A learning and technology centre focused on education and a virtual academy in digital media arts form part of the Government's plans to develop a major technology site in Dublin.
The development, known as the Digital Hub, may also include an enterprise centre to attract high-tech companies specialising in digital media such as interactive television and Web services. Although the project has already been flagged and will be located in the Liberties area of Dublin, these proposals are the first to be made public.
Digital Media Development Limited, the company developing the concept, also confirmed it had secured £58 million (€74 million) public funding at the unveiling of a consultation process in Dublin yesterday.
The company said a development plan would be published this autumn. Initial hopes that the project would be developed by the end of 2003 are now unlikely to be realised.
After a six-month delay, the Office of Public Works is now acquiring property worth £50 million on sites spanning nine acres in the Liberties area of Dublin for the project.
Contracts have been signed for several properties lining Thomas Street including the Guinness Hop Store. These properties will form the core development area of the digital hub.
In addition, Digital Media Development will have a three year operational budget worth £8 million to drive the project forward. The funding is below initial projections of £100 million which was strongly opposed by Department of Finance officials following the downturn in the technology sector.
However, Mr Paddy Teahon, Digital Media chairman, said the downturn in the dotcom sector would not undermine the project. The Digital Hub would attract high value added companies with underlying profitability, he added.
"If we don't put them in place we will not be able to sustain the levels of income we have reached," said Mr Teahon.
"We've had colossal success and now must bring that forward," he said. "The idea is to attract a lot of creative people."
Mr Teahon said the Government would provide an additional £50 million funding if the project succeeded in attracting private sector investment to the area.
He said the company had in no sense changed its vision for the project, with the key being enterprise based on world-class research.
Several groups are involved in the project including IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Dublin Corporation.
Ms Jennifer Condon, director of Infomatics at Enterprise Ireland, said there had already been a significant amount of interest expressed by the private sector in the project.
It is still unclear what type of incentives the Digital Hub will be able to offer prospective companies to locate due to laws preventing State aids in Dublin.
Ms Condon said it would be necessary to create the necessary infrastructure and services to attract a cluster of companies to the area.
Enterprise Ireland has looked at several international models of technology hubs, including Internet City in Dubai and a technology development in Sydney to gain ideas.
The two core proposals included in the discussion document are a learning and technology centre focused on education and a virtual academy in digital media arts.
The learning centre would provide educational and training opportunities for local people, direct links to schools and community organisations. The virtual academy for digital arts would provide online and offline courses in digital media technologies.
Feedback from a range of groups to the discussion document has been invited and is to be included in a development plan which is scheduled to be completed by the autumn, according to Ms Eve-Anne Cullinan, director of the executive services team. She said the initial consultation process had included 142 community groups.
