Enterprise Ireland: From cybersecurity to oceantech – Irish firms thrive in Canada

While Irish businesses have long thrived in key Canadian cities such as Toronto and Montreal, innovative Irish exporters are increasingly extending their reach in this market.

Calgary and Vancouver are now of interest to many, while Irish ocean-tech businesses in particular are making waves in Atlantic Canada, the coastal region incorporating Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and other provinces.

Canada is the ninth largest international market for Irish businesses and the third-largest market for Enterprise Ireland’s ICT and international services clients.

Exports in this sector by Irish firms to Canada jumped by 19pc in 2021. Products and services they offer Canadian clients range from digital technologies, fintech and insurtech, to talent tech and cybersecurity.

In fact, cybersecurity is a key focus of this week’s inaugural Ireland Canada Cybersecurity Summit in Toronto on Tuesday, which is being run in collaboration with Deloitte Canada’s Trade and Investment team.

Not only will the conference highlight the need for international collaboration to deal with urgent security challenges online, it will also showcase how Irish firms are producing cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions designed to keep us all safe, while enabling international trade.

The conference will also showcase Canada and Ireland’s strong cyber ecosystems, and include discussions on cybercrime, ransomware, threat response, digital identity, cyber legislation, insurance and changing behaviours. Among the leading contributors at the conference will be Enterprise Ireland client companies Daon, Vaultree, Edgescan, Waratek, Tines and Titan HQ, each of which specialises in cybersecurity.

This is an ongoing topic for discussion between Ireland and Canada, as the Irish Government’s Embassy and trade agencies also recently met with Canada’s minister for Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, the Honourable Mary Ng, to discuss cybersecurity and other key areas of collaboration such as cleantech.

The conference marks another key moment as Ireland seeks to build on the recent strong growth in exports to Canada, which increased by an impressive 14pc in 2021, and the continued opportunities for collaboration, partnership and trade.

In fact, there will also be a second set of flagship events celebrating Irish-Canadian business connections next week.

Irish firms, XOCEAN, a leading innovator in using Uncrewed Surface Vessels to gather ocean data, and Simply Blue Group – renowned floating offshore wind developers, will take part in a round-table discussion in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Friday to discuss growing the ocean economy in a sustainable, digital and inclusive way.

Following the round-table event, Irish innovation in Atlantic Canada will then be the focus of a celebration on board the Irish Naval Ship LÉ James Joyce, which will be docked in Halifax Port.

Both events in Halifax will serve to recognise the powerful business relationships and successful partnerships that have emerged between Ireland and Atlantic Canada in ocean, marine and cleantech, and also more widely in industrial technologies and professional services.

Above all else, the key message for Irish business is that Canada is a fruitful and welcoming market, along with acting as a valuable gateway for the wider North American market.

More than 500 Enterprise Ireland clients have been doing business in Canada in recent years, employing over 7,000 people and operating in sectors such as digital technologies, industrial technologies, life sciences, fintech and financial services, and consumer retail among others.

Among the Irish firms growing their Canadian presence and winning new business in 2022 are Bimeda Animal Health, Simply Blue Group, Aubren, Superfy, Leading Edge Group, Tines, Mulithog, Combilift, Modmo Technologies, SportLoMo, Keywords Studios, Workvivo and many other Enterprise Ireland client companies across multiple sectors.

Enterprise Ireland has had an office in Toronto since 2006 and recently opened a second office in Montréal. In both locations, our team is ready to support ambitious Irish firms seeking to enter or expand in the attractive Canadian market.

Lydia Rogers  is Country Manager Canada at Enterprise Ireland

Reporting: The Irish Independent