Where this programme is welcome, one kind of gets the impression, it kinda ticking the box of what needs to be done in terms of marketing the city to business leaders.

The hub proposal rightly outlines that

(a) The growing problem of office vacancy in the city centre

(b) The perception that the city centre is difficult and expensive place to do business

(c) The need to diversity the business offer of the city centre

(d) Improving the city centre’s profile and identity as a dynamic and innovative business centre

And those last words should be the words written over City Hall for the next ten years as we travel through this economic storm, because the settlement that thinks it can stay the same and not be dynamic will be further taken away by the economic storm

Whereas, providing an incentive is all very good and very positive, I think the time does need to be taken to grasp a sense of where the city centre is going. And we need to move it forward.

I’m very taken at the moment by the Belfast and Northern Ireland ad

A year of exceptional opportunities, our time to turn the tide, a chance to change perceptions, your invitation to be part of it, NI 2012, Your Time, Your Place

Followed by “Northern Ireland 2012 is going to be amazing! With so many events, celebrations, commemorations and amazing projects coming to completion, this is our time to turn the tide and confidently put Northern Ireland on the global tourism map”.

Now that video package is not all about tourism, there are also vibrant business street shots

But it does pitch questions, is this city at the races in a regional sense or a national sense? I’m certainly not happy to let a city such as Belfast or Limerick to pass us.

So when I look at the Hub proposal, I’m saying to myself, what does this say about Cork, yes it says we’re innovative but are we just ticking the box, saying yep we’re innovative but strongly innovative enough

 

With the hub proposal, what’s the difference this proposal and CIT Rubicon Centre’s project. Why are we not working with CIT to roll out their work into the city centre? Why are we double jobbing what has been developed?

Their rubiconcentre.ie programme does the job of what the hub enterprise programme promotes plus so much more:

· Training in all areas of business including financial management, market research & validation, business process, patenting, product development, sales training.

 

· Mentoring from experienced business advisers and practitioners.

· Office space in the Rubicon Incubation Centre.

 

· €15,000 from Enterprise Ireland for individuals participating in Phase 2 (Income tax liability will be the sole responsibility of the participant, and individuals are encouraged to seek professional advice in relation to potential liabilities).

 

· Networking with other entrepreneurs and business development agencies.

· Introductions to seed and early stage capital investment networks.

 

· Access to entrepreneurship best practice, both national and international.

 

· Peer-group learning from participants in the region and across the country.

 

· Access to the expertise in Enterprise Ireland through our market research centre.

 

· Expertise from the Institutes of Technology and the supportive environment of their business incubation centres.

 

The list goes on, why are we re-inventing the wheel here? I think there is enormous scope here to bring CIT and UCC into the loop here.