Enterprise Ireland will host the third Enterprise Ireland Offshore Wind Forum in Croke Park next Tuesday (28 November), featuring an address from Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

This one-day knowledge and networking event will convene the Irish offshore wind supply chain with industry stakeholders from across the Irish, UK and global offshore wind markets.

The forum will include updates on both the Irish and UK offshore wind markets, with key contributions from project developers and industry experts.

It will assess the timelines, opportunities and challenges facing the offshore wind industry and will examine how the supply chain can help facilitate continued growth.

While the main focus is on Ireland and the UK, attendees will also receive updates from European markets, including France, Germany and Italy.

Attendees will also hear from EirGrid on their supply chain support needs, and the forum will take a look at the Irish technology and innovation that is working to advance floating offshore wind.

See the full forum agenda and register to attend via the Enterprise Ireland website.

Uncertainty in global markets, energy and supply chain issues and skills shortages were among the top challenges cited by exporters ahead of Enterprise Ireland's International Markets Week.

As RTE News highlighted, 600 EI client companies are expected to take part in 1,800 export focused one-to-one engagements with Enterprise Ireland Market Advisors at the event which will happen in-person this year for the first time since 2019.

A survey of client companies in advance of the event found that 84% plan to enter new export markets over the next year with over 90% saying they expected to grow their exports, despite ongoing market uncertainty and concerns around as supply chains, energy costs and inflation.

Around three in five said their export sales had increased this year while around a third said they had remained stable.

For around two thirds of companies, growing their overseas market presence was their biggest priority for the year ahead.

Of those planning to enter new markets next year, one-third said North America was the priority destination for them in 2023, with 27% prioritising Europe and one-in-five citing the UK (see, EI's trade visit last year to Port of Liverpool /region). 

Click here for further reading on the trade and export story.  

Irish Naval Service ship LÉ James Joyce is this week visiting the USA at the Port of Boston.

The visit forms part of its mission to do with flying the flag for Irish companies doing business in the city and in the State of Massachusetts.

Enterprise Ireland is hosting a reception on board that is focused on Irish companies as local employers and employers across the United States.

Stated the invitation: "On behalf of Lieutenant Commander Donnchadh Cahalane and David Corcoran, Head of New England and Midwest USA, Enterprise Ireland, we kindly request the pleasure of your company at an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Reception aboard the Irish Naval Ship the L.É. James Joyce.

More the Irish Echo reports of the (OPV) offshore patrol vessel.

Afloat adds the OPV arrived at the Port of Boston last weekend.

The Irish Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy, led a one-day trade visit to the Port of Liverpool.

The visit yesterday, organised by Enterprise Ireland, the country's trade and innovation agency, will further strengthen Ireland’s relationship with the North West of England and in particular, Liverpool City Region which is home to the UK base of a growing number of Irish companies.

In addition the visit aimed to highlight the commitment of Ireland and Irish companies to Liverpool and the North West and explore opportunities for growth in the region. Liverpool and the wider North West region are particularly important, with Irish companies having a strong presence across a range of sectors and capabilities that serve industry in the region. The UK remains Ireland’s largest export market, with Enterprise Ireland companies exporting to the value of €7.5bn in 2020.

The delegation and Enterprise Ireland client companies visited the Port of Liverpool and UK ports operator Peel Ports, facilitating an opportunity for the companies to consider and explore business opportunities in the ports sector. The Liverpool City Region was selected as one of eight new freeport sites by the UK government in March 2021.

Stephen Carr, Commercial Director at Peel Ports Group said, “Even back to its earliest day, the history of The Port of Liverpool is intertwined with that of Ireland. Right through to the present day the Mersey estuary has been a key gateway for trade between Ireland and Britain with the Mersey estuary handling 33% of all trade in goods. Whether it is containerised goods transhipping to global destinations, ferry traffic on trailers moving retail and industrial products or bulk shipments of building materials and liquids, the Port of Liverpool is proud of the role it plays as a key enabler of the economy of Ireland.”

A meeting took place with Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, where Minister Troy and Mayor Rotheram discussed the historic and cultural ties between Ireland and Liverpool, and the strong partnerships and sectoral alignment that exist across industries.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said, “The Liverpool City Region has always been an open and outward-facing place. Ireland has a special place in the hearts of many of the 1.6m people who call our region home and, as we work to grow our economy, I want to build on our deep, historic links to help build a strong prosperous future for people on both sides of the Irish Sea.

