North/South links promote edge cities

North Down Borough Council has taken on the 2014 presidency of the European Edge Cities Network – which it joined after an invitation by Fingal County Council. The network brings together towns and cities on the edge of European capitals which are often overlooked due to their location.

It was formed in 1996 and currently has six members: Fingal, North Down, Ballerup (near Copenhagen), Grodzisk Mazowiecki (near Warsaw), Nacka (near Stockholm) and Pernik (near Sofia). The network organises study visits, which focus on common economic challenges, education and young people, and the environment.

While North Down is the most prosperous area of Northern Ireland, it also contains pockets of deprivation e.g. the Kilcooley estate. A large proportion of residents commute from North Down to Belfast which, in turn, affects daytime trade in the borough. The number of jobs promoted in North Down over the last year (23) was also the second lowest of all 26 districts.

As Fingal includes Dublin Airport, many visitors travel on to Dublin city centre and the rest of the island. The county promotes itself by highlighting its large number of inward investors and the area’s strong horticulture industry.

The Innohubs project, which ran between 2010 and 2012, produced a good practice guide for innovation and involved running a series of small workshops for businesses in the districts. The project’s publications are available at www.innohubs.eu and more information on the network can be found on its website: www.edgecitiesnetwork.com