1 | Page Irish Sea Rim – Overview Paper Autumn 2014 – Philip Leigh, University of Chester Driving economic growth through business and university collaboration around the Irish Sea Rim Irish Sea Rim (ISR) concept copyright: Professor Philip Leigh, University of Chester Autumn 2014 Email: [email protected]University of Chester | Thornton Science Park | Ince | Chester | CH2 4NU | United Kingdom Abstract The lands surrounding and contained by the Irish Sea comprise a unique combination of interlinked communities and cultures. Some of Europe’s most beautiful environments are located in these Countries and Regions. The Republic of Ireland, The Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Wales, North West England and South West Scotland. Irish Sea Rim has been initiated to explore the potential for growth, innovation & collaboration around the Irish Sea, encompassing 2 nation states, 6 countries, and a wealth of public and private sector linkages. The Irish Sea Rim can drive socio-economic growth across national boundaries and develop regional excellence through increased collaboration and an integrated network that cross-cuts sectors. The Irish Sea Rim will operate as an umbrella organisation and portal for regional programmes, investment and projects to over 15m people. The Irish Sea Rim has the ability to develop as a regional economic counterbalance to London (centric) & the South East that is often quoted as dominating UK politics and its economy. This rational also spills over in the Republic of Ireland and this makes Ireland (south and north) as ideal partners within this network and framework.
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Irish Sea Rim – Overview Paper Autumn 2014 – Philip Leigh, University of Chester
Driving economic growth through business and university collaboration around the Irish Sea Rim
Irish Sea Rim (ISR) concept copyright: Professor Philip Leigh, University of Chester
Isle of Man Isle of Man*** 23000 4500 600 37 28137
Total 410171 68479 13347 1970 493967
Sources: *Office for National Statistics (UK) (2013); **Central Statistics Office (Ireland) (2011); ***Department of Economic Development (Isle of Man) (2013).
N.B. total number correct for IOM, breakdown inferred due to lack of data.
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Irish Sea Rim – Overview Paper Autumn 2014 – Philip Leigh, University of Chester
Furthermore, as many students within the host organisations are from other parts of the UK, Ireland,
Europe or indeed the rest of the world, and given the national and export aspirations of many businesses
based around the Irish Sea, there is the potential also for a considerable impact to be made far beyond
the geographic boundaries of the Irish Sea Rim.
Taking UCLan as an example, there is scope for placement students to be sourced from any of its 16
schools, and for students from these schools to undertake projects in collaboration with any appropriate
business or organisation based around the Irish Sea. Travel and accommodation arrangements and costs
would need to be carefully managed, but in many cases projects could be completed at UCLan, with
periodic trips for progress meetings undertaken throughout the course of the project. Furthermore, with
the advent of web-based meeting tools such as Skype, complemented by more traditional forms of
telecommunication, updates are possible without any travel, where appropriate. This model echoes the
way in which paid consultants often undertake research projects for clients, and where working at the
client site is unnecessary. This model can be replicated across other universities and indeed may include
collaboration with other academic institutions around the Irish Sea Rim.
In an era of economic hardship, a highly competitive labour market, and increased tuition fees in some
countries, there is a strong case for student projects to benefit 3 distinct parties. For the businesses and
organisations which wish to engage, there is an opportunity to investigate a new area of business without
considerable expenditure, and an opportunity to potentially recruit a high-calibre future employee. For
the student there is an opportunity to enhance their CV whilst still at university, gain a non-academic,
work-based reference for future job opportunities, and to potentially gain employment directly with their
host. For the HEIs, there is the prospect of a more appropriate range of placement opportunities for its
students, identified from a much larger pool than it may normally have access to, with associated benefits
to student satisfaction scores and recruitment. ISR has the potential to bring such benefits to a wide and
diverse array of stakeholders based permanently or temporarily around the Irish Sea.
8. Executive Education, CPD and Training
The Irish Sea Rim will develop with its partner’s, executive education, CPD and training courses across a
number of sectors including: energy, manufacturing, management and leadership. The Irish Sea Rim is
beginning to develop links that will design, market and deliver high quality, relevant training to businesses
in identified key sectors. This work will link with and across all faculties with the University of Chester
including the Chester Business School.
The executive education courses and training will link with numerous sectors: including the oil and gas
industry where we are developing and expanding their knowledge and expertise. Universities have
developed a number of key industrial partners who will assist in the development and delivery of these
courses; and link with leadership courses currently offered at the Business Schools based within
universities.
The University of Chester are working to partner with businesses in developing and enhancing training
programme in the energy sector. Additional linkages with Chester Business School and other prominent
business schools at academic institutions around the Irish Sea Rim will add value to the Executive
Education courses for business.
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9. Irish Sea Energy Rim
Located around and within the Irish Sea region are a plethora of energy generation technologies. This
ranges, from nuclear and gas (off shore) to wind (on shore and off shore), hydro, biomass, solar and many
other renewable technologies. In addition there is advanced research into wave and tidal systems (the
UK has one of the largest tidal ranges in the world). New and unconventional energy such as shale gas is
an emerging technology adding to the rich energy mosaic. Supporting this rich energy region are over 20
universities located around the Irish Sea in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland. In
addition there are established initiatives such as Britain’s Energy Coast (BEC), Solway Energy Gateway,
Northwest Energy Gateway, Mersey Gateway Bridge and the Energy Island (EI) of Anglesey along with
others around the Irish Sea Rim (see figure 5 below).
When looked at in isolation there is already much expertise in energy across the region. However, there
is the possibility to pull these technologies via an Irish Sea energy rim portal; forging entities closer
together through concentrated collaboration and more focused research.
