Council and Chamber working to strengthen links with Washington State
Fingal County Council and Fingal Chamber intend to strengthen relationships established during a recent business trip to create economic, education and tourism opportunities between Fingal and Washington State.
Fingal County Council and Fingal Chamber intend to strengthen relationships established during a recent business trip to create economic, education and tourism opportunities between Fingal and Washington State.
Following a visit by a delegation from Seattle delegation to Ireland in 2019, a leadership delegation, made up of representatives from Fingal County Council, Fingal Chamber, Dublin City University and Technological University Dublin, visited North West America recently and held a series of high-level meetings with officials, colleges and companies in Seattle, Bellevue and Des Moines in Washington State.
In the coming months, the Council, Chamber and Colleges will follow up on the opportunities discussed with the representatives of various organisations in Seattle in respect of tourism, cultural exchange, renewable energy, clean technology, circular economy, education and training and digital transformation.
There are high hopes that, as a result of the delegation’s successful visit, ties will be strengthened through collaborative projects to enhance the local economic and community environments of both Fingal and Washington State.
The Fingal delegation was led by the outgoing Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Howard Mahony, and Fingal Chamber Vice-President Kevin Smith. They were joined by Fingal County Council Chief Executive AnnMarie Farrelly, Fingal Chamber Chief Executive Anthony Cooney and the President of Dublin City University, Daire Keogh.
The delegation also included Cllr Darragh Butler, Chair of the Council’s Economic, Enterprise, Tourism and Cultural Development Strategic Policy Committee as well as officials from Fingal County Council and Fingal Chamber and representatives from DCU, TUDublin, Skillnet and businesses affiliated with Fingal Chamber.
The delegation met with Greg Wong, Deputy Mayor of Seattle;, Lynne Robinson, Mayor of Bellevue; and Matt Mahoney, Mayor of Des Moines. Topics discussed included tourism, economic development, the arts, housing, transport and social issues.
Meetings were also held with Microsoft, Riot Games, Greater Seattle Partners, Seattle Port Authority, CleanTech Alliance, Downtown Seattle Association, Visit Seattle, Sound Transit, Washington University and Highline College.
Reflecting on the trip, Cllr Howard Mahony said: “We certainly made fabulous connections. From a business perspective Fingal will benefit. We sold Fingal. I felt it was successful and we will do well out of this as a county.”
Fingal County Council Chief Executive, AnnMarie Farrelly, added: “There are a lot of similarities and connections between Fingal and this part of America and, as a result, there were a lot of learnings for the delegation across a wide range of topics. We want to build on the relationships we have established and look for projects where we can collaborate on for the benefit of both sets of communities.”
Fingal Chamber Vice-President, Kevin Smith said: ”We are determined to capitalise on the strong connections we have established and pursue further knowledge sharing, particularly in relation to Covid-19 pandemic recovery initiatives. We feel that together, we can achieve remarkable advancements in economic development, innovation, and tourism.”
Anthony Cooney, Chief Executive of Fingal Chamber said: “We are thrilled to strengthen our links with Washington State and seize the exciting opportunities that lie ahead. By fostering collaboration in sectors such as education, clean technology, and the circular economy, we can drive sustainable growth and create a prosperous future for both Fingal and Washington State.”