The ongoing debate in the lifesciences industry is the future of the venture capital model. Since 2000, the number of venture capital firms has halved and the amount of money available to VC firms to invest has also decreased significantly. For six Irish life sciences companies the 2013 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference provided an opportunity to grab the attention of potential investors, senior industry executives and key opinion leaders.

From a venture capital and business development perspective, the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco is arguably the most important event of the entire year for the healthcare sector.

In fact, the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference has had such a large impact on the lifesciences community that a number of supplementary conferences aimed specifically at early stage technology companies now take place in conjunction with the main conference. While issues and trends in the US healthcare system, med tech and biopharma industries are discussed at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference – lifesciences entrepreneurs such as Jerry O’Brien of Cork-based point-of-care diagnostic Radisens pitch their offerings and solutions to potential investors and partners at conferences like OneMedForum.

Genesis VMI – an Irish software company with an inventory management solution for the operating room environment – recognize that coming to the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference is not just about attending seminars. Managing Director of Genesis VMI, Noel O’Hanlon commented that “it is really about the opportunity to meet with potential healthcare investors and potential technology partners from around the world – all in San Francisco for one week”.

This year, with six Irish lifesciences companies ascending on San Francisco for this increasingly popular event, Enterprise Ireland organized a reception with some key opinion leaders, investors and deal-makers. Among the attendees were members of Enterprise Ireland’s Medical Device Advisory Council – a group of experts in the US medical device industry that have an interest in helping Irish medical device companies succeed in the US including Tom Loarie, Chairman of Mercator. Other Irish lifesciences companies in attendance included point-of-care diagnostic company, Biosensia; medical device company, Neuravi; drug discovery company, Sigmoid Pharma; and novel platform technology company, TriMod Therapeutics.

Enterprise Ireland recently announced the appointment of George Moore, a US-based specialist in the field of data/precision analytics, as its technology Start-up Ambassador for the US, as part of its strategy to promote Ireland and to encourage overseas entrepreneurs to locate their start-up businesses in Ireland. This follows on from earlier appointments of Start-Up Ambassadors for key markets in the UK, China and Middle East, and for the life sciences sector in the US.

Moore is a pioneer in the development of real time analytics and information technology for business applications; He has particular expertise in the area of consumer scoring technologies for real time applications in the telecom, media, and retail industries.  He will now bring this vast experience to working closely with Enterprise-Ireland to highlight Ireland and what it has to offer for technology start-ups.

The announcement follows on the launch late last year of a dedicated €10 million International Start-Up Fund to target investor ready overseas entrepreneurs to start their business in Ireland.  Administered by Enterprise Ireland, the fund is open to company promoters anywhere in the world, but is targeted particularly at the Irish Diaspora, international expatriates, the ‘New Diaspora’ (people from overseas who have previously worked or studied in Ireland), as well as serial and mobile entrepreneurs. 

Lorcan O’Sullivan, Manager of Enterprise Ireland’s Overseas Entrepreneurship Department, said:  ‘We are delighted to have a high profile figure such as George Moore as a US Ambassador for Enterprise Ireland’s international start-ups programme. It is a tremendous boost to have a person of the calibre of George Moore, with his extensive experience and business networks and based locally in the US, who can support this programme and share his experience with other US entrepreneurs looking to start up in Ireland’. George Moore added:  ‘No one ever started a large company!  All companies including such Fortune 500 companies as HP, Intel, Microsoft and Google were start-ups and all began as an idea with smart people, experienced advisors, luck, and access to capital.  I look forward to working with Enterprise Ireland to drive entrepreneurial enterprises to Ireland’.

This announcement marks the fifth international start-up ambassador appointed by Enterprise Ireland over the past year.  It follows on the appointment of Dylan Collins for the UK market, Paul Kenny for the Middle East, Liam Casey for the Greater China Region, and Dr Art Rosenthal as Lifesciences Start-up Ambassador for the US. 

To find out more about the International Start-Up Fund and Ireland as a location for your business visit: http://www.startinireland.com/

The Irish International Business Network (IIBN) New York Future Leaders Board recently organised an exclusive gathering hosted by the Private Manhattan Residence of Consul General of Ireland. After the introductory remarks by Minister for Arts, Heritage & Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, the guest keynote speaker was a young tech entrepreneur James Whelton, Founder of the start up company CoderDojo.

