Enterprise Ireland is to pursue an "intensive" international programme of 118 trade events this year, in order to assist companies internationalise their businesses.
Over 1,000 EI client companies will take part in the programme of events, including 18 ministerial-led trade missions to major export markets such as North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
Key to this year’s trade missions is the St. Patrick’s Day “Promote Ireland” programme, which will see 27 ministers taking part in over 100 business events and 80 high-level political meetings in 23 countries. Mexico and Vietnam are two countries which will be visited for the first time, while Russia is back on the St. Patrick’s Day agenda for the first time since 2010.
The number of ministerial-led Enterprise Ireland trade missions has more than doubled since 2011, but will remain at 18 this year - consistent with 2013 levels.
The events EI will attend include the SXSW trade fair in Austin, Texas in March, and San Francisco’s TechCrunch Disrupt event in September.
EI has also launched a new Market Access Grant Scheme, which will “help
companies succeed more quickly and effectively in new markets”. This new scheme, under which companies can receive grant support of up to € 150,000 to develop new markets, is a “very significant addition” EI said. The scheme is aimed at companies that are investigating new markets that demonstrate strong potential and will provide funding support to develop marketing strategies to capitalise on these opportunities.
