A new campaign from Galway Chamber aims to create 3,000 jobs here by promoting Galway to domestic and foreign investment.
The Why Galway campaign launched this week seeks to bring 40 large investments to Galway over the next five years.
To do this, Galway Chamber will be highlighting the many professional, educational, and cultural benefits of Galway to potential investors.
The thriving medtech and ICT sectors, along with vital space in the city and county available through over 20 development hubs are some of the elements of the business ecosystem here that make Galway such an attractive place to invest.
As well as the Irish market, Why Galway will seek to connect with targeted audiences in China and Asia, the US, Britain and across Europe.
Speaking about the campaign, Kenny Deery, CEO of Galway Chamber said, “In recent years Galway has become a hotbed of entrepreneurship and international business.”
“We have witnessed the blossoming of the MedTech and ICT sectors, with many enterprises recognising the appeal of Galway as a location. Now we want to ensure that growth continues and that is why we have launched Why Galway.”
“The campaign aims to bring together all the many virtues of Galway and the west as an area to live and work. We are confident that the many benefits as a location provided by Galway and the entire region are striking a chord both internationally and domestically.”
In the past three years, there have been big announcements by FDI companies either launching or boosting their presence in Galway.
Altogether, these 16 investments represent 1,225 new jobs which are being created here.
Examples of these companies include Genesys, HID Global, Diligent Corporation, Rent The Runway, The Knot Worldwide, HPE, Globalization Partners, Valeo, Fidelity Investments, Triggerfish and A-Lign.
The campaign is supported by Galway Chamber, Galway City Council, IDA Ireland and over 50 different stakeholder groups or organisations.
As part of the campaign, Galway Chamber will make Why Galway a key focus of all future trade missions and foreign engagements, support NUIG and GMIT in reaching out to foreign students,
The Chamber will also reinforce the work of Galway Technology Centre and Galway City Innovation District as they build relationships with non-local enterprises and entrepreneurs.
Why Galway has been developed arising from a successful foreign trade missions to China and other locations in 2017 which highlighted the benefits of a centralised, collaborative approach in promoting Galway and the west region.
Kenny Deery said that research has shown that Galway has a lot to offer from a “cultural perspective”, as well as in economic terms of connectivity, business space, and more.
“Geographically we may be on the edge of Europe but the growth of the many enterprises who call Galway and the west home has shown we have never been more connected to Europe and the rest of the world.
“It is these advantages that are repeatedly brought up by those who are interested in Galway or the west of Ireland as a location.”
“Over the course of the next five years, we fully expect to see as many as 40 new investments in Galway and the total number of active enterprises rise to 16,500, creating additional investment and employment opportunities throughout the county and all across the west”.
More information about the campaign, and the benefits of investing and creating jobs in Galway, can be found at the dedicated website www.whygalway.com.
