Limerick is a wonderful city in Ireland and it sits in Munster with the River Shannon flowing through it. Limerick has a population of 94,192 and it is a city that is by its own admission ‘on the rise’. Limerick City is the third largest city in Ireland and it is loved for its historic values and bustling lifestyle. Interestingly, Limerick is the first city in Ireland to appoint a Chief Digital Officer to lead the digital strategy of the city. It is something that is new but it is seeing 4m invested in technology and research with the aim that the city and its people or visitors will be better engaged with the city. The delivery of this project is being supported by platform, Limerick.ie. Lots of towns and cities are applying digital strategy to their planning processes to improve their branding and marketability but none have gone to as great lengths as Limerick City yet!
Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is something quite new but it is growing in popularity and Limerick has led the charge showing the importance of digital strategy and transformation in towns and cities. Limerick has adopted technology to the heart of the city and is using Internet of Things technologies and Smart CCTV and this enables safer communities. Part of Limerick’s ambition is embracing technology including artificial intelligence, wearable technologies and big data. The digital transformation is to showcase Limerick as a smart city and that is it a good place to live and ready for the digital age. Limerick City topped the charts and was named one of the principal winners in the European Cities of the Future Awards 2018/19 by fDi Intelligence, a specialist division from The Financial Times Ltd.
Education and Employment
Limerick is home to three prestigious third level academic institutions and according to the limerick.ie website, Limerick has a student population of 24,000 with international students from more than 100 countries. The universities provide the city with home-grown talent and international talent that can be used in the area. Education is vitally important to Limerick with Limerick’s Coláiste Laurel Hill ranked as the number one in Ireland for the fourth year running in The Sunday Times annual list of the top schools around the country. With graduates flying the flag for the IT, Science, Engineering and Technology sectors, Limerick produces highly skilled graduates every year. Furthermore, Limerick is recognised by Unesco for its excellence as a Learning City. Limerick has seen growth in their economy in recent years and according to the Limerick.ie website, unemployment has fallen 5.2% and over 12,000 jobs have been created since 2013. Limerick has proven itself to be a great location for international markets and it is committed to innovating to further improve on its economic growth.
Commercial and Residential Property
Like anything, you can create a digital city but it needs to have all the infrastructure in place to manage the influx of people and businesses. When we look at commercial property prices in Limerick city they are well-priced especially when compared to other European cities. For private rental property, while rent prices are lower than that of Dublin they are going up year on year however; for those looking to buy property in Limerick City it is competitive.
Transport
For transport options, Limerick City offers lots of opportunities to get to where you need to when you need to. Shannon International Airport is only a short 25 minute drive away and Shannon offers daily services to the US, UK and mainland Europe. Thanks to the Limerick tunnel, all national roads are connected in the southern bypass of the city. National roads lead to Limerick City and since the implementation of smarter travel that Limerick invested in, it includes private bike rental scheme, walkways and improved bus routes. Limerick boasts good rail links with regular links between Limerick and Dublin as well as other key areas. Bus services are available to and from all parts of Ireland.
Limerick 2030
As mentioned, Limerick is on a transformation path and with their ambitions to yield all technologies, they hope to engage with citizens more. According to the Limerick 2030 website they hope to double the number of digital startups in Limerick, double the number of SMEs trading online, double the use of data, create equal opportunities for all citizens and accelerate the development of a Sustainable Smarter Limerick that can grow to become Ireland’s 2nd largest city at the centre of a strong region. Not an easy feat but it is something they are striving to do and it must be applauded for sheer willingness to transform themselves.
Work and Life Balance
Limerick City has a vibrant lifestyle waiting for those who choose to settle into city life. The world-famous Thomond Park lives nearby and it is home to many a rugby game. Hurling is another sport that is much loved by Limerick’s residents and the city has ample shopping opportunities and a good foodie scene.
Projects
There are some exciting projects coming through the pipeline in Limerick City and one such development is the 0.6 acre Gardens International Office site. This project is using its current architecture to regenerate it into a new and improved business space. Another incredibly exciting project is the 3.7 acre Opera Site project and this will be a landmark commercial development and will reflect Limerick’s status as a leading destination for inward investment. The Opera Site will be capable of hosting 3,000 employees and it will make for magnificent views when fully completed.
Limerick is most certainly ‘on the rise’.