Hope for 300 jobs at Knock Airport Enterprise Park

Hope for 300 jobs at IWA Knock Airport Enterprise Park


Anton McNulty

A JOINT-initiative between Ireland West Airport Knock and Shannon Development has been launched to investigate the possibilities of creating an enterprise park at the airport with the potential of creating 300 jobs.
The Government-led feasibility study into the establishment of an enterprise park will be conducted by Shannon Development at the request of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe, who was present at the airport yesterday (Monday) to launch the initiative.
The study will investigate opportunities for job creation from areas such as spin-offs from aviation business, tourism, marine, energy, food and life sciences and will establish how best the Government can support the development of business and employment. The findings will be submitted to the Minister by September of this year.
Liam Scollan, Chairman of Ireland West Airport Knock told The Mayo News that the airport have been in discussions with Ministers for the last 18 months about the possibilities of creating an enterprise park. He said that Shannon Development have the experience and expertise in the creation of enterprise parks and the project has the backing of entrepreneurs and businesses in the region.
“We are going about this in the right way with Shannon Development onboard who report directly to the Minister. This is a job creation project and with Shannon Development in on this from the beginning we feel we will have a better chance of getting Government support. All the right links have been made and ten business such as Allergan, Baxter, Medtronic have given their backing. We can demonstrate the region’s backing from technology driven groups on what we are trying to do and they are standing shoulder to shoulder with the airport. Entrepreneurship will be at the centre of this and co-operation is the basis of how we are doing this,” he said.
The model on which the airport hope to base their enterprise park on is the Kerry Technology Park in Tralee which has created between 300 and 400 jobs and Shannon Development played a key role in its development.
The development of the airport suffered a serious set-back when plans to locate the offices of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs near the airport was refused by An Bord Pleanala. However, Mr Scollan said they were confident that any enterprise park proposed will be approved for planning.
“The local authority are making up a local area plan and the Strategic Development Zone around the airport and the development of a business park will be done in a eco-friendly fashion. We believe this will be good for the area and we have to remember there are 150 job at the airport and it is not a green field site. We would be confident that with the right people and right ideas it will go ahead.”
Speaking at the launch, Minister O’Keeffe said that the airport was a business built in recession and the study will be a timely initiative to seize on enterprise opportunities.
“The joint feasibility study will investigate opportunities for job creation and will establish how best the Government, subject to budgetary commitments, can support the development of business and employment as a result of the study. This is a very timely initiative to seize on the enterprise opportunities presented in the west of Ireland by changing trends in manufacturing and internationally traded services,” he said.
Mayo TD, Beverley Flynn welcomed the announcement saying that it marked ‘the start of an exciting project for the county and the west of Ireland’.
“I am working with my Government colleagues to ensure that every possible opportunity is investigated and maximised to create jobs in Mayo and this represents a significant and unique opportunity in my view,” she said.