TWICE THE SIZE - DIT Update - Dublin Institute of Technology

Following the elimination of the compulsory North American stopover in 2008, Shannon airport
gradually recovered from the slump, with the development of a major European air freight hub
where people, goods, information and services can now be moved quickly between Ireland and
global markets. By 2012 the Western seaboard has become a dynamic national and international
economic growth zone. Now a global leader in supply chain management, Limerick is at last
changing from a peripheral region to a connected part of Europe. After challenging times the
tourism industry in the Shannon region is showing signs of recovery. Having overcome significant
challenges caused by a major Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2014, followed by a difficult economic
period, a window of opportunity has opened for Shannon to promote sustainable tourism. With
the acceptance of the Cliffs of Moher as an international geological heritage site, funding has
been made available through the European Geopark Network. Over the past decade the Forestry
sector is growing at over 10 per cent per annum and by 2015 the industry is worth over €600
million.
Further difficulties hit the mid West region in 2015 in the wake of the relocation of Dell’s
manufacturing plant to the central city of Lodz in Poland. Within 2 years Dell’s manufacturing
plant pulls out of Limerick, taking with it over 7000 jobs. Within 10 years manufacturing has all
but moved to countries with cheaper labour and Ireland is forced to move up the value chain.
With the imminent collapse of foreign direct investment in the region, Limerick is forced to rethink
the basis for future growth. Having woken up to the fact that an over reliance on FDI is
entirely unsustainable, emphasis is placed on redeveloping indigenous sectors. Over the next 5
years Ireland gradually moves from internationally traded goods, to internationally traded
services and from manufacturing to knowledge based industries. Investment in lifelong
education is seen as a key catalyst for sustaining national and international growth. Limerick
becomes a city of learning, easily facilitated by the city’s considerable educational
infrastructure. Under the leadership of the Shannon Consortium, the city set about re-branding
Limerick as a campus city. Over the next 10 years several centres of excellence mushroomed
around the city, catering for the increasingly diverse needs of a growing cosmopolitan city.
To facilitate the growing number of non-national’s in the region, foreign language capabilities of
Irish citizens have dramatically improved. By 2018 Limerick is being hailed as a global city of
languages and technological innovation. Having sufficiently excelled in the area Limerick forms
an export sector in educational specialisation to fill the gap in the declining export industries.
Further endeavours to highlight Limerick’s competitive edge saw the development of a conflict
resolution department in the UL in 2020, with the aim of becoming a model of social conflict
resolution. The success of research in this area led to extensive developments in Limerick’s
disadvantaged areas. After decades of neglect, two of the most infamous communities in
Limerick city undergo a major revamp. By 2025 criminality in the region is significantly reduced,
and slowly but surely the black cloud of negativity that had descended on the city is lifted.
Limerick shines.
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