Go Global: Business Trip to Ireland

Ireland offers tremendous opportunities for Delaware small and medium sized businesses. It is a perfect market in which to start exporting due to its proximity and English speaking population. Ireland was chosen as one of the State’s target markets because there are opportunities there for virtually everything our businesses offer. Products or services for the Life Science, Smart Cities, Environment, Construction, Infrastructure, Financial, and the Agri-Food Sectors are of particular interest. Delaware businesses who participated on our Ireland trade mission last year have already made sales and are anticipating $1 million in additional business.

The Export Delaware team is headed to Ireland in February 2019, and we invite you to join us! International business trips with Export Delaware provide an excellent opportunity to meet face to face with distributors and potential customers – all with the assistance of seasoned global trade experts.

Meeting with prospective customers face-to-face is critical to establishing new business relationships around the world. Let us help you make the right contacts in the UK and achieve new export sales!

Ireland Business Trip

February 25 – March 1, 2019

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Trip Details and Cost:

Export Delaware is committed to providing the State’s small and medium businesses with a successful business trip.

Your participation on the trip includes:

• Assistance from State of Delaware’s trade representative in Ireland and the Export Delaware team.
• In-country transportation on the trip.
• Preparation session, in-country briefing and follow-up support after the trip.

Although these services provided by the State are valued at $6,500 per company, they are financed by the SBA and the State of Delaware.

A portion of your travel expenses may even be covered by the STEP Grant, a program by the SBA that will reimburse up to 50 percent of all pre-approved, eligible, export marketing expenses (up to a maximum of $5,000).

Trip Itinerary:

Day 1 Depart the USA
Day 2 Meetings in Ireland
Day 3 Meetings in Ireland
Day 4 Meetings in Ireland
Day 5 Depart for the U.S.

Last year, Export Delaware led a business trip (AKA “Trade Mission”) to Ireland and five Delaware businesses participated. As a result of this trip, these businesses project nearly one million dollars in new export sales! Here’s some of their feedback from the trip:

“Excellent services provided by Export Delaware for qualifying and matching the right contacts in Ireland. The institutions we met in Ireland have the right institutional balance (city government, academia, industry, business, national agencies) and technological competencies (smart technology, innovation, research) for potential long term growth.”

Ving Lee, Adesis

 

“The trade mission was well planned and executed. we look forward to rapid penetration of the safety/security, pharma and education markets and customers as a result.”

Tom Zawislak, B&W Tek

Why Ireland?

Ireland is an a great “starter market” for new exporters, or those who want to begin exporting to Europe. The nation speaks English and it’s an easy country to get to, and simple to get around in-country. The consumer market is sophisticated and the open economy has a good perception of the quality of American goods and services.

It’s also an ideal market for Delaware’s small businesses because the majority of Ireland’s enterprises fit the “small and medium” category. SMEs make up 99.8% of the active enterprises in Ireland.  

Information and Communication Technologies: This industry sector is rapidly growing. Global companies Intel, Microsoft, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google and Dropbox all have operations in Ireland. In fact, 9 of the world’s top 10 ICT companies have locations in Ireland. Hardware and software, data centers, cyber security, mobile gaming, social and digital media and cloud computing are all growing sectors.

Life Sciences: Again, the market in Ireland for life sciences is very big. 10 of the 12 top pharmaceutical and medical device companies have operations there. Abbot, GSK, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Takeda, Roche and Genzyme have major operations in Ireland. There is a lot of focus on diagnostics, hospital and homecare products, ophthalmic, orthopaedic, vascular, contract research and development/manufacturing, connected health and services.

Small and medium sized businesses will find opportunities to export to Ireland in these additional growth sectors: pharmaceuticals and agricultural products, eHealth and medical devices.

Emerging sectors include niche consumer and sporting goods, hotel/restaurant equipment, food processing equipment, industrial machinery, energy and power generation equipment and smart grid.  

Sustainable energy (ocean/marine), environmental technologies, energy efficiency and green building, and security products and services including cyber-security are long-term growth sectors in the nation.

Want more insight on the Ireland’s economy? Check out this presentation from our trade rep in Ireland.

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