Cork is competing on a global stage thanks to the pioneering spirit of its people who have helped shape its economic development, Cork Chamber president Gillian Keating told the group's annual dinner.

What had impressed her most during her two years in office wasn’t necessarily advances in technology or investment in infrastructure but rather the dynamism and vision of the people driving Cork forward, Ms Keating told some 1,000 guests at the event.

Citing the example of leading furniture designer, Joseph Walsh, Radisens Diagnostics chief executive Jerry O'Brien and BT Young Scientist and international young scientist winners, Ciara Judge, Emer Hickey and Sophie Healy-Thow from Kinsale, Ms Keating said they exhibited the sort of vision needed to help Cork grow.

“Even in this wildly creative age, we are successfully competing and exerting influence on a global scale from Cork,” she said.

“It is people who define this region, people who have great ideas and an insatiable appetite for solutions, people with the courage and ambition to solve some of the world’s toughest problems, people who are being observed by others outside of this city and this country”.

Software management company, SolarWinds won the Cork Company of the Year Award; Xanadu Consultancy won Cork SME Company of the Year; Technically Write IT won Emerging Cork Company of the Year, and Vibes and Scribes won Best Cork Retailer.

Meanwhile Vibes and Scribes owner, Joan Lucey said she was honoured that the bookshop and craft shop had won the inaugural Cork Chamber retail award.