With technological advancements and the post-pandemic landscape, Irish designers are now more dispersed than ever with many choosing to live and work in more regional locations. The sector has adapted to the evolving business landscape, with talented designers in various disciplines working freelance, as consultants, or within agencies. The untapped potential of talent across the sector is evident- with a clear need for community development, enterprise support and access to business networks, especially in the west of Ireland. 

Thanks to Creative Ireland's Economic Action Fund, Atlantic TIDE (Transforming Ireland’s Design Economy) was launched in 2022 as a unique collaboration between The IDI, The Western Development Commission and other consortium partners in the Atlantic Region. The goal is to accelerate support and opportunities for commercial design businesses in the west of Ireland, along the Atlantic Economic Corridor. The collaborative project aims to boost design enterprise and impact and position the sector at a competitive advantage on the global stage and create sustainable livelihoods and prosperity for all communities in the west.

This provides design businesses in the regions the opportunity to share their experiences, ambitions, challenges, and needs in a series of workshops that will help shape the future of support for the sector. These workshops will precede engagements with enterprise support agencies, and significant industrial enterprises who may use design services.

We need your support in this project by having your say, getting involved, and telling us your experiences, wants and needs as a regionally based designer.

The next online workshop is set to take place on Wednesday, 21st September 2022, 10:00am-12:00pm and we need your involvement.

Please take the opportunity to come along and represent your company, or yourself as a design entrepreneur, by completing our pre-qualification questionnaire. The questions will help us ensure a diverse group of design businesses are involved. 

Atlantic TIDE is funded by Creative Ireland and resourced by participating partners. It is a joint initiative of Sligo County Council, Western Development Commission, Institute of Designers in Ireland, Innovate Limerick, Ludgate Hub, CREW Digital, An Chroí Digital Hub and FutureCast.