At just 20 years old Cork-based James Whelton has taken an idea about teaching kids computer skills to a global phenomenon. CoderDojo is a non for profit organization where young people learn how to code, develop websites, apps, programs, games and more. Dojos are set up, run by and taught by volunteers. Dojos organise tours of technology companies, bring in guest speakers to talk about their career and what they do, and organise events.

Whelton set up a computer club in primary school, frustrated by the lack of IT classes in Irish schools. Later he teamed up with Bill Liao, an entrepreneur who was interested in enhancing IT skills amongst Irish students. There are now 104 Dojos happening every Saturday afternoon (41 in Ireland) in cities from Dublin, Florence, Tokyo, LA, New York, San Francisco, London and Chicago to name but a few. They have over 20 in the US alone which is growing.

Most recently James was honored at the Dublin Web Summit, being the youngest-ever recipient of the prestigious Ashoka Fellowship award. This was followed by being named the winner of the 2012 Social Entrepreneurs Ireland award.

Read his story in this weeks Huffington Post, as written by IIBN Member Maura Kelly

• ZolkC explode in the Canadian market – featured recently in the National Post
• High attendance of North American buyers to the recent Showcase consumer event in Dublin 
• Irish Animation company win Emmy
• Minister Bruton led Trade mission to Texas, March 5 – 10th 2013
  March 6th – Dallas
  March 7th - Houston
  March 8th & 9th – Austin
  Minister Richard Bruton leads a delegation of Irish companies to Texas, visiting Dallas, Houston & Austin. The Trade Mission coincides with SxSW 2013 Interactive which will also have a visiting delegation of Enterprise Ireland clients. The week will include official Ministerial events, meetings with EI buyers, and engagement with Irish business communities in Texas. Enterprise Ireland client companies across multiple sectors will be traveling to Texas for the week in March. Contact Edel Coen edel.coen@enterprise-ireland.com with questions or to request more

Showcase provides buyers with a chance to stock up on unique, design-led products in fashion, knitwear, crafts, gifts and home accessories. Now in its 37th year, Showcase has evolved into a boutique tradeshow which this year attracted 630 international buyers from 20 countries. With 435 of Ireland’s leading designers, manufacturers and craftspeople taking part, exhibitor numbers reached their highest level in four years. Sales orders of up to €20 million are expected as a result of the show.

According to Stephen Hughes, Consumer Retail Manager – Enterprise Ireland:

“For many Irish consumer products and craft companies, Showcase is a valuable route to new international markets. A pivotal element is the number and high calibre of international buyers it attracts. Enterprise Ireland’s network of overseas offices was instrumental in encouraging important new international buyers to visit Showcase 2013. Significantly, we also welcomed back many key international buyers who return regularly to see what is new and innovative in Irish craft and craftsmanship and, most importantly, place export orders”.

It is estimated that the craft sector contributes almost *€500 million to the Irish economy and employs almost 6000 people throughout the country.

Showcase, which took place in the RDS from 20-24 January, is organised on behalf of the Crafts Council of Ireland, with significant support provided by Enterprise Ireland in promoting the show internationally.

*Source: Economic Significance and Potential of the Crafts Sector in Ireland, Indecon International Economic Consultants, 2010.

Pictured (l-r): Paul Kenny, CEO and Founder of Cobone and Entrepreneurial Ambassador for the Awards 2013,  John Perry TD, Minister for Small Business, Dearbhaile Forde of DRS.ie, and Justin Conboy, winners of the 2013 Think Outside the Box Awards, Tom Hayes Enterprise Ireland Head of Micro Enterprise and Small Business.

Enterprise Ireland has a great opportunity for ambitious and enterprising students to build a real-world business venture and at the same time be in with a chance to win a prize from the overall €30,000 cash prize fund, which includes a €10,000 first prize, as well as a €30,000 consultancy fund.

The Enterprise Ireland Think Outside the Box Awards launched by John Perry TD, Minister for Small Business  are part of a major drive aimed at tapping into the potential for students and young people to turn their entrepreneurial ideas into commercial businesses. 

The Awards, which are co-sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland, Cruickshank Intellectual Property Attorneys, Grant Thornton and Intel, are open to all full time third level students in the island of Ireland.  Third level students represent a seed bed for future business start-ups and last year’s winning team from NUI Galway are a great example of the commercial potential for student entrepreneurs.  Their project DRS.ie, a drag reduction device for trucks that helps significantly reduce fuel consumption, has already attracted significant commercial interest and they have gone on to win €50,000 funding from Enterprise Ireland’s Competitive Start Fund to develop the project further.

