The conference recognised the important work that many grassroots organisations were involved in prior to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
Many civic society groups were doing the hard work of cooperation and building understanding, often below the radar or without great acclaim.
NWTEC were a sponsor for this event and Dr Orla Flynn, President of ATU, represented the cluster on one of the conference panels. In her address, she outlined that the work of NWTEC was about putting the North West region first and that this was important because the region was the most economically disadvantaged region on the island of Ireland. She outlined the importance of this collaborative working to ensure that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region had access to the skills, innovation, and research that will enable them grow and prosper; and also work as a pull factor for foreign and direct investment (FDI) considering a new base. Orla also outlined that the retention of graduates is centrally important and the role that the NWTEC partners can play in providing pathways from further education to research is the way to address this.
The keynote speakers at the conference were the acclaimed artist Colin Davidson and Mr Tim O’Connor who was a senior official in the Irish Government team that participated in the talks that led to the agreement of 10 April 1998. Colin outlined his work on the “Silent Testimony” exhibition of paintings, completed in 2015, which examined the legacy of the troubles. Tim set out his personal perspective on the development of the good will that created the opportunity for the accord and the negotiations that led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.