Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 July 2018
266. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if Enterprise Ireland plans to expand its office network in Europe and North America; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29124/18]
View answerEnterprise Ireland (EI) is committed to helping companies expand their reach, internationalise and provide quality jobs throughout the country. It does this by offering a wide range of supports to client companies, particularly when it comes to entering new markets. In 2017, 350 new overseas presences were established with support from EI. Of these, 232 client investments were in excess of €0.5 million, and 56 companies were first time exporters outside of the UK.
Through its network of 33 overseas offices and its extended Pathfinder (Trade Consultant) network, EI has the capacity to provide client companies with the appropriate support in markets where there are identified opportunities. EI’s client companies have access to market knowledge on a sectoral basis; introductions to buyers/suppliers/in-market partners; and market intelligence such as competitor analysis, identification of professional services etc. They also have access to incubation and hotdesking facilities.
The activities of EI’s overseas network are supported by the Market Research Centre and Strategic Marketing Unit based in Dublin, alongside a range of financial and capability developments supports aimed at helping client companies to compete and win sales in overseas markets.
The expansion of EI’s overseas presence is an ongoing process, and is part of Global Ireland: Ireland’s Global Footprint to 2025, the Government strategy for doubling the scope and impact of Ireland’s global footprint in the period ahead which was recently announced by the Taoiseach. Decisions on where to expand are based on a number of factors such as market analysis and availability of resources.
EI’s new Eurozone Strategy aims to increase exports to Eurozone countries by 50% to 2020. As part of its Eurozone strategy, EI launched the #IrishAdvantage campaign, a new digital marketing campaign targeting buyers in key sectors. The campaign highlights the advantages of sourcing from Ireland, including access to technology and innovation, and working with flexible and dedicated Irish professionals. A key theme is the reliability of the supply chain and the quality of the goods and services being delivered from a country which is strongly committed to the EU. The campaign is now live in over ten markets including the UK, Dutch, French, German, Nordic, and has also been extended outside of the Eurozone to the North American and Australian markets and in the fintech and high-tech construction sectors.
