{"id":466158,"date":"2026-05-25T12:28:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T12:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/466158\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T12:28:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T12:28:09","slug":"south-west-uniquely-positioned-to-drive-irelands-economic-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/466158\/","title":{"rendered":"South West uniquely positioned to drive Ireland\u2019s economic growth"},"content":{"rendered":"

KPMG Ireland<\/a> has warned that the South West faces a \u201cpivotal phase\u201d in its development, with urgent investment needed in housing, transport and energy infrastructure if the region is to fulfil its economic and low-carbon potential by 2040.<\/p>\n

The findings are contained in the new \u201cSouth West 2040: Advancing Ireland\u2019s Economic Future\u201d report, which argues that Cork and the wider South West are uniquely positioned to drive Ireland\u2019s economic growth and renewable energy ambitions over the next 15 years.<\/p>\n

The region, which includes Cork and Kerry, is home to more than 740,000 people and currently contributes over 20% of national GDP<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to KPMG, the South West benefits from a strong industrial base, globally connected businesses, major education and research institutions, and a central role in Ireland\u2019s energy transition.<\/p>\n

However, the report highlights mounting demographic and infrastructure pressures that could threaten future competitiveness if not addressed quickly.<\/p>\n

By 2040, the number of people aged over 65 in the region is expected to increase by almost 80,000, creating additional strain on healthcare, housing and labour supply.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the 25-43 age cohort is projected to grow by almost 63% compared with 2022 levels, strengthening the region\u2019s talent pool and economic prospects.<\/p>\n

KPMG said global trends around investment, climate change and population growth are already reshaping regional economies and warned that the South West must \u201ccontinue to be proactive\u201d in attracting investment.<\/p>\n

The report identifies transport, utilities, housing delivery and energy infrastructure as key priorities to ensure the region remains attractive for businesses and workers.<\/p>\n

Energy is expected to play a central role in the South West\u2019s future growth.<\/p>\n

Cork currently supplies more than a quarter of Ireland\u2019s national energy demand and contains around 20% of the country\u2019s installed electricity generation capacity through assets including the Whitegate refinery and gas-fired power stations at Aghada and Whitegate.<\/p>\n

County Cork also accounts for approximately 12% of Ireland\u2019s installed wind generation capacity, while Kerry produces around 13% of national wind energy output.<\/p>\n

In May 2025, Kerry generated 82GWh of zero-carbon renewable electricity, the highest of any county in the State.<\/p>\n

Barrie O\u2019Connell, partner at KPMG<\/a>, said the region was well positioned to lead the country\u2019s renewable energy expansion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe evidence is clear that the South West is primed to lead Ireland\u2019s renewable energy generation development,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnlocking this potential requires an integrated approach. The availability of 388 hectares of zoned Special Policy Area in the Cork Harbour Whitegate area can enable delivery of major energy-related developments, while extended port infrastructure will create greater offshore wind developments.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that electricity grid investment would also be critical in attracting future data centre investment into the region.<\/p>\n

The report also calls for faster infrastructure delivery and clearer governance structures to reduce delays in major projects.<\/p>\n

Recommendations include accelerating timelines for projects such as Luas Cork, improving water and wastewater capacity, and developing a coordinated plan for Cork Docklands.<\/p>\n

KPMG also warned that the South West is among the regions most exposed to climate change risks, with up to 21,800 households in Cork and Kerry potentially vulnerable to flooding under future climate scenarios.<\/p>\n

\"SouthMike Hayes, KPMG\u2019s global head of renewable energy, climate and decarbonisation<\/p>\n

Mike Hayes, KPMG\u2019s global head of renewable energy, climate and decarbonisation, said climate resilience planning must become a core requirement for future investment decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cPre-emptive resilience assessment and funding are critical priorities for the South West as it looks to 2040,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMobilising private capital at scale will be essential to deliver adaptation and mitigation.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"KPMG Ireland has warned that the South West faces a \u201cpivotal phase\u201d in its development, with urgent investment…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":466159,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":["post-466158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466158"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466158\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}