Vision for Meath

Meath County Council are promoting Meath as the place and space to thrive for entrepreneurs, potential investors, future residents, communities and visitors alike.  We want to ensure that those considering establishing or expanding their business within Meath, along with their potential workforce, see Meath as an ideal place to live, work and do business.

This Economic Development Strategy Roadmap outlines our vision and approach to drive sustainable growth and prosperity in our region.  It moves Meath forward into the next phase of being ‘the place and space to thrive’ for all while considering changing market conditions, emerging trends and new opportunities.

Seven Key Focus Areas

1. Indigenous Industry / SMEs
2. Foreign Direct Investment
3. Tourism, Hospitality & Heritage
4. Retail
5. Innovation
6. Agriculture & Food Industry
7. Creative Economy

Four Enabling Actions

Why do Business in Meath?

Meath has unparalleled and unique competitive advantage within Ireland.

Live

A Young and Growing Population

• Second lowest average age and second highest population growth in the State

Money goes Further

• Sixth highest disposable income and third highest labour force participation rate in the State

Urban and Rural Living

• 59% urban living and 41% rural living

High Quality of Life

• Strong sense of community, access to employment, education, arts, culture, heritage and diverse recreational opportunities

A Safe Place

• A countywide crime rate of half the State average

Good for your Health

• 92% of people reported being in good or very good health, 2% higher than the Eastern and Midland region and the State.

Work

Successful Indigenous Business

• Meath is home to 13,345 local businesses and 36 new company formations per 10,000 population, the 4th highest in the State

Clustering of key Industries

• Major employment industries include: retail and trade/auto, health and social work, manufacturing, education and construction

Proximity to National and Global Markets

• Dublin Airport within 30 minutes
• Ferry ports in Dublin, Drogheda and Belfast
• Served by four motorways (M1, M2, M3 and M4)
• Bus routes operate throughout the county
• Rail via the Dublin-Belfast line, Dublin-Sligo line and Dunboyne line
• Proposed Navan rail line

Highly Desirable Place to do Business

• 77% of businesses were happy or very happy that their business is located in Meath

Highly educated Workforce

• 43.4% of leaving certificate students progressing to university, which is higher than the State average

Play

Unique Sense of Space

• Meath enjoys a rich heritage with 3,000+ monuments and heritage sites
• Home to Leinster's only two Gaeltacht regions and one of Ireland's two UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Lots of options for Entertainment

• 102 Sports facilities
• 23 Arts and culture venues
• 13 Libraries
• 1 Theme Park (Emerald Park)

Active and Vibrant Communities

• 400+ Community, social, environmental and leisure groups

The Place to Relax

• Countryside, award winning beaches, historical landmarks, rivers, farms, blueways and greenways

Success to Date

The accomplishments of Meath’s economic development strategy 2014-2022 is evident when we look at the success stories throughout the county including the Meta data centre developments, MSD Pharma Group, the Avoca development at Dunboyne as well as Emerí Nutrition in Navan.

The new Roadmap intends to build on the previous strategy and aims to address challenges in the county including attracting more FDI.  Meath will also continue to focus attention on the more traditional economic base of the county including meat processing, other agri-food industry, engineering, and furniture making.

Meath is already home to indigenous and international businesses making Meath their ‘Place and space to thrive’

Imagining Meath 2030

The local economy of Meath is influenced by a complex set of factors, including demographic changes, tourism, agriculture, technology, infrastructure investment, Covid 19 and Brexit.  We are also affected by local, national, and international trends.  International supply chain issues and weary investors affect all counties in Ireland indiscriminately.  Meath remains informed and well positioned to take advantage of these drivers and reduce any negative effects. 

Meath County Council understands that it is important for businesses and policymakers to understand these trends and drivers while promoting economic growth and development in the area.

As we look to the year 2030, we are focused on driving sustainable economic growth and development across a range of sectors.  Seven key areas where the council is working to support and promote economic development in the county include:

• Indigenous Industry/SMEs
• Foreign Direct Investment
• Tourism/ Hospitality & Heritage
• Innovation
• Retail
• Agriculture/Food Industries
• Creative Economy