“As a western-facing port, our region is uniquely positioned to take advantages of the opportunities Ireland offers. While the UK is still coming to terms with the reality of being outside of the European Union, I want us to be at the forefront of trade and investment – and our ties to Ireland stronger than ever.

“Ireland is a really important trading partner for our region. Over 600 local businesses export over £300m of goods, with a further 400 importing too. It is fantastic to welcome Robert to Ireland’s second capital today to discuss how we can build on those solid foundations.”

The day also included a visit to two Enterprise Ireland companies operating in Ellesmere Port and St. Helens:

CRS Refrigeration: The visit marked the official opening of CRS Refrigeration’s new Ellesmere Port site. This is the company’s second site in the UK, having already established a site in Bedfordshire. This expansion allows CRS Refrigeration to deliver their services and solutions faster to their UK customers, with the site holding existing stock ready for long-term hire. The site will serve as a manufacturing, distribution and servicing hub, and act as a base for the on-call service team throughout the UK.

John Tyrrell, Managing Director at CRS Refrigeration said, “The UK has always been an important market for CRS. We’ve been doing business in the UK for many years and opening a new UK facility is a natural next step in our growth journey. The new premises will also facilitate more investment in engineering capability for specialist products and will support enterprise level customers for complex temperature-controlled solutions.”

Bevcraft Group: The company is a ‘craft can’ business first established in Mullingar which now includes operations across Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands and handles over 50m cans per annum. Bevcraft provides a range of services including mobile contract canning, can distribution, can decoration, testing, servicing and training. All services are unbundled so that craft beverage producers can ‘pick and mix’ the options that suit them.

In 2019 the Bevcraft Group opened a location in St. Helens in Merseyside to serve and grow its UK customer base. The company has now announced the opening of a new £5m advanced manufacturing unit in Peterborough where Bevcraft Group will operate the very first direct-to-can digital printing plant in Europe.

Ciarán Gorman, Group Co-Founder and CFO at Bevcraft said, “Entering the UK market is undoubtedly the best decision we have ever made. Two years ago, we were almost entirely focused on the Irish market – whereas in 2021 we will for the first time ever, see the majority of our revenues come from international markets.

“A big part of this success has come from choosing the right location to establish an initial presence. Merseyside offered the perfect mix. It is very accessible from Ireland, has a competitive cost base relative to the rest of the UK and in its own right there are more people living within an hour of our warehouse than in all of Ireland.”

Commenting on the trade visit, Minister Robert Troy said, “Ireland continues to be a committed partner to the UK, and to the trading relationships that exist between our two nations. Our historical and cultural ties are strong in Liverpool and the North West of England, and this visit demonstrates Ireland’s ongoing commitment to the region.

“Ireland has built on its representation here recently, with Enterprise Ireland now having an office in Manchester, and the opening of the Consulate for the North of England earlier this year. The Irish government encourages Irish companies to consider how they can work with UK businesses and authorities in the North West region to achieve their ambitious goals in transport, infrastructure and sustainability through their innovative capabilities and solutions.”

Tom Cusack, Head of International Sales and Partnering at Enterprise Ireland said, “Enterprise Ireland is very committed to supporting our clients who wish to do business in the North West of England, having opened our Manchester office in 2019, and from where we continue to support both existing clients and clients who are new to the market. Many of these companies have strong capabilities across many sectors including engineering services, construction, materials handling and technology, therefore this visit to Liverpool is particularly important.

“Across these and other sectors, Enterprise Ireland client companies continue to provide the capabilities and innovation that support the backbone of infrastructure and other projects in the UK. Working with partner companies and authorities in Liverpool, the North West and beyond, we believe Irish companies are well positioned to provide these partners with the products and services they need that enable them to thrive and compete both domestically and globally. We encourage our Irish client companies to discuss with us the opportunities that are available to them in the region.”

Other Enterprise Ireland client companies that took part in the visit included:

• Buttimer Engineering: A diversified mechanical engineering company, specialising in bulk materials handling systems and high-quality steel fabrication.
• ByrneLooby: An international, award-winning engineering and environmental consultancy with design and project management capabilities.
• Combilift: The largest global manufacturer of multi-directional forklifts and an acknowledged leader in long load handling solutions.
• Inland Coastal and Marina Systems: Manufactures and installs water-access solutions for the marine industry, enabling boats of all shapes and sizes to moor safely and securely.
• Net Feasa: A fully licensed and trusted wireless service provider, specialising in the design and deployment of IoT networks for the global supply chain.
• Vilicom: Designs and implements innovative mobile connectivity solutions across a number of industries.
• William O’Brien: Offers a full suite of services from crane hire and contract lifts to bespoke turnkey heavy lift engineering solutions across a wide range of sectors.

