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ATU and WDC launch national research partnership on remote work
Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and the Western Development Commission (WDC) have announced a major new national research partnership that will examine how remote and hybrid work is reshaping Ireland’s economy, communities and quality of life.
Funded under the TU RISE Programme, the two-year project titled, Connected Futures: The Economics of Remote and Hybrid Work in Ireland and its Impacts on Wellbeing, Mobility, and the Local Economy, represents the next chapter in one of Ireland’s most established programmes of remote work research.
For over two decades, the WDC has been at the forefront of new ways of working in Ireland, championing the potential of teleworking long before remote work became part of everyday life. Its annual National Remote Work Survey, delivered in partnership with University of Galway, became one of the country’s most trusted sources of insight into changing work patterns and opportunities for balanced regional development.
The WDC also leads Connected Hubs in partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, helping communities across the country attract workers, support enterprise and allow more people to live locally while working nationally or globally. Dr Aisling Moroney, from the WDC Policy Analysis team, will lead the WDC involvement in the research.
ATU brings substantial research capability to this partnership, with growing strength in applied economics, regional development, innovation and public policy. The research will be led by Dr Amaya Vega, Dr Sinead Keogh and Dr Michelle Queally from the Department of Enterprise and Technology in the Faculty of Business, working with post-doctoral researcher Dr Salim Khan. With campuses and communities across the west and northwest, ATU is uniquely placed to help examine how changing work patterns are impacting people, places and enterprise across Ireland.
This new partnership will build on that foundation and move the conversation forward again. In a post-Covid economy, where hybrid and remote work are now established features of working life, the research will provide Government and stakeholders with fresh evidence on local spending, sustainable mobility, wellbeing, digital infrastructure, commuting behaviour and the long-term future of regional communities.
The programme will deliver enhanced national datasets, policy briefings, peer reviewed academic outputs and a flagship WDC report designed to inform decision makers and the wider public.
Dr Orla Flynn said:
Remote and hybrid work have fundamentally reshaped how we live, work and connect, particularly in regional and rural Ireland. By combining ATU’s research expertise and regional reach with the WDC’s leadership in this area, the Connected Futures initiative will generate evidence-based insights to support national decision-making, strengthen communities and ensure that the benefits of new ways of working are shared across all regions of the country.
Allan Mulrooney, CEO of the WDC, said:
“For more than two decades, the WDC has recognised the transformative potential of new ways of working to create opportunity across Ireland, particularly in rural and regional communities. Through our research, policy leadership and on-the-ground delivery, including our extensive body of research on remote work and the national Connected Hubs programme, we have helped move this agenda from concept to reality.
This new partnership with ATU represents the next important step. Ireland now needs robust, evidence-based insight into how remote and hybrid work can best support people, strengthen communities, and drive balanced regional economic growth in the years ahead. Remote and hybrid work are no longer trends; they are embedded in how we live and work. The focus now must be on making them work better for Ireland: improving access, enhancing productivity, and ensuring their benefits are felt across all regions.”
Lead researcher Dr Amaya Vega said:
“At ATU Faculty of Business, we are proud to bring our expertise in regional development, mobility, health, and wellbeing to this important project, helping to shape a future of work that benefits people, and supports thriving local economies across Ireland.”
Remote and hybrid work are no longer temporary trends. They are structural changes in how people live and work. This project will provide the robust evidence needed to understand those changes and support better policy decisions for Ireland.
The project will be supported by a high-level steering committee involving national and international stakeholders including the National Economic and Social Council, Grow Remote and other partners.”
Photo caption:
Front row: (L-R) Dr Michelle Queally, ATU project supervisor; Dr Amaya Vega, ATU project supervisor; Dr Aisling Moroney, WDC Policy Analyst. Back row: (L-R) Dr Sinead Keogh, ATU project supervisor; Dr Salim Khan, ATU postdoctoral researcher; Stephen Carolan, Head of Connected Hubs & Digital Innovation at WDC.
For media enquiries, contact:
Regina Daly
Communications and Press Officer
Tel: 087 961 8355
E: regina.daly@atu.ie
