Table 3.17 overleaf outlines the SWOT analysis for the BMW Region. This is taken from the report of the recent Foresight Exercise, as described in Chapter 2. Key strengths of the Region include:
high quality of life attributes and positive external image;
high quality of environment;
high number of school-leavers attending third-level education; and
a good base for enterprise development.
Key weaknesses include:
weak innovative capacity and poor entrepreneurship and productivity performance;
a weak urban structure;
inadequate infrastructure in areas such as transport, energy and telecommunications (broadband); and
environmental risks relating to water quality.
| Table 3.17: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) of the Region | |
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
High quality and scenic environment (both land and sea), low population density |
A weak urban structure, generally poor physical infrastructure and lack of eficient access to the main cities, airports and ports |
Well-developed network of towns and villages |
Inadequate infrastructure in areas such as transport, energy and telecommunications (broadband) |
Access to a wll-educated, skilled and flexible workforce |
A limited industrial or services base with weak productivity in several sectors |
High quality of life attributes and positive external image |
Poor agricultural land and weak agricultural structures |
Lack of congestion generally resulting in less pressure on the physical infrastructure and high quality affordable housing stock |
Below average level of start-ups and low levels of company-level innovation and underdeveloped regional scientific research system |
High number of school leavers attending third level education |
Poor graduate retention and consequent 'brain drain' |
Many areas of high cultural merit including Gaeltacht and Island Communities |
Gaps in the provision of health, social, cultural and leisure facilities |
Vibrant community and voluntary sectors involved in service provision and impacting on all aspects of life in the region |
Some lack of cohesion and collaboration between State and community sectors in the provision of social services |
Diverse tradition of Arts, Heritage and Culture |
Insufficient affordable and accessible childcare facilities |
Increasing level of investment in the region's infrastructure in recent years |
Quality of drinking water sub-standard in some areas |
Strong educational infrastructure, including one university and five IoTs |
High dependency on non-renewable sources of energy and low levels of energy efficiency in current building stock |
Opportunities |
Threats |
Further potential for enterprise development in ICT, tourism, internationally traded services and medical devices |
Loss of jobs through economic restructuring, particularly in agri-food sectors and low tech sectors and competition from other regions |
NUI Galway and five IoTs with specialist expertise, which could bring substantial benefits to enterprise in the region |
Risk of environmental degradation of water quality, bio-diversity, architectural heritage arising from economic activity |
County and Regional Strategies on Waste, Water and Housing developed to provide future direction |
Loss of EU Structural Funds and lower preferential aids rates for the region |
Full implementation of the NSS and RPGs could bring more balanced spatial development to the region |
Few R&D oriented companies and a relatively small share of national third-level infrastructure and industry linkages could hamper ability to compete in the knowledge economy |
Potential to develop an internationally recognised cluster, e.g. in the medical devices sector |
Lack of sufficient high-skilled employment opportunities to retain people in or attract people to the Region |
Source: Regional Foresight Report, 2005
