The Western Development Commission (WDC) has launched its 2025 – 2029 strategy with a clear message: remote and flexible working is here to stay, and the West is ready to lead!

The strategy highlights the WDC’s role in establishing infrastructure, capturing data and promoting regionalisation with the ultimate goal of enhancing innovation and opportunity in the West, thus optimising the future of work in Ireland.

At the heart of the strategy is a framework built on the “Four Hs” – Heritage, Horizons, Harnessing Talent, and Hubs. It offers a roadmap for inclusive innovation, sustainable growth, and strong community connections. For the many of us invested in the future of remote work, there is a welcome focus on action and building on solid foundations built.

Connected Hubs: Beyond Infrastructure

The WDC recognises that remote work is not just a workplace trend but a structural change. Its strategy positions the Connected Hubs network as a national asset:

“The Connected Hubs network is more than a remote working solution, it is a critical national asset that delivers on key national policy priorities, including climate action, digitalisation, regional enterprise growth, and social inclusion.”
(Page 13, Strategic Framework: The Four Hs)

The commitment to expand and enhance these hubs is equally significant:

“Expand and enhance the Connected Hubs programme to support flexible working practices and provide high-quality local spaces and other complementary services for workers, businesses, entrepreneurs and community groups across the region.”
(Page 34, Pillar 3: Building Sustainable Communities)

These hubs are not just places to work. They are critical nodes of community resilience, economic participation, and innovation.

Data for the Future of Work

Policy and planning need evidence. This relies on credible research and an active process of data gathering. The WDC has committed to driving that agenda to evolve the remote work ecosystem in Ireland:

“WDC will also continue to play a lead role in developing national data on the incidence and frequency of remote work, to provide an evidence base for policy planning in the evolution of Future of Work practices.”
(Page 34, Pillar 3)

Providing trustworthy research and data will help anchor flexible work in national strategies, ensuring it remains a supported and measurable priority.

National Data Leadership

It should be noted that WDC has been a national leader in generating evidence about remote work since 2020. In partnership with the University of Galway, it has conducted Ireland’s National Remote Work Surveys annually.

In 2023, the survey showed:

• 59% of respondents were working hybrid and 38% fully remotely
• 72% said their preferences for remote/hybrid work were being supported
• 92% said remote work would be a key factor in choosing an employer
• Almost 14% had already relocated within Ireland because of the ability to work remotely

Counties in the West like Galway, Mayo, Donegal, and Sligo featured strongly both as relocation destinations and preferred future home bases.This data gives us a powerful national picture and highlights the growing significance of the West in Ireland’s future of work.

A Region Ready to Lead

The Western Region is uniquely placed to show how remote work can support strong local economies and quality of life. The WDC strategy highlights this clearly:

“The shift towards regionalisation, remote work, and digitalisation has reshaped where and how people choose to live and work. The Western Region offers a high quality of life, strong community networks, and increasing digital connectivity…”
(Page 10, A Changing Landscape for the Western Region)

Being genuinely innovative is about much more than connectivity. It’s about opportunity and giving people in the west of Ireland real choices about where they live and work.

What This Means for Us

At Grow Remote, we’ve always believed that jobs should be accessible regardless of location. The WDC strategy shows leadership by putting policy, infrastructure, and investment behind that belief.

We’re proud to work alongside partners like WDC to build a future where remote work works for everyone, everywhere – and especially in places like Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway, and Clare.

The West isn’t following the remote work trend. It’s setting the pace.

Access the WDC strategy here:

https://westerndevelopment.ie/2025/05/30/unlocking-potential-wdc-launches-e50-million-strategy-to-drive-growth-in-the-west-and-northwest/