Office of the Dublin Startup Commissioner praised in the UK

A leading UK planning agency has recommended replicating the office of the Dublin Startup Commissioner in towns and cities across the UK to promote and co-ordinate growth in local economies.

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) praised the appointment of a startup commissioner and the regeneration of the Dublin Docklands and called for the capital’s decisions to be mirrored in the UK.

Plans to develop technology and advanced manufacturing hubs must be balanced with measures that ensure their growth is beneficial to the whole city or region in which they are based.

The institute recommends that UK cities appoint a chief technology officer, similar to Dublin’s startup commissioner.

“The success in Dublin is proof that innovative hubs don’t just thrive by chance, they are also frequently the result of good planning,” said RTPI head of policy Richard Blyth.

“Industry and local authorities must also consider how to tackle problems like inflated prices, displacement of local residents and the accelerating gap between the rich and poor that an exponential development of these sectors may bring.”