MINUTES OF 11th MEETING OF EDF ENTERPRISE SUB-GROUP ON 26 MARCH 2007

 

Attendees:        Mark Sweeney, NICCI

                        Seamus McAleavey, NICVA

                        Wilfred Mitchell, FSB

                        Peter Jakobsen, DFP

                        Fiona Hepper, DETI

                        Mark Pinkerton, DETI

                        Edel Lamb, DETI

 

Apologies:        Patricia McKeown, NIC/ICTU

                        Bernie O’Hare, DEL

 

 

WELCOME AND MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

 

1.                  Mark Sweeney welcomed members to the 11th meeting of the Forum’s Enterprise Sub-Group.

 

2.                  The chair noted that the minutes of the 21 November meeting had been agreed by email.

 

MATTERS ARISING

 

3.                  The Chair informed members that since the last meeting David Cochrane (DFP) and Alan Hingston (Invest NI) had met to work on ways of integrating ‘Online NI’ with Invest NI’s business portal.  Invest NI are taking forward this action to include the content discussed at the Sub-group’s November meeting.

 

4.                  Members were reminded that at the last meeting they had been invited to submit written comments on the Terms of Reference for the Attitude to Risk in NI project.  No further comments were provided.

 

5.                  It was noted that the purpose of this meeting was to refocus the Sub-Group’s objectives.  Members, therefore, agreed that all other matters arising would be taken forward at future meetings.

 

WAY FORWARD FOR SUB-GROUP

 

6.                  The Chair informed members that the Sub-Group Chairs had met with DETI representatives in January to review the Sub-Groups and their relationship with plenary.  He directed them to paper 2 which highlights the key issues discussed at this meeting.  This paper will be discussed at the next plenary meeting.  He also directed them to the Sub-Group’s Terms of Reference and asked that they consider ways of strengthening the group’s work.

 

7.                  Members discussed the key role of the Sub-Group.  It was agreed that its role is to challenge ongoing work and/or strategies that impact on the driver area.  It was proposed that this challenge function could be enhanced by refocusing the work programme and increasing membership.  It was noted that all Sub-Groups have agreed to bring 1-2 key issues to each plenary meeting so that recommendations can be taken forward by government departments.  Members agreed, therefore, that this meeting should refocus the Sub-Group by identifying a few priority areas for future work and nominating members who would enhance discussion in these areas.  It is very important that the measures used to evaluate progress are agreed by the group and are visible.  Such measures might include GVA/head, increased export sales, levels of employment, visitor numbers, tourism spend per capita.

 

8.                  Members agreed that the Sub-Group should address the key areas identified under the driver of Enterprise in the Regional Economic Strategy (RES).  They agreed that their work programme should be aligned with the Strategy in the following areas:

 

-        Stimulating Entrepreneurship / Business Start Ups

 

Given the Sub-Group’s earlier input into the Review of the Accelerating Entrepreneurship Strategy (AES) being undertaken by Invest NI and DETI, members agreed that it would be beneficial to return to this work area at this stage.  It was agreed that the group should discuss the final report of the review of AES at their next meeting.  It was noted that the report on the ‘Go for It’ Campaign should also be discussed by the group.  Members agreed that representatives from Invest NI should be invited to the next meeting to enhance discussion of these reports. Although there is focus on business startup through the ‘Go for it’ campaign, there does not appear to be the same focus on moving from ideas to concept evaluation. This area needs to be studied.

 

ACTION:           EDF Secretariat to invite representatives from Invest NI to the Sub-Group’s next meeting to discuss the review of the AES.

 

-        Success in Export Markets

 

At their November meeting, members had discussed and endorsed the recommendations of the NICCI Exports Forum report.  The Chair proposed that these recommendations are presented at the next plenary and that plenary members are asked to advise the plenary Chair on their views on this issue.

 

ACTION:           EDF Secretariat to include the recommendations of the NICCI Exports Forum report in the report to the April plenary.

 

-        Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

 

Members discussed the benefits of supporting FDI and highlighted the importance of combining a strong infrastructure, a high level of relevant skills and an attractive rate of Corporation Tax.  They agreed that there were lessons to be learned from RoI and accepted that it may be useful to look at cross-border initiatives.  Members proposed that it would be useful for the Sub-Group to engage with ongoing research on FDI to ensure that NI is in a position to take optimum advantage of FDI.  They agreed that strengthened representation from the business sector would benefit discussion of FDI and AES.  The Chair proposed to nominate a representative of CBI, IOD or NICCI to attend the next meeting.

 

The selling of N. Ireland to potential investors, from the viewpoint of a supportive business environment and leveraging the new political context, must be addressed.

 

ACTION:           EDF Secretariat to include FDI on the agenda for the next meeting to be held in June 2007.

