IE-Annual-Report-&-Review-2024

Business Review Impact – advocating for digital development Through our ‘Profit for Purpose’ ethos, the Impact strategic pillar reflects our commitment to investing our resources in projects, events, partnerships, and data insights that support Ireland’s Harnessing Digital goal of becoming a safe, secure, and trusted digital nation where communities, businesses, and individuals can thrive online. 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. .ie Digital Town Blueprints To help town leaders and policymakers embed their own digital town programmes and action plans in empirical data, .ie partnered with 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. By the end of 2024, 57 towns across 26 counties had been evaluated, supporting the Department of Rural and Community Development’s strategy and objectives to create town centres that function as viable, vibrant and attractive locations for people to live, work and visit, while also functioning as the social, cultural and recreational hub for the local community. 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. .IE Digital Town Awards 2020-2024 The Awards promoted awareness, knowledge, use and understanding of digital in Ireland by its citizens, businesses and communities. They also highlighted the benefits and possibilities of digital, and celebrate the digital achievements of local towns, big and small. Over the four-year period a prize fund of over €360,000 was given to projects that impacted on communities across Ireland. The awards brought stakeholders from both national and local government, business, community groups and individuals together to highlight how digitalisation is enhancing towns and villages across Ireland making them better places to live, work and visit. 2024 concluded the final year of the awards as .IE takes a new strategic direction; still serving our mission to elevate Ireland’s digital identity by providing the Irish online community with a trusted, resilient and accessible .ie internet domain, while working with strategic partners to promote and invest in digital adoption and advocacy initiatives. Please point your phone’s camera here, to meet the 2024 winners on YouTube:- Digital Development Advocacy As .IE continues to develop its expertise in data analytics, we are deepening our understanding of the digital capabilities of Irish enterprise. These insights allow us to engage meaningfully in both local and national forums, highlighting the real challenges that SMEs face in their digital journeys and advocating for practical, inclusive solutions. We are privileged to collaborate with government representatives and digital leaders to support the continued implementation of Ireland’s National Digital Strategy and to contribute towards achieving the EU’s Digital Decade targets. Our work positions us as a trusted partner in shaping policies that promote digital resilience, competitiveness, and innovation. In 2024, we proudly partnered with multinational companies and leading business organisations to launch Tech Hub Ireland – a dynamic platform led by Enterprise Nation. This initiative delivers personalised digital assessments, training, and ongoing support to help small businesses across Ireland to adopt technology that drives growth and sustainability. Through data-led advocacy, strategic partnerships, and impactful programmes, .IE remains committed to enabling a more digitally empowered Ireland – ensuring that businesses and communities alike can thrive in an increasingly connected world. IE Domain Registry CLG t/a .IE / Annual Report & Review 2024 27