Published on Friday22ndJuly2016

Intensified international trade mission programme for second half of 2016

20160721EITrade Missions

Pictured are Jobs Minister  Mary Mitchell O'Connor, Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan and Julie Sinnamon, CEO Enterprise Ireland

Enterprise Ireland, the Government agency responsible for helping companies to scale and export internationally, today announced details of its intensified programme of ministerial-led trade missions and events to support Irish exporters for the rest of the 2016. There are 68 planned events between July and December 2016. This includes 26 ministerial-led trade missions for the second half of the year. In total there will be 36 ministerial-led trade missions and events in 2016 - almost double the number in 2015. The expanded international trade mission and events programme is one of the key actions outlined by Enterprise Ireland in its ‘5 pillars of support’ plan, to help client companies exporting to the UK launched by the agency directly after the UK referendum. Some of the key sectors and markets targeted include:

  • Lifesciences Trade Mission to the USA
  • Financial Services Trade Mission to China
  • Subcontractor Automotive Expo in Sweden
  • ICT Water and Wastewater Trade Mission to the Gulf
  • Software and Education Trade Mission to India
  • Food Manufacturing in UAE and Iran

Announcing details of the expanded Enterprise Ireland programme Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor said:

This new programme of trade missions and events is a key element of our plan to support Irish companies from counties around Ireland to grow their businesses internationally to generate more exports and create jobs in Ireland. I look forward to promoting the high levels of innovation and capability of Irish companies across the globe.

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said:

A key element of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s strategy is to utilise our Embassies, consulates and other missions to maximise opportunities for Irish companies to develop new markets and fully utilise our strong contacts in existing ones. As announced earlier this week after the Export Trade Council meeting, I have recently created new commercial attaché posts in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia and Romania. This is a key part of my Department’s new economic diplomacy strategy.