€18 million Smart Regions Investment designed to Boost Regional Enterprise

Pictured L-R: Kevin Sherry, Executive Director, Enterprise Ireland; Linda Culleton, Economic Development Officer with Carlow County Council and a Director of Catalyst HQ; Peter Burke TD, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment; and Coilí­n O'Reilly, Chief Executive of Carlow County Council

Significant investment in regional projects in artificial intelligence (AI), agritech and food, sustainability, insurance technology and advanced manufacturing
 

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD today announced details of an €18 million investment in 40 projects across Ireland under the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme, designed to strengthen regional enterprise, drive innovation and support sustainable economic growth.

Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Southern, Eastern & Midland and Northern & Western Regional Programmes 2021-2027, the Smart Regions scheme supports the different regions of the country in harnessing cutting-edge technologies and world-class expertise.  Aligned with the regional priorities set out in the National Smart Specialisation Strategy for Innovation and the nine Regional Enterprise Plans, Smart Regions drives high-impact projects in priority sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), agritech and food, sustainability, insurance technology, and advanced manufacturing. 

Funding Overview

This announcement sets out the approved funding allocation so far under the Smart Regions Scheme, with projects approved across the country, including:

• Northern and Western Regional Programme area:  €3.485,882for 17 projects
• Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme area:  €14,571,766 for 23 projects

The Northern and Western Regional Programme area includes counties Galway, Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo, Donegal, Monaghan, Mayo and Cavan.

The Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme area includes counties Carlow, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Cork, Kerry, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Longford, Westmeath, Offaly, Laois, Louth, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, and Dublin.

Minister Burke made this announcement following a visit to the site of Catalyst HQ, a new €8.1m Enterprise Centre in Carlow town, which has been approved for regional infrastructure funding from the Smart Regions scheme through Enterprise Ireland, to support businesses and enterprises in Carlow and the South-East.

Minister Peter Burke TD said: "I am very pleased to announce this group of 40 innovative projects that have been funded under the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme, which is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund. These projects, spread across the entire country, will make vital contributions to strengthening innovation in all sectors, regional ecosystems and the Irish economy."

"These 40 projects will provide enterprise infrastructure, cluster development and business animation services that will benefit entrepreneurs and enterprise growth in a variety of sectors. The scheme will see physical facilities and training opportunities made available to businesses throughout the country through an existing network of enterprise centres and hubs that have been supported by Enterprise Ireland."

Minister of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail, Alan Dillon said: "The Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund. The projects announced today are reflective of the collaborative approach at the heart of this scheme. Smart Regions aims to address specific issues in each region, building on regional strengths in line with the National Smart Specialisation Strategy for Innovation."

"The 40 projects that have been launched will see growing collaboration among regional stakeholders under the triple helix model of industry, academia and the public sector."

Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation Niamh Smyth said: "This Government is committed to growing our economy and fostering regional enterprise growth; the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme reflects this and the approved projects are also well aligned to the priorities set out in the Regional Enterprise Plans, which provide a clear set of objectives and actions to support enterprise development in each region.

The Catalyst project announced for Carlow is a great example of how providing for smart regional infrastructure will drive economic animation in an area.”

Kevin Sherry, Executive Director, Enterprise Ireland, said: “Enterprise Ireland is pleased to confirm the investment of over €18m to date in 40 regionally diverse projects from across Ireland, which have been funded through Enterprise Ireland’s Smart Regions Scheme. This investment is a key element in building sustainable communities and infrastructure across Ireland by investing in and supporting the development of Irish businesses, our exporters and potential future exporters.

“Our long-term ambition is that Irish exporters become the primary driver of the Irish economy, and critical to achieving this will be collaborating with our partners from across the ecosystem. This announcement reflects the work of our partnerships with the Regional Assemblies. We have ambitious objectives for our enterprise base, and the Smart Regions scheme is helping to realise this for our SMEs.” 

Paddy Austin, Assistant Director of the Northern and Western Regional Assembly: “As Managing Authority for ERDF in the Northern and Western Region, we welcome the allocation of almost €3.5 million in ERDF funding through Enterprise Ireland’s Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme to 17 projects in our region. This initiative aligns with our Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy and Smart Specialisation Strategy, supporting innovation in sectors where the region has distinct strengths. These investments will accelerate place-based innovation, foster collaboration, and deliver on priorities identified with our regional partners.”

Enda Hogan, Assistant Director of the Southern Regional Assembly: “The Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme has started to make a contribution towards job creation and economic growth in our regions. These projects will encourage industry collaboration in all regions across Ireland with the aim of building on regional strengths, addressing key gaps in local infrastructure, and supporting balanced regional development. This work is crucial to Ireland’s sustained economic strength and future growth potential.”

Ends
 

Notes to Editors:

The Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme was launched in October 2023 and is administered by Enterprise Ireland as one of a range of initiatives under Ireland’s two European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programmes managed by the Regional Assemblies. Smart Regions is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027 and the Northern & Western Regional Programme 2021-2027.
 

Four Funding Streams

The scheme provides support through four streams for eligible not-for-profit entities:

1. Local Enterprise Infrastructure – Capital investment for new facilities addressing a defined market gap that support enterprise development. 

2. Cluster and Consortium Development – Grants to build regional industry strengths.

3. SME Training and Development – Programmes to boost competitiveness through innovative solutions. 

4. Feasibility and Priming Grants – Early-stage project exploration.

As part of the ERDF mid-term review and in line with updated European Commission priorities, funding for the Smart Regions scheme is being reallocated by the Regional Assemblies to support other regional development priorities. This adjustment ensures Ireland can fully draw down its EU co-financing under the ERDF and is expected to be finalised before year end. As outlined in the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment will explore establishing a new Regional Enterprise Development Fund in 2026.

Approved projects