Launching the initiative at NUI Galway, Minister Perry said:
‘There is a current gap in terms of really tapping into this potential for students to help drive the economy by commercialising their business ideas and looking on starting their own business as a real career option.  This in turn will stimulate employment among themselves and their peers.  Students represent a wealth of energy, creativity and innovation.  We need to tap into this and encourage and stimulate these students to be ambitious about their own potential to go into business for themselves’.

Regional Executives from Enterprise Ireland will be presenting the details of the competition to all colleges and institutions between now and the closing date for the competition which is Wednesday 24th April 2013.  The Enterprise Ireland Think Outside the Box Awards will hold a closing ceremony of the best national ideas at NUI Galway in June 2013. 

For more information visit the website on http://www.thinkoutsidetheboxawards.com/

Enterprise Ireland has collaborated with European Professional Womens Network and the Cartier Womens Initiative Awards in bringing them to Ireland for the first time.

Monday, 28th January 2013, marked the Dublin launch of the European Professional Women’s Network (EPWN) hosted by Enterprise Ireland and saw 100 professional women from all over Ireland in attendance.  EPWN is an international dynamic fast-growing networking and leadership development platform for women of all sectors and industries. With 3000+ members and more than 90 nationalities, EPWN organizes 450 events a year in 21 cities. With a calendar of events, networking opportunities and programmes designed around mentoring and getting women ‘Board ready’, the EPWN promises a non-stop schedule of news, views and education for 2013 as we learn how to get more women to reach the top of their game internationally.

Julie Sinnamon, Executive Director of Global Business Development with Enterprise Ireland, gave a warm welcome to the assembled businesswomen. Julie addressed the group giving an overview of Enterprise Ireland female entrepreneurship initiatives launched in 2012 which has resulted in an additional 30 female entrepreneurs receiving financial support to develop their new export focused businesses.

Enterprise Ireland female entrepreneurship initiatives will continue in 2013 and focus on the challenges facing women in business and are delighted to be hosting the launch of the EPWN which offers enhanced opportunities through networking for women in businesses focused on export markets. 

In February we saw another boost for female entrepreneurship with the launch of the Cartier Womens Initiative Awards in Ireland. Entitled ‘Recognising Talented Women in Business’ The Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards is an international competition created in 2006 by Cartier. The awards are targeted at leading female entrepreneurs, women business leaders, start-up programme directors, and women’s networks, as well as leading policy makers in government and third level institutions.

Speaking at the award ceremony on the 7th of February Jean O’ Sullivan, Manager Female Entrepreneurship commented: ‘The Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards are putting the spotlight on Irish women and their tremendous entrepreneurial capability.  The challenge now is not only to get more women to start new businesses, but to encourage more of them to start innovative businesses focused on exports, growth and job creation.’

Jean O’ Sullivan, Manager Female Entrepreneurship, Enterprise Ireland

Irish horse feed manufacturer Connolly’s Red Mills, an Enterprise Ireland client company, has signed a nutritional partnership deal with the world’s top female showjumper and Olympian, Australian Edwina Tops-Alexander.

The Kilkenny-based company joins the leading fashion house, Gucci, as a partner with the showjumper. Gucci designs her personal wardrobe and she is also an ambassador for the luxury watch-maker Jaeger-LeCoutre.   Under the deal all of Edwina’s horses, including the multi Grand Prix winning gelding Cevo Itot du Chateau, will be fed exclusively on Connolly's Red Mills horse feeds. They will follow strict diet plans to suit their individual needs formulated by Connolly's Red Mills nutritionists at their headquarters in Goresbridge, Co. Kilkenny.

Joe Connolly, Managing Director of Connolly’s Red Mills said: “Edwina can keep all her horses in top digestive health on the inside and performing to their best with the assistance of our nutritional experts.”

Speaking about the Red Mills nutritional partnership Tops-Alexander added: “Nutrition is one of the key factors in performance, along with the sophisticated program and expert knowledge now available through Red Mills to individually analyse my horses. I'm very confident that Connolly's Red Mills will benefit not only my horses but also my own performance level."

Connolly’s Red Mills group employs 200 people at its Kilkenny plant and its offices around the world, including the UK, Sweden, France, Japan and Malaysia.

