Galway City Council, together with the West Regional Enterprise Plan through Galway County Council and CREW is this week strengthening its international collaboration and policy development work in Estonia through participation in both the ekip Academy in Tallinn and the Interreg Europe NITIES project partner meeting.
As Ireland prepares to assume the EU Presidency in July 2026, with Galway paired with Estonia, the visit represents a valuable opportunity to deepen relationships, exchange knowledge and build strategic partnerships across key areas including cultural policy, innovation and the night-time economy.
A highlight of the visit was a meeting at the Irish Embassy in Tallinn with H.E. James Sherry, Irish Ambassador to Estonia, where Galway representatives engaged in discussions on shared priorities and opportunities for strengthened cooperation between Ireland and Estonia. During the visit, Galway representatives met with colleagues from the City of Tallinn, including Monika Haukanõmm, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Sports, Lennart Sündja, Head of Culture and Sports Department, and Liisi Ree from the Culture Division, reinforcing ties between both cities as they prepare for closer collaboration during the upcoming EU Presidency period.
The Galway delegation included Brian Barrett, Head of Economic Development and Culture, Kate Howard, Night-Time Economy Advisor, Caitriona Morgan, Economic Development, Kenny Derry, West Regional Programme Manager through Galway County Council, Ainslie Peters, Director of Programmes and Projects at CREW who were joined by European partners from the NITIES project, including representatives from IRMO (Croatia), the project’s Lead Partner and Lead Expert Małgorzata Steckiewicz.
The NITIES project focuses on supporting cities in the strategic development of the night-time economy, promoting more sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant urban environments across Europe. Engagement with European partners provided a valuable platform for sharing experience and shaping future approaches to night-time economy planning in Galway.
Alongside this, the Galway delegation is also actively participating in the ekip Academy, an international programme focused on open innovation and the integration of cultural and creative industries into policy and development. The Academy brings together policymakers, innovation agencies, and creative sector leaders from across Europe to explore how ecosystems can be built to drive competitiveness and meaningful transformation. Key insights included the importance of actively building collaborative ecosystems and recognising creativity as a core driver of economic and social development.
The visit marks another important step in positioning Galway as a connected, forward-looking European city, actively collaborating to address shared challenges and opportunities.