The Irish Government’s Liberties-based The Digital Hub project has been shortlisted for a prestigious award by the Intelligent Community Forum as one of the world’s Top 18 intelligent communities.
The shortlist was selected from 150 projects representing some 31 countries worldwide.
The digital media cluster located in the Liberties area of Dublin City has 24 companies based at the site and more than 300 people working there. Over the next 10 years, the agency plans to develop a site that includes digital media enterprise, retail and residential units, learning and civic space.
Currently two of the nine acres have been developed and planning approvals are in train for the remaining space. The agency has already selected a preferred bidder for the remainder of the seven-acre property development following a tender process. Negotiations between the agency and the winning bidder began in 2004 and these have progressed to an advanced stage.
Philip Flynn, chief executive officer of the Digital Hub Development Agency, commented: “It is a great honour and accolade for The Digital Hub to reach the shortlist. This is another confirmation that The Digital Hub is recognised internationally as a model for the development of a vibrant and growing digital age community. We are only in the early stages of our project and being shortlisted is evidence of our early success in delivering on a world-class centre for digital media enterprises and learning.”
He continued: “The extensive broadband infrastructure put in place at The Digital Hub makes the project one of the most advanced in Europe. In the intelligent community of the future, broadband services will be a basic necessity, and our success in this competition is recognition that The Digital Hub has shown the foresight to invest and deliver these essential services today for a world-class intelligent community in the heart of Dublin.”
John Jung, chairman of the Intelligent Community Forum, added: “We have never received such an impressive number of qualified submissions and everyone of the 18 finalists were impressive. The Digital Hub should feel proud that it is among the top intelligent communities in the world,” Jung said.
By John Kennedy
