Kilkenny and Carlow sign first recruits for Ireland-Wales cross border project

Kilkenny and Carlow sign first recruits for Ireland-Wales cross border project. The Sustainable Learning Network Ireland and Wales (SLNIW) project signs Colm Byrne of Glas Energy from Kilkenny and Rachel Doyle of Arboretum Lifestyle and Garden Centre from Carlow to its network. Pictured seated left to right is Rachel Doyle, Dr. Bill O'Gorman, Director, SLNIW and Colm Byrne; standing are Kieran Comerford, Carlow County Enterprise Board, Brian Prenderville SLNIW Project Researcher (Ireland) and Fiona Deegan, Kilkenny County Enterprise Board.

A new and exciting project specifically designed to assist owner/managers of small and medium sized enterprises in South East Ireland and West Wales to come together to maximise their creativity, innovative capacity, and competitiveness, signed up its first recruits from Kilkenny and Carlow this week.
The SLNIW project is a joint project between the Centre for Enterprise Development and Regional Economy (CEDRE), School of Business, Waterford Institute of Technology and the School of Management and Business, Aberystwyth University, Wales who are in the process of establishing 6 business development learning networks (3 in Ireland and 3 in Wales).

The objective of these self directed business development learning networks is to bring business owners in contact with likeminded people who are prepared to work together in an open and constructive manner, using members' personal skills, knowledge and experience to advance the development of all enterprises within the business development network. There is also a certain amount of funding available to help finance training requirements identified by the networks.

Dr. Bill O'Gorman, Director, SLNIW, said: "Participants in the business development networks will not only have contact with 45 enterprises in South East Ireland but will also have contact with 60 enterprises in West Wales offering immediate opportunities for business development,  problem solving, sharing of expertise, growth, expansion, improved competitiveness and exporting.”

Kieran Comerford, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Carlow County Enterprise Board and Fiona Deegan, Business Analyst, Kilkenny County Enterprise Board added: “There is no doubt the climate for small and medium sized enterprises is very challenging at present and businesses need to be supported in achieving the type of competitive strength that can see them through the recession. There is great value in working with other companies of a similar size and the southeast Ireland/west Wales dimension to this programme adds an extra layer. This will be very much a working network rather than a cross-channel talking shop.”

Colm Byrne of Glas Energy, a Kilkenny based company specialising the supply and installation of renewable and sustainable energy solutions is the first participant from Kilkenny to become a member of SLNIW networks said, “As the owner manager of Glas Energy I have placed great emphasis on networking as a form of promoting my business. Also having attended a number of business development courses with Enterprise Ireland I have found that I often learn as much if not more from the other owner manager participants therefore becoming part of a SLNIW network with an emphasis on learning, focused around the participants, seems like a logical beneficial way of developing both personally and on a business level. The interaction with a mirror network in Wales may potentially lead to further learning in relation to a potential export market.

If you would like to become part of this exciting new business development network please contact Martha Phelan, Project Coordinator at 051-845681 or mmphelan@wit.ie or visit www.slniw.com to apply online.
The SLNIW is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales programme 2007-2013

11th December 2009