• over 100 Enterprise Ireland client companies have established new presences in Germany, France, the Netherlands in the past 18 months to take advantage of the significant market opportunities in Europe

• 33 Enterprise Ireland clients taking part in 4-day trade mission, supporting export growth to Europe

• France, Germany and the Netherlands are each over €1 billion export markets for Enterprise Ireland client companies

• 205 IDA Ireland client companies from Germany, France and the Netherlands employ circa 27,500 across Ireland

• the Eurozone is a cornerstone of Enterprise Ireland’s strategy to accelerate market diversification to deliver sustainable economic growth

• Enterprise Ireland marks 60 years in Germany

Minister for Trade Promotion, Robert Troy, will today commence a 4-day trade mission to Germany, France and the Netherlands, jointly organised by the Enterprise Ireland and the IDA. The 4-day trade mission, visiting Frankfurt, Paris, the Hague and Amsterdam will have a strong focus on the technology industry, both presenting FDI opportunities, and promoting Irish innovation and collaboration between Irish companies and companies in Germany, France and the Netherlands.

33 Enterprise Ireland client companies will participate in the mission representing counties Dublin, Cork, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly and Wicklow.

The Eurozone is a cornerstone of Enterprise Ireland’s strategy to accelerate export growth and market diversification of Irish enterprise and to deliver a major expansion of exporting companies. With exports of €5.85 billion in 2020, the Eurozone now accounts for 23% of Enterprise Ireland client exports. In the past 18 months alone, 103 Enterprise Ireland client companies have established new presences in Germany, France and the Netherlands to take advantage of the significant business opportunities in Europe.

Coinciding with the first day of the trade mission to Frankfurt, a number of Irish companies announced new contracts and presences in Germany.

• Irish core cellular network software company, Druid Software announce partnership with German company Siticom on a joint 5G mobile technology project at the Technical University of Deggendorf

• Irish micromobility company ZEUS Scooters GmbH mark their expansion in Germany, now in over 30 cities across Germany

• luxury Irish home fragrance brand Max Benjamin expands their retail footprint in DACH region, with announcement of exclusive partnership with P&P Accessories GmbH for Germany and Austria

• Irish hotel software solutions provider P3 Hotel Software announces its expansion in the German market, following investment by Business Venture Partners (BVP) and Enterprise Ireland

• Irish technology unicorn Fenergo announces the establishment of a new market presence in Frankfurt, bringing world-class Client Lifecycle Management software solutions for investment, corporate and private banks to Germany

Across the 4 days, the trade mission will be supporting the growth of 33 Enterprise Ireland client companies, engaged on the programme. Programme highlights include:

• Germany – marking Enterprise Ireland’s 60th year in Germany, the visit to Frankfurt will include a number of roundtable events focused on the future of mobility and trade between Ireland and Germany. The programme also marks the contribution that Irish companies ATC, Druid Software, Zeus Mobility, Max Benjamin, P3 Hotel Software and Fenergo are bringing to German partners

• France – with a focus on Irish technology innovation, Irish companies including Access Earth, Altada, Corlytics, Daon, Gladcloud, Greenstak, Openmind Networks, Taoglas and Transfermate will pitch to major French corporates, and participate at the Viva Technology trade fair in Paris

• the Netherlands – meetings with Irish companies 8WestConsulting and DPS and their Dutch partners. Roundtable event on Ireland’s cyber security sector with the the Hague Security Delta (HSD) and the European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO)

Leading the trade mission, Minister for Trade Promotion, Robert Troy, said:

"I am delighted to lead this trade mission to Europe to support the acceleration of Irish exports to the region and support FDI growth. Continually strengthening the business ties between Ireland and our European neighbours is incredibly important. Across the 4 days, the trade mission will support Irish SMEs to strengthen opportunities across the region, while encouraging investors to seek out Ireland as a location for further FDI."

Leading the trade mission for Enterprise Ireland, Tom Cusack, Head of Global Markets, Enterprise Ireland, said:

"With exports of €5.85 billion to the Eurozone, Enterprise Ireland client companies are accelerating their business growth in Europe and reaping the benefits of the single market. However, there is much untapped opportunities for Irish companies. This trade mission and our initiatives such as Enter the Eurozone programme are focused on supporting Irish exporters to enter and scale in Europe. The new contracts, partnerships and new presences announced today are representative of the continued strong business opportunities that Europe represents for Irish companies."

Mary Buckley, Executive Director, IDA Ireland said:

"This trade mission is a welcome opportunity to meet our corporate clients with Minister Troy and our sister agency Enterprise Ireland. Competition for foreign direct investment has never been as intense and trade missions like this help IDA Ireland to increase awareness of Ireland’s offering as an attractive place to invest. This mission to France, Germany and the Netherlands and is also a welcome opportunity to deepen relationships with the parent companies of our clients."

Reporting: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment