Blue Economy Killybegs Marine Cluster

What is the Blue Economy?

The Blue Economy is sustainable use of the ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and overall ocean ecosystem health and maintenance. The blue economy is quite broad and encompasses many industries including commercial fishing (base industry), fish processing, marine engineering, aquaculture, renewable energies, offshore marine services and marine tourism. Other emerging blue economy industries include bio-marine, climate change, waste management, digitalisation and blue technology.

Our Blue Economy

The Killybegs Marine Cluster was established in 2021. It is one of twelve clusters on the Island and part of Enterprise Ireland’s National Clustering programme which is 100% funded under the Regional Technology Cluster Fund. Killybegs Marine Cluster is the only dedicated Blue Economy cluster on the Island and unique in several ways:

• The Killybegs Marine Cluster has organically developed from natural resources, with commercial fishing being the base industry. Due to the geograpgical position of Killybegs on the North West coast of Ireland, the port provides easy access to the richest fishing grounds in Europe. Killybegs also have the highest and most sustained wind speeds in Europe.
• Killybegs are internationally renowned for their marine engineering capabilities which are reverred throughout Europe.
• Killybegs Marine Cluster have a unique ecosystem given the proximity of the members who are all within 1 square kilometre of each other.