A survey has revealed that more than half of exporting businesses here have seen their exports increase this year compared to last year, despite the impact of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the new survey carried out by Enterprise Ireland which also found 91% expect to see their sales rise again next year.

The key growth markets identified by client companies are North America, Europe and the UK.

80% of firms reported that digitalisation was a priority over the next year.

Just under two thirds said advancing their sustainability agenda and adapting to climate change was a priority.

The survey was carried out ahead of Enterprise Ireland’s International Markets, which will see over 700 companies meet virtually with 140 market advisors from 40 overseas offices, during over 1600 individual meetings over five days.

More from RTE News.

Marine Ireland Industry Network (MIIN) is next week (Thursday, 6th May) to hold an online event 'MIIN in Galway - A Microcosm for Marine Innovation and Industry Opportunities'.

The event (11am-12.30pm) is to focus on innovative marine industrial activities taking place in the Galway region.

MIIN will include opportunities in the marine sector, relevant R&D projects and feature snapshots of four companies actively involved in the industry.

The online event is being facilitated by the team at the newly built GMIT iHub in Galway.

For further information on Speakers and how to register click here.

Noting the Event's running order starts at 11.00am and conclude at 12.30 with afterwards a Q&A session.

Almost 90% of Irish exporters can see new opportunities in the UK market, according to research carried out by Enterprise Ireland.

While the new EU UK trade and cooperation agreement has resulted in changes to how businesses operate in the UK, the market remains Ireland's single largest trading partner.

Out of the 427 Irish exporters surveyed, 83% say their plan is to grow exports to the UK, while 15% say they will sustain exports to the UK.

The survey was conducted ahead of the launch of Enterprise Ireland’s 'Evolve UK' initiative, a programme designed to deliver insights to Irish companies on the evolving UK market through reports, insight bulletins and virtual events.

More here RTE reports on our trading relationships. 

Enterprise Ireland-backed companies which won new contracts declined by 12% in the first half of 2020 due to Covid-19 with this year described as "very challenging" for Irish exporters.

As the Irish Examiner writes, the state agency responsible for helping Irish companies export to international markets said Covid-19 has had a negative impact on order books and international market confidence. Approximately 1,000 client companies are impacted by the pandemic with 75% reporting that their exports have been impacted by Covid-19 and more than half saw a negative impact on cash flow. 300 companies are very exposed with high levels of exports to the UK.

The agency has warned that challenging conditions will continue to impact exporters who will face the dual challenge of both dealing with the Covid-19 impact on their business and also the impending January 1st Brexit deadline.

For 2019, Enterprise Ireland reported strong levels of export performance by its client companies, up 8% to €25.6bn. Last year, exports to the Eurozone region saw record growth of 15% to €5.6bn, while exports to North America increased by 16% to €4.7bn last year.

More on the export sector here. 

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below.

Irish Economy - Irish firm's exports up: Irish companies supported by Enterprise Ireland have reached record export levels in 2012, breaking the €16 billion mark for the first time. According to figures from Enterprise Ireland and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, there was a 6.6 per cent increase from the previous year, with exports totaling €16.2 billion.

Container Market -Service changes: Shippers should prepare for service changes and the blanking of sailings in the next few weeks as rates continue to decline sharply and carriers are forced to take action, according to SeaIntel chief Lars Jensen. Speaking at Containerisation International's Global Liner Conference, Mr Jensen said that oversupply of capacity had resulted in spot rates on services from Asia to Europe declining by around $60 per teu each week this year.

Dry Bulk Market -China to push rates up: Chinese demand for dry bulk imports, including iron ore and coal, is expected to lift freight rates from July onwards, according to Pareto Securities AS. Nicolai Hansteen, chief economist at Pareto Shipping, who spoke at the Scandinavian Shipping and Ship Finance Conference.

To read more of each of the above stories and other news from the IMDO Shipping Markets Review for Week 16, click HERE to be viewed or downloaded as a PDF

In addition the OPV delivered medical supplies on her visit to Riga, the Latvian capital, where the cargo was transported in aid of the Chernobyl Children's Project based in Belarus.