pobal

Together We Thrive in the Midlands Have a look at video highlights from the conference which brought leaders in enterprise, tourism, skills and community development together with a large audience, to explore how sustainability and regenerative practices can drive economic growth across the Midlands.  Officially opened by Minister of State Alan Dillon TD, and Anna-Marie Delaney, CE Offaly County Council, the event, held at the Tullamore Court Hotel provided an invaluable platform for skills and tourism professionals, community leaders, and businesses to exchange ideas and forge meaningful connections. The event was co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union under the EU Just Transition Fund 2021-27, reflecting a strong commitment to supporting the transition to a greener economy in the Midlands. #midlandsadvantage #togetherwethrive #euinmyregion #eujtf #sustainability #tourism #economicgrowth #regenerativetourism #midlands Paddy Mathews John Costello Padraig Boland Killowen Distillery Mary Hensey Midlands Skills Centre - LOETB Midlands Regional Enterprise Fáilte Ireland

The Midlands continues to set the pace for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in Ireland, as a new MMC Skills Pathway Portfolio was launched at the LOETB - National Construction Training Campus, Mount Lucas (NCTC) at Mount Lucas, Co Offaly by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD. The MMC Skills Pathway Portfolio includes accredited courses, flexible online learning options, and a pipeline of new qualifications in areas such as #BIM, #AutoCAD, offsite building, district and communal heating, #Tekla structures and #SolarPV design. The National Construction Training Campus in Mount Lucas is run by Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board and offers a vast range of training and testing services in construction related areas for members of the public. The National Construction Training Campus is a Retrofitting and NZEB Centre of Excellence for the Midlands and is home to the National Apprenticeship in Scaffolding and the National Skilled Utilities Operator Traineeship. The range of programmes offered at the centre are designed to specifically respond to skills gaps in the sector and enhance both regional and national capacity to meet national climate action targets in the construction sector. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eXRjaMsV #midlandsadvantage #sustainableconstruction #loetb #mmc #construction #euinmyregion #futureskills #housing #building #midlands #furthereducation Midlands Regional Enterprise Local Enterprise Office Offaly Local Enterprise Office Laois Construction Industry Federation (CIF) Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Education and Training Boards Ireland

Great piece from RTE on the impact which potential tariffs may have on Midlands manufacturing businesses. Speaking with Bevcraft Group and the region’s Advanced Manufacturing cluster, atim cluster, it’s clear that despite the fast-moving nature of the current situation, Midlands businesses are working hard to ensure they are well-placed to adapt in terms of supply chain and market focus. According to Ciarán Gorman, Co-Founder of Mullingar-based Bevcraft, which has operations in Ireland, the UK and Europe, as well as in the US and Canada, “Trade is like water. It's fluid, it has to go to where the least barriers are and ultimately we'll have to look at our supply chain, where we source things we work with, and so on. Our American partners have been fantastic over the years, so it's frustrating to have to do that," he added. "I think over the last number of years, we've spent about $20 million with American companies. They're manufacturing companies sustaining jobs in the US. These are innovative companies. We use them for a reason. We don't just want to end those relationships," he said. "We have to find a way of working with them and in their case, they might invest in Europe to support demand here." Across the Midlands, Caitríona Mordan, Manager of the Athlone-based Advanced Technologies in Manufacturing Cluster atim cluster, is seeing a proactive approach from member companies as they prepare for the impact of potential tariffs and the potential opportunities in looking at supply chains, “Companies are brilliant, but we're entering unprecedented territory here," she said. "We create these collaborative spaces for companies to understand what information is coming down the line and how we can work together to really respond to that as a collective," she said. "We are a registered cluster with the European Commission, so we have that kind of understanding of what our companies actually want, but also a collective voice that we're able to raise at levels at European Commission. For example, there's a lot of talk in those forums now about how we reposition our European companies to engage with Canadian clusters and Japanese clusters. So we're at the forefront of all of that and we'll try to support the members here in the Midlands to engage with those potential opportunities coming down the line." For more read below from RTE: https://lnkd.in/eJ-kpEcJ #midlandsadvantage #exports #supplychain #resilience #planning #support #cooperation #tariffs #advancedmanufacturing Midlands Regional Enterprise Local Enterprise Office Westmeath Enterprise Ireland Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone Campus

Athlone-based tech company TAPiTAG are target revenues of €3 million euro over the next 2 years as they pivot their business to corporate clients as part of expansion plans. Their digital business card technology uses similar specification to contactless cards. The company has raised over €300,000 in funding to date, while the support of Local Enterprise Office Westmeath has been an important part of their journey. The software company specialises in innovative digital interface solutions that integrate NFC hardware into unique business cards, ideal for sharing contacts or for lead generation. The tech can also be integrated into point of sale displays, table toppers, merchandise and display stands. The company offers their technology internationally, with users in 86 countries and over 3.9 million taps recorded to date. Read more in the Business Post: https://lnkd.in/gMnMWD9b #midlandsadvantage #expansion #tech #leadgen #funding #growth #euinmyregion #MidlandsICT Midlands Regional Enterprise Midlands ICT Network Athlone Chamber of Commerce Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone Campus

Michael Evans of Athlone Golf Club has been named President of Golf Ireland at their Annual AGM. The organisation is governing body for Golf in Ireland. The many and varied courses of the Midlands continue to attract residents and visitors alike, with top quality destinations across the region offering varied playing experiences to players of all levels. The growth of golf in the region continues to present a tourism opportunity, driven by the success of Midlands native Shane Lowry at the top of the professional sport. With world-class golfers being bred on world-class courses, the Midlands has the opportunity to build the reputation of the region as a golfing destination. https://lnkd.in/eJJtTYVT #midlandsadvantage #golf #golfcourses #golfireland #tourism #sportstourism #euinmyregion #athlone #midlands Midlands Regional Enterprise Athlone Chamber of Commerce Fáilte Ireland Sport Ireland FBD Hotels & Resorts Glasson Lakehouse Athlone Golf Club Tullamore Golf Club County Longford Golf Club Mount Temple Golf Club Esker Hills Golf Club Mullingar Golf Club Portlaoise Golf Club

Three Midlands companies have been named on the 'Ireland's Top 100' List of Ambitious Companies by Spark Crowdfunding. Featured in the listing are Agri Data Analytics from Daingean, KlassKickz (Mark Connaughton) from Mullingar and Circular Food Co. (BiaSol) from Tullamore. Great to also see so many past and present alumni of the Accelerate Green programme from Bord na Móna and Resolve Partners listed. Ireland's only dedicated accelerator programme for green/sustainable business takes place right here in the Midlands from the Accelerate Green HQ in Lough Boora, County Offaly, and is proving to be a growth driver for sustainably-focused businesses right across Ireland. #midlandsadvantage #funding #investment #startup #enterprise #accelerategreen #euinmyregion Midlands Regional Enterprise Enterprise Ireland Local Enterprise Office Offaly Local Enterprise Office Westmeath