A future built at home - Omagh's digital renaissance

BY 2035, Omagh could be known for something once thought impossible: a thriving digital economy that allows people to build global careers without leaving home.

That future is no longer a distant ambition. According to Nicholas O’Shiel, chief executive of Omagh Enterprise, it is a realistic projection - if the right decisions are made now.

“We are at a moment where Omagh can genuinely change its economic trajectory,” he says. “Digital work, remote employment and AI-driven industries mean opportunity no longer belongs only to cities. Towns like Omagh can lead - if they plan for it.”

At the heart of this vision is the Omagh Digi-Hub Network: a connected system of digital, creative and enterprise spaces designed to turn underused buildings into engines of jobs, skills and innovation.

From leaving to returning

For generations, ambition often meant departure. Young people built careers elsewhere, and many never came back. That pattern is changing.

High-speed connectivity, global remote work and new digital tools mean people can now live in Omagh while working with clients and companies around the world. Increasingly, they are choosing to do just that.

One such person is Caoileann, a creative professional who recently moved into the Digi-Hub.

“Having a dedicated, professional space completely transformed how I work,” she says. “It sharpened my focus, boosted my creativity and made my business feel real. I can’t imagine going back.”

Stories like hers are becoming common - and they point to a larger shift underway.

In 2027, five of Omagh’s largest schools will relocate to the new Strule Shared Education Campus. This move will release substantial, high-quality buildings in the town centre.

According to Mr O’Shiel, this moment could define Omagh’s next decade.

“These buildings can either sit empty or be reimagined as places where new careers are built,” he says. “Digital hubs, training centres, start-up spaces - this is how you bring life back into a town centre.”

Linked together as a Digi-Hub Network, these spaces could support entrepreneurs, remote workers, creative professionals and start-ups - creating a visible, active digital economy in the heart of the town.

Numbers behind the optimism

Omagh Enterprise’s projections show that a well-planned digital strategy, built around a network of hubs, could support up to 3,000 digital and digitally enabled jobs by 2035.

But the impact would extend far beyond those roles.

Every new digital job supports others - cafés, childcare, retail, professional services, construction and local suppliers. The result is a multiplier effect that strengthens the entire local economy.

“This isn’t just about tech companies,” O’Shiel explains. “It’s about creating a stable, diverse economy where people can stay, return and build lives here.”

Why Omagh is ready

The foundations are already in place:

l World-class connectivity through Project Kelvin

l Over 100,000 square feet of existing enterprise workspace

l A strong track record of business support and mentoring

l Talented people, from school leavers to returning graduates

“We are not starting from zero,” says O’Shiel. “We are starting from strength. What’s needed now is coordination, investment and a clear long-term plan.”

Other towns have already demonstrated what’s possible. With significant digital investment elsewhere in the region, Omagh has both the justification—and the urgency - to act.

More than a workspace

A Digi-Hub is not just desks and Wi-Fi.

It is a community where:

l entrepreneurs create local jobs

l remote workers connect to global markets

l mentors and investors help ideas grow

l people access AI tools and digital training

In many ways, it is the modern equivalent of the factories and workshops that once powered local economies—only now, ideas and skills are the raw materials.

The decade ahead

Nicholas O’Shiel believes the next ten years will determine Omagh’s long-term future.

“The towns that plan for a digital, AI-driven economy will thrive,” he says. “Those that don’t will struggle to keep their people.”

That is why Omagh Enterprise is calling for a clear Digital Jobs Strategy - one with practical actions, defined targets and shared responsibility across business, education and government.

Not a glossy document, but a roadmap that turns potential into progress.

Writing the next chapter

The opportunity is real. The buildings are there. The talent is here.

What happens next depends on whether Omagh chooses to lead.

For entrepreneurs, remote workers, returning graduates and anyone thinking about building a future in Omagh, the message is clear: this town’s story is being rewritten.

And this time, it’s being written at home.

Join the movement. Connect with Omagh Enterprise. Help build a Digi-Hub Network that keeps Omagh’s future - right where it belongs.