Last year the company became the first in the world to secure a licence to import horse feed into mainland China. Connolly’s Red Mills horse feeds are already well-known to many of the leading stables in the world. Over 100 group one, grade one, or grand prix events have been won by horses fuelled by their products in the last season alone.

For more information visit http://www.edwinaalexander.com

Photographer: Johann Sauty

Pictured (l-r): Barry Egan, Enterprise Ireland Director West Region; John Perry TD, Minister for Small Business and Alma Curley, CGA Software.

Minister John Perry TD unveiled the 13 successful winners of Enterprise Ireland’s €200,000 Competitive Feasibility Fund aimed at stimulating start-ups and creating jobs in the West Region.

The fund, which was launched last September, offered funding of up to €25,000 to support entrepreneurs explore the feasibility of start-up ideas with job-creating potential in the West Region. Entrepreneurs and early stage companies in the ICT, industrial and food sectors based in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon were eligible to apply.

The range of start-up ideas selected for support cover a range of sectors including food, online payments, online learning, educational software, and life sciences.  Enterprise Ireland is now working closely with the entrepreneurs to help them develop the potential of their start-up ideas.

Making the announcement today Minister Perry said:  ‘Key to future success is building a strong engine of indigenous enterprise. We must seek to ensure that we have more indigenous companies starting-up, succeeding, expanding, exporting, and ultimately creating jobs in Ireland’.

Read the full press release

Aspen Grove Solutions announces 20 new jobs in further expansion

Kerry-based Aspen Grove Solutions, web-based business-to-business property management company, announced that they are recruiting 20 technical and management positions as part of the company’s expansion plans.

Aspen Grove Solutions headquartered at Kerry Technology Park in Tralee, also has offices in the UK and the US. Clients for its software include a number of Fortune 100 banks and insurance companies.

Sean Ryan, CEO of Aspen Grove Solutions, said the firm’s revenues have tripled since it was taken over by its current owners in 2008. It has been profitable every year since then and is looking forward to continued growth in the future. The current recruitment will bring its workforce to around 100 by the end of the year.

Ciara Fitzpatrick, Enterprise Ireland has been working with Aspen Grove Solutions for a number of years and welcomes the continued growth and expansion of its business. “The company has demonstrated a strong commitment to technology excellence and export and employment growth.  These high quality new jobs are a very welcome addition to Kerry”, she said.

Fehily Timoney secures significant new contracts worth €2.5M

Cork-based engineering consultancy, Fehily Timoney & Company, has successfully turned its business around with a strategic focus on the Middle East. This is paying significant dividends with a series of recent contract wins worth approximately €2.5M to the business.

The company is now in the process of hiring an additional 11 people to work on new projects in the domestic market, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The largest of these projects is the Jeddah Environmental & Social Master Plan in Saudi Arabia. This is a €10M high profile project covering a 150km x 50km area of the city of Jeddah and its environs. Fehily Timoney partners with Enterprise Ireland to help them tap into new international markets. The company’s focus on the Middle East has so far proved successful with approximately 30% of the company’s 2013 revenue expected to come from its Middle East projects.

“With offices in Dublin, Cork, Poland and Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, we currently have 16 people working on Middle East projects out of a total head count of 78. Since last September we have recruited nine new people and we’re planning to recruit another 11 people in the next couple of months. Things are definitely looking up for our business and we have worked very hard to achieve that success. Our new recruits will help service our national and international projects in the coming 12 months and beyond”, said Managing Director, Eamon Timoney.

Founded in 1990, Fehily Timoney & Company is one of Ireland’s largest Irish-owned independent consultancies. The company delivers projects in Ireland and internationally across core competency areas of waste management, environment, renewable energy and civil infrastructure.

Declan Duff, a Fehily Timoney scientist, inspecting an air quality monitoring station near the historic centre of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Digital Marketing Institute signs €2m training deal in Malaysia

In the latest in a series of export deals that brings the tally of potential revenues to more than €7m so far, the Dublin-headquartered Digital Marketing Institute (DMI) has signed a deal with Specialist Knowledge Centre worth €2m to train 2,000 students in Malaysia and across the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region.

In recent months, the institute signed contracts worth €3m each in India and South Africa.

Profitero teams with Nielsen

Dublin-based pricing intelligence firm Profitero, an Enterprise Ireland supported company, has formed an alliance with global information and insights company Nielsen to provide an online competitor price intelligence service to hundreds of Nielsen's retail clients around the world.