Figure 5: Irish Sea Energy Rim with selected technologies and partners
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Thus, between academic institutions and entities with an interest in energy, technology and engineering;
it is proposed the region has an opportunity to become a real power house of expertise in energy
generation, energy engineering and manufacturing, skills development, facility and research excellence.
ISR will link with tier 1, 2 and 3 companies, further developing the supply and value chains across the
industry.
It is proposed in conjunction with the energy rim a doctoral centre based on energy is launched with the
University of Chester as the umbrella academic institution leading the centre. With over 30 universities
to collaborate it is envisaged the doctoral centre would link with different universities depending on the
technology in question. However a common theme of energy technology, R & D and generation will
connect and drive this. It is envisaged the doctoral centres will also operate as a group of interested
universities around the Irish Sea Rim in a similar way to the N8 group. The energy rim and doctoral centre
will have the potential to contribute to and write policy papers; adding further impact to the energy
agenda for the UK, Ireland and to a wider global reach.
In this period of energy uncertainty the opportunity to build a collective of energy expertise and
generation capacity across a strategic region has never been more important. Energy security, energy
storage and local generation are key drivers in developing energy for the future. Price stabilisation and
control are key factors in how our (UK and Ireland) energy mix over the next 20-50 years is going to look.
ISER is ideally placed to bring key players in the energy industry together for a more secure energy future.
10. Communities
The focus of the Irish Sea Rim project is to bring the opportunity of maintaining sustainability to all the
communities, in all their manifestations, in the designated area. In defining sustainability the focus must
start from a financial perspective then be applied to all other relevant aspects.
The criteria used to measure the success of our society / communities is most often that which is
financially focused and does not look at the whole picture (GVA). Within the context of its work ISER
could help to launch a more meaningful measurement that of ‘sustainable communities’.
The sense of community has been increasingly eroded over time and yet it remains the one aspect of our
society that is key to all of us. Within our society there are a lamentable lack of good examples of truly
effective community structure and focus. Often this sense of community tends only to manifest itself in
the face of adversity.
A significant percentage of the communities that surround the Irish Sea Rim are often marginalised in a
regional and national sense due to their geographic location and size of population. Yet increasingly these
communities have an ever increasing role to play in supporting their more affluent and influential
neighbours. This is often due to their ability to provide the essential elements that hold the larger
community together; energy, food, water etc.
Communities very often then find they only have a very small voice when it comes to influencing and
creating new opportunities. More often than not they find themselves exploited by others who give little
back by way return. The Irish Sea Energy Rim will help to bind communities together to give them a far
greater sense of presence, opportunity and authority.
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ISER will give the opportunity to take a fresh look at how communities can be involved, showcased and
recognised for the contribution that they make to the whole. It will shift their focus from being at the
edge of things, psychologically and geographically, to being an integral part of the big picture. Through
the development of the model of community involvement, recognition and the ensuing opportunities
ISER will expect to have a significant influence on a larger global platform.
Community Research – Arts Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
The AHRC is leading on Connected Communities, a cross-Council programme designed to help us
understand the changing nature of communities in their historical and cultural contexts and the role of
communities in sustaining and enhancing our quality of life. The programme, which is of interest to the
Irish Sea Rim, seeks not only to connect research on communities, but to connect communities with
research, bringing together community-engaged research across a number of core themes, including
community health and wellbeing, community creativity, prosperity and regeneration, community values
and participation, sustainable community environments, places and spaces, and community cultures,
diversity, cohesion, exclusion, and conflict.
Connected Communities
The AHRC is leading on Connected Communities, a cross-Council programme designed to help us
understand the changing nature of communities in their historical and cultural contexts and the role of
communities in sustaining and enhancing our quality of life. ISR will look to connect into this and other
similar opportunities.
11. Quadruple Helix Model, Sectors and Funding Streams
The diagram below (figure 6) outlines the key linkages of the Irish Sea Rim project. A Quadruple Helix
(QH) model is proposed, this links business, sport, academia and community.
Figure 6: Quadruple helix model approach to connect 4 key sectors within the Irish Sea Rim
Government
CommunityAcademia
Business
Interconnected
A vehicle to promote excellence and knowledge exchange across 4 key sectors
Holistic Model Lifestyle Approach
Quadruple helix model
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The Irish Sea Energy Rim connects three of the innovation actors from the QH below. A proposed cycle
road show event around the Irish Sea Rim for example connects all four sectors. Below Anita Füzi
describes some background to the Quadruple Helix, its innovation actors and potential applications.
“Firstly, it is important to explore what Quadruple Helix consists of and how it can be defined. Quadruple
Helix is an innovation cooperation model or innovation environment in which users, firms, universities and
public authorities cooperate in order to produce innovations (products and/or services). Much of the
previous research pointed out that there is not only one Quadruple Helix, but several different ones exist
(for instance Living Lab models). What is common to all the Quadruple Helix type of innovation
conceptions is they all have included some fourth group of innovation actors into the Triple Helix model.
Based on the research literature on innovation, the author argues that the fourth helix of Quadruple Helix
should be a broadly understood user. Depending on the context, users can be businesses, organizations,
civil society associations, lead users, professional users, ordinary or amateur users, consumers,
employees, residents and citizens as well.” (Füzi, 2013).
Figure 7 below illustrates a number of key sectors that the ISR has the potential to work across beginning
with energy. The Irish Sea Rim can be described as a multi-layered 3-D matrix network, operating across
multiple sectors. It is being designed to work in a holistic way that brings additionallity and economic
prosperity to the region as a whole.
Figure 7: Some of the sectors the Irish Sea Rim will work across around the Irish Sea Rim
