FEATURE ARTICLE
Firms can discover gift-wrapped opportunities by looking East
by Sunday Independent
 
Ladislav Muller urges Irish companies to look at new opportunities and explore Central Europe as an option for diversifying both geographically and vertically.
Turning Big Ideas into Profitable Ideas

nearForm, Sirius XT, Obeo, Empowertheuser, APC, Equilume, Optrace and AmbiSense are all companies with Big Ideas who have successfully spun-out of the Irish research system with the support of Enterprise Ireland.

Big Ideas that became Profitable Ideas #GlobalAmbition


INDUSTRY NEWS
InBusiness Recognition Awards 2016
Business World
 
Julie Sinnamon was named ‘Businesswoman of the Year' at this year's InBusiness Recognition Awards.
SME platform Enterpryze to add 200 new jobs over next three years
Irish Independent
 
Web-based SME platform Enterpryze, has announced the addition of 200 new jobs in Dublin as it looks to facilitate its export-led growth over the next three years.
Parklife: Meet the young entrepreneur looking to build the Airbnb for parking spaces in Ireland
Irish Examiner
 
Parkpnp is an online marketplace for parking that allows homeowners and businesses to list, advertise and generate income from their unused or under-utilized parking spaces.
‘I’m still a farmer, not an entrepreneur’ - Ed O’Donnell on his crisp-making adventure
Irish Independent
 
Creator of O'Donnells crisps, Ed O'Donnell, speaks about his product's journey from concept to reality, and all the stops along the way, including two weeks in crisp college.
Global entrepreneur Anton Musgrave's 'Colliding Worlds' workshop
Enterprise Ireland
 
Anton Musgrave delivered his ‘Colliding Worlds’ workshop, which explores current innovations and how they will shape the world, at Enterprise Ireland's SME Leaders Community Series in Dublin.

Global Futurist Anton Musgrave delivered a ‘Colliding Worlds’ workshop, exploring current innovations and how they will shape the world at Enterprise Ireland's second SME Leaders Community Series on December 2nd at its headquarters in Eastpoint, Dublin. Thirty companies from across different market sectors signed up to attend the full-day workshop, which challenged SME business owners and managers to think about how they are responding to a rapidly changing world. Throughout the day, there were opportunities for SME Leaders to network and create connections and discuss the issues raised.

In his thought-provoking presentation, Anton invited attendees to consider how their companies can stay relevant in an age of artificial intelligence when routine tasks are outsourced to computers. He pushed his audience to re-evaluate the ‘toxic limiting assumptions’ that can prevent them from seeing new opportunities and thriving. This was Anton’s second visit to Enterprise Ireland - in 2014 he opened the Innovation 4 Growth programme.

The SME Leaders’ Community aims include creating a connected network for business owners and managers to come together and attend Enterprise Ireland hosted events that support their role, as well as support each other, with the ultimate aim of growing exports.  More than 500 companies are now part of the community, which is progressively expanding to provide more structured support for the community. The next SME Leaders’ Community event will take place in Spring 2017. 


Building on the face-to-face events, Enterprise Ireland is also exploring the use of technology to leverage the expansion of this connected community and is undertaking research with clients in Q1 2017 to further scope this out.

State’s five-year creativity plan includes children’s music skills
Irish Times
 

The Creative Ireland initiative will run from 2017 - 2022 and will place creative and cultural infrastructure ‘at the heart of Irish life’.  


PM Group reports strong profit growth for 2015 and announces recruitment of 500 graduates
PM Group
 
The jobs, over half of which will be sourced in Ireland, will be across all engineering disciplines, as well as architecture, environmental, construction and project management. Recruitment has already commenced.
HPSU Sprint event
Enterprise Ireland
 

Participants on the day took part in a pitching competition with Overcast's CEO Philippe Brodeur picking up a cash price of €2,500 supported by Bank Of Ireland.


The Enterprise Ireland HPSU SPRINT programme, delivered in partnership with Dublin Business Innovation Centre, is an intensive 4½ day programme to equip our High Potential Startup (HPSU) clients with the toolkits and capabilities that they need to  become investor ready in a shorter timeframe. 