The alliance with Nielsen will see its service incorporated with Nielsen’s own price audit system, which is provided to retailers in over 20 countries. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Nielsen is already an established player in marketing and consumer information. The overall product will provide timely pricing intelligence and will allow retailers to benchmark prices against their competitors and implement pricing strategies accordingly.

Pictured at the announcement in Kuala Lumpur are: Michael Garvey (far left), Director ASEAN Region, Enterprise Ireland, with Senior Executives from Altobridge and Maxis Berhad, Malaysia’s leading integrated communications service provider

Enterprise Ireland client company Altobridge, specialists in technology that cuts the cost of delivering mobile communications, won a major new contract with Maxis Berhad, Malaysia’s leading integrated communications service provider.

The agreement will see the deployment of over 300 new mobile broadband sites, delivering ultra-low cost 3G services to rural communities throughout Malaysia, which Maxis is undertaking. Close to 200 sites are already in service across some of the remotest parts of Malaysia.

Altobridge's technology enables clients to cut the cost of mobile services through data optimisation using its "data-at-the-edge" technology (DatE™). 

 “Optimising and managing voice and data at the edge of the network delivers savings of over 40% in mobile broadband transmission costs. DatE™ offers service providers a compelling solution to their spiralling ‘big data’ delivery costs while, at the same time, dramatically improving end-user experience”, said Mike Fitzgerald, Chief Executive, Altobridge.

“For several years, Altobridge has demonstrated that operational savings are the key to commercially viable network expansion to rural communities. The bandwidth optimisation features which Altobridge has developed, coupled with our VSAT offerings, makes rural deployment a positive proposition, and it enables us to meet our goal of providing nationwide mobile connectivity”, said Mark Dioguardi, Joint Chief Operating Officer, Maxis.

Altobridge’s founding vision was to remove the technical and commercial barriers that denied remote communities affordable mobile voice and internet connectivity. Since its creation in 2002, Altobridge has designed, patented and commercially deployed technology innovations that have bridged the digital divide.

The company’s headquarters are in Tralee, Co. Kerry but it also has offices in the US, China and Malaysia and operates in more than 30 countries worldwide.

Enterprise Ireland will once again host a MED IN IRELAND Group Stand in Stuttgart, Germany, to promote the cluster of indigenous companies amongst its international competitors and promote Irish enterprise as a source of world-class products and technologies in the centre of one of the largest medical device markets in the world.

Medtec Europe is a premier trade fair for the medical industry. It is the leading event in Europe for medical device development and manufacturing companies. The show provides companies with an opportunity to showcase products and services relevant to the medical device sector with a view to developing new contacts and growth opportunities. Medtec is of particular importance to our clients in this sector, as Germany is not only Europe’s most desirable export market for innovative medical technologies, but its strong economy and close proximity to Ireland make it an ideal export location for Irish companies.

Ireland’s medical technology sector has evolved into one of the leading clusters for medical device and diagnostic products globally. Ireland is now the second largest exporter of medical products in Europe, behind only Germany, with exports of €7.2 billion. There are currently over 250 medical technology companies in Ireland, employing 25,000 people - the highest number of people working in the industry in any country in Europe, per capita. These companies are involved in developing, manufacturing and marketing a diverse range of products and services.  Exports of medical device and diagnostics products now represent close to 10% of Ireland’s total merchandise exports; and growth prospects for the industry globally remain positive. The medical technology industry in Ireland is changing from being  predominantly manufacturing to being more complex and driven by R&D. It now involves intensive collaboration between a broad range of partners, including research institutions, clinicians, manufacturing companies and Government agencies.

At this year’s show the MED IN IRELAND brand will be represented by twelve innovative Irish companies, six of which will exhibit at the Enterprise Ireland group stand ; 1K40. At this stand, Ireland presents; Arrotek Medical Ltd., Avenue Mould Solutions Limited, Blueacre Technology, CLS MedPharma, Shannon MicroCoil, Tool & Plastic Industries Ltd.

Other Irish companies exhibiting independently at the show are; Advant Medical Ltd (3G45), Cambus Medical (1M20), Creganna – Tactx Medical (1I64), Innovative Polymer Compounds (1O59), Steripack Group (3F16), and Vistamed Ltd (1M20).

We are also delighted to announce that this year, we will be joined by Minister of State Sean Sherlock who will visit our own MED IN IRELAND pavilion, as well as our individual client stands.

