IE-Annual-Report-2023

Profit-for-good mandate The Company operates a profit-for-good mandate, and one of its goals as a public benefit company is to support and serve the needs of the local Internet community. The .IE Digital Town programme was developed to foster digital enhancement and adoption in Ireland, helping businesses, citizens and communities to harness the benefits of the Internet and to thrive online. We are committed to advancing Ireland’s Internet ecosystem by working through multiple partnerships to enable this to become a reality. The programme comprises three elements: Big Data for small towns, the .IE Digital Town Awards and the .IE Digital Town Blueprint. Two specific pillars of activity are currently underway – the Awards, and the Blueprint. .IE Digital Town Awards 2023 The Awards promote awareness, knowledge, use and understanding of digital in Ireland by its citizens, businesses and communities. They also highlight the benefits and possibilities of digital, and celebrate the digital achievements of local towns, big and small. Digitalisation offers the opportunity to create new ways of doing things. It promotes innovation and breathes new life into local communities, making them more attractive places to live and work, as well as contributing to a more sustainable future. 2023 was the third year of our awards and had a €100,000 prize fund. The independent judging panel selected Clonmel, Co. Tipperary as the winner of the top Award, which was presented by Sinead Bryan, Managing Director, Vodafone Business, at the Awards Gala event in Athlone, in May 2023. Case studies of the winners are here: https://www.weare.ie/ie-digital- town-awards-winner-case-studies/ and a video of the Awards Gala is available here: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=LoAbQJcqUEs&t=4s Digital Development advocacy To help town leaders and policymakers embed their own digital town programmes and action plans in empirical data, .IE partnered with The Irish Institute of Digital Business at DCU to fully explore the concept and value of the “digital town” through a comprehensive research project. The resultant digital readiness framework is the first of its kind in Europe. In 2022, the Department of Rural and Community Development made provision for funding a .IE Digital Town Blueprint assessment for the 26 towns selected to prepare Master Plans as part of the Town Centre First initiative. The Blueprint reports were disseminated to the 26 towns in December 2022, and formally issued in March 2023. The Blueprint reports provide data and actionable insights for decision-makers in these towns, and others like them, as they consider digitalisation as part of their initiatives that positively impact the local economy, public services, town rejuvenation, social cohesion, and overall quality of life. The local Internet community The Company has provided free .ie domain names to thousands of registered charities, who have a valid CHY number issued by the Revenue Commissioners. This is done in co-operation with a number of our accredited Registrars. Through our memberships and sponsorships of industry awards and events, the Company provides a modest level of financial support to the local Internet community. In 2023, we again sponsored the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, supported Cyber Ireland, IRISS, HEAnet and Digital Business Ireland, contributing to their events and committees. Point your phone’s camera here, to meet the 2023 winners on YouTube:- Business Review IE Domain Registry CLG t/a .IE / Annual Report & Review 2023 25