The programme consists of practical educational workshops, facilitated peer learning group work and a half day pitch training session. The current Sprint programme started in September and was completed in November with  29 participants.

The participants took part in a pitching competition on 8th December for a cash prize of €2,500 supported by Bank Of Ireland. The winner on the day was Enterprise Ireland client Overcast (www.overcasthq.com) which is a video collaboration platform headed up by CEO Phillipe Brodeur. Orla Battersby, Divisional Manager of  the High Potential Startup Unit in Enterprise Ireland commented that the “Sprint  Programme is a key part of our supports for early stage companies. It prepares our start-ups for engaging  with investors and raising funding. Of the last cohort that completed Sprint earlier this year, over half have already raised seed investment from Enterprise Ireland and third parties. I wish all of today’s participants every success in raising funding to build scalable and global businesses.”

Speaking at the event, Dave Tighe, Head of Innovation, Bank of Ireland said: 

“Bank of Ireland was delighted to be involved with the 2016 HPSU SPRINT programme. For the economy to prosper, a volume of new startups is important because it is a key engine of growth and to get this growth we need early stage investment in new young ventures. It’s great to work with Enterprise Ireland and help the HPSU on the SPRINT programme develop the toolkits and capabilities to become investor ready in a shorter timeframe. A big congratulations to Overcast who were very deserving winners on the day and we at Bank of Ireland wish them and all the participants on the programme the best with their business ventures in the future.”

TenderScout sets up shop in US, UK and Canada
Irish Times
 
TenderScout, an online platform that helps firms procure government tenders, has announced its expansion into the US, UK and Canadian markets.
Start-up of the week: Firmwave
Silicon Republic
 
Firmwave, a High Potential Start-Up at Enterprise Ireland, is a product and solution design company that specialises in designing ultra-low power hardware and firmware for IoT and wearable devices.
International expansion leads Rothco to grow its revenue by 23% in 2016
 

Several international contracts were awarded to Enterprise Ireland client Rothco in 2016 including, most recently, White Claw Hard Seltzer for the North American market.  


Enterprise Ireland client Rothco capped off another successful year with the addition of several international contracts.

In 2016 Rothco was awarded international contracts for AON global market; Heineken Light global launch; My Taxi global rollout; Elephant Tea (a Lipton brand) for the French market; and most recently, White Claw Hard Seltzer for the North American market.

White Claw Hard Seltzer is part of the Mark Anthony Group, which is North America’s largest RTD (ready to drink) company. Rothco will handle all communications in North America of the new low-calorie alcoholic seltzer in an entirely new alcoholic category.

"The support and guidance that companies such as Rothco receive from Enterprise Ireland is invaluable in helping us to make our mark on the global landscape. There is an increasing level of commercial opportunity outside of Ireland for Irish agencies and creative businesses in general, to win, execute and manage major pieces of international creative business from an Irish base. This could not be done without the expertise & advice provided by Enterprise Ireland", says MD, Richard Carr.

"Our investment in our technological capabilities has been at the heart of this growth and thus enabled us to expand to and flourish within other markets", continues Richard Carr.

Since its inception in 1995, Rothco has continued to grow and expand its offerings, which includes core capabilities such as Brand Development; Technology; Experience Design; Strategy; Storytelling & Connections Planning. They now have a workforce of almost 160 people – making it one of Europe’s largest independent creative agencies.

Ireland is the second largest employer for Medtech professionals in Europe per capita
Business World
 

The Irish Medtech CEO Forum took place in Galway last week - employment in the sector has increased by 36% to 30,000 over the last decade.


Global expansion plans for 2017
ambition.enterprise-ireland.com

CMS Chemstore in Limerick, Western Automation in Galway, Equilume in Kildare and Webdoctor in Dublin are companies with #globalambition looking at new markets for 2017.

Enterprise Ireland Companies with #GlobalAmbition



Tweet of the week
 


Now that's a welcome! CEO had the flags flying high for my visit today.

UPCOMING EVENTS
15th Dec: Business and Finance Awards 2016, Dublin
22nd Jan: Showcase Ireland, Dublin
11th February: Italy vs Ireland Rugby Networking Event, Rome, Italy.
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