View the full profiles of Enterprise Ireland clients exhibiting at this trade show

L-R: Sean Davis, Regional Manager - Middle East and North Africa, Enterprise Ireland, Joe Costello TD, Minister for Trade and Development and Eamon Sikafi, Life Sciences Market Advisor - Dubai, Enterprise Ireland.

The Minister of State for Trade and Development, Joe Costello TD, traveled to the Middle East where he attended the International Pledging Conference for Syria. The Conference which took place in Kuwait on 30th January was chaired by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.

Ahead of the Conference the Minister visited Dubai where he participated in a number of trade promotion events to coincide with 'Arab Health' the largest healthcare exhibition and medical congress in the Middle East. For the first time Enterprise Ireland organised an Irish pavilion at the Congress, where 14 Irish firms were represented. The event was organised to support these medical technology companies to expand their businesses in the rapidly growing Middle East healthcare market.

Building on the existing links between Ireland and the Emirates, Minister Costello was also guest of honour at a networking event jointly hosted by the Irish Embassy, Enterprise Ireland and the Alumni of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Minister Costello met with the UAE Minister of Economy, H.E. Sultan Al Mansouri to discuss bilateral trade between the two countries. In 2011, two-way trade between Ireland and the UAE was worth more than €900m.

Speaking ahead of the events Minister Costello said:
“More and more Irish companies are looking at expanding their business in the Middle East and Dubai is the main hub for entry into these markets.
Ireland is a world leader in medical technology and I am delighted to join with Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Embassy in supporting these Irish companies to promote their products and services at Arab Health.

Medical technology, and the wider lifesciences sectors, have been resilient during the economic downturn and are of enormous importance to Ireland’s recovery and growth”.

Pictured (l-r) are: Dr Keith O’Neill, Lifescience & Food Commercialisation Director, Enterprise Ireland, Dr Peter Lee, Winner of the Clinical Innovation Award 2012, and Chris Coburn, Executive Director, Cleveland Clinic Innovations.

A smarter epidural has won the 2nd annual Clinical Innovation Award, sponsored by Enterprise Ireland in association with Cleveland Clinic.  The winner, Dr Peter Lee, a consultant anaesthetist with Cork University Hospital, collaborated with University College Cork under their Biomedical Design module to identify a solution for improved epidural delivery. 

The purpose of the Clinical Innovation Award is to tap in to Ireland’s clinical community with a view to developing new healthcare products and services that will improve patient care and benefit both the health care system and Ireland’s medical technologies sector.

Dr Lee and his collaborators have developed a simple, cost effective and globally applicable solution to the problems associated with epidural administration.  This procedure is technically difficult, and requires a clinician to blindly pass the needle into the epidural space for delivery of a local anaesthetic.  Complications include neurologic injury and post-dural puncture headache. For trainee anaesthetists, there is a 1 in 5 failure rate for the first 50 epidurals performed.   Dr Lee will receive a grant of €15,000 and the opportunity to work with Cleveland Clinic and Enterprise Ireland to develop the commercial feasibility of his innovative idea.   

Read the full press release

Pictured at NovaUCD, the Centre for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs at University College Dublin are Nigel Cobbe, Vice-President, Business Development, Enbio and Dr James Carton, Industrial Surfaces Programme Manager, Enbio

The European Space Agency has awarded Ireland with three significant contracts in Cork, Dublin and Galway. The contracts were secured with support from Enterprise Ireland which is the co-ordinating body for ESA in Ireland.

Enbio, an Irish Surface Technology company, signed a €500,000 contract to optimise a proprietary surface treatment for use as a ‘sunscreen’ to better protect satellites as they travel in space. The contract will also enable Enbio to establish its first manufacturing facility at its headquarters at NovaUCD, the Centre for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs, at University College Dublin.

In its new manufacturing facility Enbio will use its patented technology platform, CoBlast, to produce unique ‘black’ surfaces, which it will then deploy on critical internal and external surfaces of satellites.

These ‘black’ surfaces, called ‘SolarBlack(s)’, uniquely combine extreme thermal and ultra-violet radiation stability, robustness and electrical conductivity characteristics. These surfaces will provide satellites with a more robust surface than is currently available to counter the intense solar radiation encountered in space, thus better protecting satellites and their payloads while they journey through space.

