Enterprise Ireland & IDA Launch Trade Investment Mission

The Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD is leading 71 Irish companies on a trade and investment mission to Australia and Singapore.

The project, a collaboration with Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland is focused on increasing Irish exports to markets outside the UK by 50% over the next year, and attracting investment from Australian and ASEAN companies.

The eight-day trade and investment mission, covering Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Singapore, will see the client companies participate in 24 business events and pre-arranged meetings with potential business partners including Telstra, Optus, and ANZ Bank. The mission will also include meetings with IDA client and target companies in Financial Services, Technology and Medtech sectors.

The Enterprise Ireland client companies participating on the mission span a number of sectors including Fintech, Medtech, Engineering, E-Learning, Agri-tech, ICT and emerging technologies.

To further drive the growth of Irish exports to the Asia Pacific region, Minister Humphreys confirmed plans to open new Enterprise Ireland offices in Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), as part of the Government's Global Ireland 2025 strategy and a key Brexit response measure to support Irish exporters to diversify into even more markets, beyond the UK.

Ms Humphreys said: "As home to more than half of world's population and one of the largest economies in the world, Asia Pacific is a key growth region for Ireland, so I am delighted to lead this Trade and Investment Mission to Australia and Singapore. The programme will focus on both supporting Irish companies to expand exports and attracting FDI to Ireland.

"My aim over the coming days is to build awareness and promote the 'Irish advantage' of the participating companies through their innovation and capability in key sectors. I look forward to engaging with key decision makers at the highest levels in Government and Industry to promote Ireland as both a source of world-class products and services and as a world-leading destination for FDI.

"I am also pleased to announce plans to open two new Enterprise Ireland offices in the region, in Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, as part of the Government's Global Ireland 2025 strategy. The expansion of Enterprise Ireland's global footprint will further support the drive for increased exports and promote Irish business capability to even more international buyers."

Kevin Sherry, Executive Director, Global Business Development, Enterprise Ireland said: "Expanding the Irish export footprint in markets beyond the UK is a key priority for Enterprise Ireland and we are working closely with Irish industry to pursue realisable opportunities to support greater market diversification throughout the Asia Pacific region. Australia and Singapore have proven to be soft landing zones for Irish companies that want to test the market with a view to targeting and growing in the wider region."

Asia Pacific was one of the fastest growing regions for Enterprise Ireland backed companies in 2017 delivering annual growth of 9% to €1.9billion in 2017. A total of 600 Enterprise Ireland client companies currently export to the region and have added €1bn in new exports to the Asia Pacific region in the last five years.


Mr Sherry concluded: "Since 2018, Enterprise Ireland has strengthened its resources in key sectors such as Digital Technologies, Financial Services, Education, Agritech, Healthcare, Construction and Food FDI across the Asia Pacific region and will add additional resources by end of 2019 including new offices in Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, as well as pathfinders in New Zealand and Shenzhen."



(JG/MH)