Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union concluded on 30th June 2013. During each Presidency, the presiding Member State sets out its own programme and priorities for its six month term: the theme for the Irish Presidency was Stability, Jobs and Growth.
Focusing on the key drivers of growth for all economies – innovation and competitiveness - Enterprise Ireland hosted four major conferences during the Presidency over a four week period:
Enterprise Ireland client companies achieved record levels of exports in 2012, breaking the €16bn point for the first time. They also created 12,861 new jobs in 2012 resulting in a net increase in full-time employment of 3,338, primarily driven by this record export performance. Despite a continued challenging economic environment in 2012 Enterprise Ireland supported companies crucially added to their employment base and now support more than 300,000 jobs in the Irish economy.
The Enterprise Ireland Seed & Venture Capital Programme 2012 Report published in July shows a rise in the level and value of activity in 2012 in venture capital funds supported under Enterprise Ireland Seed and Venture Capital Programmes. Advances in access to seed and venture funding coupled with a strong support environment go a long way to making Ireland a very attractive base to start and grow a business. The report shows that:
Enterprise Ireland Client Company In Hand Guides who provide content and digital audio devices for the tourism industry, have partnered with the Freedom Trail Foundation to create the new Hear History audio guide of the Freedom Trail.
Dublin company Decisions [D4H] announced a lucrative five-year contract with the Government of Alberta, Canada for their innovative software which improves vital emergency response efforts. Details of the contract were announced during the Enterprise Ireland trade mission to Western Canada.
DCU spin-out company, Style-Eyes, has won the Enterprise Ireland's ‘One to Watch’ Award 2013 for developing first-of-its-kind technology – a smartphone, tablet and computer application which uses image recognition technology to make fashion more accessible. This app was developed by researchers Dr Mark Hughes and Bobby Pringle at CLARITY, the centre for Sensor Web Technologies Research in DCU and has jumped leaps and bounds since they first received their phase one proof of concept project funding.
We all know that the Internet has provided us with a wealth of information for free. But try getting in-depth market intelligence from the Internet and you will be up against the Deep Web – valuable reports containing the intelligence you need but only available at a cost – anything from €100 to €10,000+. Buying reports individually is prohibitively expensive – this is where Enterprise Ireland’s Market Research Centre comes in.
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD recently announced that three Irish companies will create more than 114 new jobs over the next three years in investments supported by the Department of Jobs through Enterprise Ireland. The companies are located in Dublin and Galway and operate in the technology and manufacturing sectors.
It is just over two years since the first CoderDojo took place in Cork with founder James Whelton. Since then, the movement has grown to become a global phenomenon. On any given Saturday, between 10,000 and 20,000 children worldwide are taught to code in more than 120 dojos in 26 countries, including places such as Cork, Dublin, LA, Silicon Valley, Tokyo, Africa and the Caribbean – all on a voluntary basis. More than 70 children and their parents and mentors gathered at Leinster House in Dublin to demonstrate their computer coding skills to Oireachtas and Irish Government members to mark the 2nd Birthday of CoderDojo. CoderDojo has been supported by Enterprise Ireland. Find out more Here