TreeMetrics, an Irish based innovator in forestry, data analytics and measurement solutions, has secured a significant €800,000 contract. The funding will support the global roll-out of the company's innovative web-based satellite mapping application for the forestry industry.

The Enterprise Ireland-backed company also plans to recruit a further ten software engineers over the next twelve months to expand its workforce at its Cork facility to 30. The company is receiving significant interest from multinational timber growers to develop its proprietary system. The TreeMetrics’ solution replaces traditional calipers and measuring tape with technology for the first time in over 100 years of forestry measurement. Easy-to-use 3D laser scanners can quickly and accurately measure the shape, size, and straightness of standing trees. The cutting-edge technology uses this information to predict the quantities of log products that each tree can produce, and their potential value. The TreeMetrics’ solution offers a better means of managing forests and determining which areas best match sawmill requirements. Ultimately this leads to a reduction in the quantity of trees that need to be cut, while reducing waste and improving forest profitability.

ESA has invested €2.1 million in an ash cloud detection and forecasting system led by the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) and involving NUI Galway and the Irish Aviation Authority.

The project, which uses satellites and forecast models to detect ash clouds and forecast their movements, came about following the 2010 Icelandic volcano eruption, which resulted in more than 100,000 flights being cancelled, affecting 10 million passenger journeys during the first week of the eruption alone. 

In total, ESA have invested €2.1 million in the Volcanic Ash Strategic Initiative Team (VAST). VAST is a consortium led by NILU and comprises teams from Finland, Austria and Ireland with NUI Galway being awarded €500,000 to further develop and evaluate their ash forecast model, to develop real-time ash detection software and to conduct the validation of the detection and forecasting aspects of the project.  

The Big Ideas Showcase is the largest gathering of inventors in the country. The event showcased the latest collection of 20 investment opportunities, each with its own merits and business potential. Among the ‘Big Ideas’ pitched to potential investors at this year’s event were technologies that can: Help to improve your IQ, Reduce the cost of thoroughbred horse breeding, Improve hygiene in our hospitals and Reduce hot water bills by up to 50%

Three Commercialisation awards were presented on the day to previous “Big Ideas” who had been successful in commercialising their research. The winners were Dr Alan Holland, ICT commercialisation award, Professor Dolores O’Riordan, Lifescience Commercialisation Award and Stephen Daniels, Manufacturing, Engineering and Energy Commercialisation Award.

Pictured at an event organised by Enterprise Ireland to highlight Irish companies’ innovation capabilities to a delegation of European journalists are L to R:  Eoin Bambury of Crospon Ltd and Minister Richard Bruton

On January 1 2013, Ireland started its 7^th Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a fitting way to mark the 40^th anniversary of our joining the European Economic Community, as it was known back in 1973.

Holding the Presidency is always a challenge for smaller countries but the Government is committed to running an effective and well managed Presidency.

Each Presidency is responsible for driving through regulations and legislation at a European level, but in a fair and impartial manner and by leading on all interactions with the European Parliament and with the Commission.  However, Presidencies do have their own priorities and the Irish Presidency is being run under the banner of “Stability, Jobs and Growth”.

The economic crisis is the most important obstacle to growth in Europe today and one of the Government’s priorities is to restore banking stability. It will also work hard to get agreement on the Multi-Financial Framework which will set the budget of the European Union for the next seven years.

All of the other priorities feed into the themes of Jobs and Growth, whether through moving forward the Public Procurement directive, the Single European Patent or by tackling youth unemployment. These will help make Europe more competitive and should lead to growth.

The Presidency also provides multiple opportunities for the State Agencies as it places Ireland at the centre of things. It is an opportunity to promote Ireland and its companies, an agenda that Enterprise Ireland offices around the world will be driving strongly. It is also the reason why thousands of visitors will come here to attend one of the many meetings, seminars, workshops and conferences organised under the auspices of the Presidency. This has an important effect on the economy. Of particular note are EUROSME – developing the innovative capacity of SMEs, WIRE IV – strengthening the research and innovative capacity of European regions and EuroNanoForum – supporting the adoption of key enabling technologies.

The Ireland of the 21^st century is unrecognisable from the Ireland of 1973, in particular for Irish businesses. We now have free access to a single market of over 490 million people, share a common currency with 16 other countries and have the right to move, work and reside within the territories of the other member states.

So until 30th June, when Lithuania takes over, Europe will be going a little bit greener.

Presidency Website: http://eu2013.ie/