 

ACTION:           Chair & EDF Secretariat to invite a representative of CBI, IOD or NICCI to attend the June 2007 meeting.

 

-        Business Improvement Training Programme (BITP)

 

The RES highlights BITP, which aims to raise the skills levels of managers and workforces, as one of the ways in which government will help companies to improve business performance.  Members agreed that this is an area that should be addressed by the Skills Sub-Group.

 

ACTION:           EDF Secretariat to ask Skills Sub-Group to ensure that this is taken account of in their work.

 

-        Tourism

 

Tourism is identified in the RES as having the potential to become a key sector in the transformation of NI and to contribute significantly to economic growth.  Members agreed that the discussion of Tourism at the November meeting had raised some important issues and that this was an issue that the Sub-Group should prioritise.  In order to clarify how the Sub-Group might add value to this issue, it was proposed that at its Autumn 2007 meeting the group should consider the research on the Economic Impact of Tourism being led by DETI and a paper on the roles of Tourism Ireland, NITB and the district councils in promoting NI as a tourist destination being produced by DETI Tourism Policy.  Noel Cornick (Tourism Policy Unit) will be invited to this meeting to lead discussion.  It was agreed that a representative from FSB should also be invited to aid discussion on how the small business sector could be harnessed to contribute to the better growth of the sector.

 

ACTION:           DETI to present a synopsis paper of the research into the Economic Impact of Tourism at the Sub-Group’s Autumn 2007 meeting.

 

ACTION:           DETI to circulate a synopsis of the review of the Tourism Development Scheme in advance of the Autumn 2007 meeting.

 

ACTION:           Tourism Policy Branch, DETI, to produce a paper on the roles of Tourism Ireland, NITB and the district councils in promoting NI as a tourist destination; plus how the small business sector could be harnessed to contribute better to the growth of the sector, for discussion at the Sub-Group’s Autumn 2007 meeting.

 

ACTION:           EDF Secretariat to invite Noel Cornick to speak to this paper at the Autumn 2007 meeting.

 

ACTION:           DETI to nominate 2 representatives from the sector to attend the meeting on Tourism, specifically a representative from the hotel sector and a representative with a strategic overview of the tourism sector.

 

ACTION:           Wilfred Mitchell to nominate a representative from FSB to attend the Sub-Group’s meeting on tourism.

 

9.                  It was proposed that the Sub-Group should dedicate a meeting to each of these areas.  Members also noted the importance of addressing the impact of North-South Economic Co-operation and the Review of Public Administration.  It was agreed that these should be considered alongside each of the priority topics but should also be discussed more fully at a separate meeting.  DETI will nominate representatives to attend the meeting on these topics.

 

ACTION:           DETI to nominate representatives to aid discussion of North-South Economic Co-operation and RPA at the Winter 2007 meeting.

 

10.               It was agreed that the group’s future work should be scheduled as follows:

 

-        Meeting 1 (June 2007): FDI Research & Review of AES

-        Meeting 2 (Autumn 2007): Tourism

-        Meeting 3 (Winter 2007): North South Economic Co-operation and RPA

 

The group’s programme of work beyond Winter 2007 will be developed over the course of the forthcoming meetings.

 

11.               Members also discussed cultural attitudes to risk Entrepreneurship and Risk in NI.  It was highlighted that the research on Attitudes to Risk in NI being led by DETI Economists is useful work in this area.

 

12.               Members discussed the relationship between the Enterprise Sub-Group’s priorities and those of the other Sub-Groups.  They agreed that it is the role of plenary EDF to synthesise the input from the Sub-Groups and identify the priorities of EDF as a whole.  It was noted that discussions had been initiated between the Sub-Group chairs on how to align the priorities in the driver areas in advance of the April plenary.

 

13.               It was also agreed that it is essential that the Sub-Groups clarify what they are asking plenary EDF to do when they make their reports.  It is then the responsibility of the relevant Department to take these forward or to respond on why action is not appropriate.  Members agreed that ownership of the recommended actions must be clear.

 

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

 

Sub-group Report for September 2006 Plenary Meeting

 

14.               Members agreed that a written progress report would be prepared for EDF members.

 

15.               As the Chair will not be able to attend the April plenary, it was agreed that he would invite a representative from the Exports Forum to give the report on Exports and that Wilfred Mitchell would speak to the other areas of the Sub-Group’s report.

 

ACTION:     EDF Secretariat to prepare draft report for clearance by Chair.

 

ACTION:     Chair to invite a representative from the Exports Forum to report to plenary.

 

Date of Next Meeting

 

16.               It was agreed that the Secretariat would liaise with members to arrange a date in June 2007 for the next meeting.

 

ACTION:     EDF Secretariat to contact members with a date for the next meeting.