The European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme
for Northern Ireland 2007 - 2013

In this issue:

• Foreword
• Funding for Almac Drug Discovery
• Creative Innovation in Belfast
• Stephen Langley Visits Munster Simms
• Launch of "Go For It" Campaign
• Tourism Innovation Fund
• Launch of logon-ni.co.uk
• Managing Authority / Member State Activity

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Foreword

Welcome to this, DETI’s first edition of “Success through Competitiveness” - the official newsletter of the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland 2007 – 2013.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) is the Managing Authority responsible for taking forward this Programme  for  Northern Ireland. This short edition is designed to give you a brief overview of the Competitiveness Programme and a sample of the various Projects throughout Northern Ireland benefitting from the Programme.  The Programme, with a total potential fund of €613.7m, 50% of which derives from the European RegionalDevelopment Fund (ERDF), has 3 main priorities:

• Sustainable Competitiveness and Innovation
• Sustainable Enterprise and Entrepreneurship; and
• Improving Accessibility and Protecting and Enhancing the Environment.

Schemes and Projects within each of the above Priorities are being taken forward by Invest NI, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB);
DETI through our Energy Division, Telecoms Policy Unit and European Programmes (through the Local Councils) and by the Department
of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).

Through the “Success through Competitiveness” Newsletter, DETI aims to highlight & promote to the Northern Ireland public and beyond,  the role played by the European Union, and particularly through the Competitiveness Programme in supporting Projects within Northern Ireland and boosting the Northern Ireland economy.  In essence, without this vital EU funding, DETI’s contribution and the many Implementing Bodies and Project Promoters working tirelessly throughout NI to implement and manage Projects under the Programme, many of these Projects would be significantly scaled back or would not start at all.

I hope that you find this publication of interest and look forward in the coming months to bringing you more details of the very tangible benefits that this Programme is continuing to deliver for the benefit of all of the people of Northern Ireland.

Paul Brush

Head of European Programmes Division

DETI