Mid South West Growth Deal

The economy in the Mid South West (MSW) will be supercharged under plans laid out in an ambitious Regional Economic Strategy which promises to transform the region.

Developed as a collaboration between Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Mid Ulster District Council, the strategy is centred on boosting productivity.

The strategy, developed following extensive research and analysis of the region’s economy and informed by engagement with the major employers throughout the region, identifies challenges and opportunities and sets out four pillars to guide investment and grow the collective economy.

The pillars are: future proofing the skills base, enabling infrastructure, boosting innovation and digital capacity and building a high performing tourism economy.

By focusing on these pillars, the overriding goals of increasing productivity, driving business growth in the region, fully realising sectoral strengths and opportunities, creating more and better-paid jobs and ensuring the ongoing internationalisation of MSW can be achieved.

The strategy sets out a number of potential projects under each of the pillars which, with investment, would help boost productivity. These include further development of critical road infrastructure; the implementation of a Skills Action Plan; the development of an Innovation and Skills Academy through the South West College and an Agri-Food Robotics Centre, at CAFRE Loughry Campus; as well as the development of a life and health science opportunity in Carn, Craigavon;  delivery of a MSW destination tourism experience; and, further development of cross-border assets such as the Marble Arch Caves UNESCO Global Geopark.