Kieran O’Hea, the founder of Digital Cork, says all towns in Ireland need to engage more with the digital economy.
Can you tell us about your background and how Digital Cork came about?
I’m from Cork but spent most of my career elsewhere, working in multimedia, web and digital strategy. I had some great experiences, managing Ireland’s first Apple Mac design agency, co-founding its first DVD authoring studio and being appointed the first chief digital officer of Brisbane.
I returned to Cork two years ago from Brisbane and saw opportunities to create a Cork digital strategy, promote the digital sector and develop the local digital economy. I created Digital Cork to encourage digital engagement at a strategic level both in business and in local government.
“Every region in Ireland needs more people who are driving the digital agenda.”
What are your passions? What drives you?
My passion is to develop Ireland’s digital economy across cities and towns, with Cork as the pacesetter. Digital Cork has given me a platform to voice this passion and is succeeding in building awareness. A suite of projects is ready to implement, once resources become available.
What drives me is the desire to see Cork taking its digital economy more seriously. I’ve invested a lot of my own time into Digital Cork, identifying initiatives like the need for a Cork digital strategy and am driven by the belief that one day these initiatives will be approved and funded.
“More effort is needed to engage SMEs in the digital economy, with as few as 14% currently trading online.”
What would you like to see more of in Cork?
With new developments planned across the city, Cork’s physical landscape will undergo dramatic change, but more emphasis needs to be put on its digital landscape. Vision and planning are needed to secure Cork’s share of the global digital
