Enterprise Ireland strengthens ties of industry on trade mission to Scotland
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As businesses find themselves operating in an era of change with significant shifts in global trade, supporting Irish exporting companies to grow and scale in international markets continues to be a priority for Enterprise Ireland.
Enterprise Ireland last week opened a new office in Glasgow, a signal of a long-term commitment to Scotland and to the UK. The new office was officially opened by Niamh Smyth, junior minister for Trade Promotion.
This visit was primarily focused on strengthening Irish and Scottish trade relations, and highlighting our capability in these key sectors, while also exploring new opportunities for Irish firms.
The UK is the largest market for Enterprise Ireland client companies, accounting for €9.97bn (29pc) of client exports in 2023. More than 300 companies supported by Enterprise Ireland currently export there.
As part of the trade mission, 10 Enterprise Ireland clients announced investments, new contracts and expansions in the Scottish market, highlighting the opportunities that exist there.
Kirby Group Engineering has been confirmed as a preferred partner of Scottish Power as they deliver an overhaul of the grid in Scotland, and this partnership is set for an initial five years.
Scotland is one of the world's most developed markets for renewable energy
McGrath Limestone, Suir Engineering and archaeological consultancy Rubicon also all announced contracts and expansion plans during the week.
Two Enterprise Ireland clients, Cleantech Civils and Uniquely, announced that they are to open new offices in Scotland, with Uniquely planning to create 100 jobs in Scotland within the year.
Scotland is one of the world's most developed markets for renewable energy with £50bn of projects in development. It's a huge opportunity, not just for the clean energy sector, but also for companies in the engineering and environmental field.
Following a stg£10m (€11.8m) R&D investment, Subsea Micropiles launched a pioneering offshore wind anchoring solution, with its first commercial installation for Orkney Harbour Authority in Scotland. The innovative solution will help offshore wind projects to reduce costs and environmental impact.
Subsea Micropiles earlier this year announced an investment of stg£9.2m, led by the Scottish National Investment Bank, to expand operations in Scotland, with plans to create 100 jobs over the next five years.
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Separately, there are opportunities across the agri sector, and Senus announced a partnership with AgriGroup, as part of its sustainability advisory service to farmers, while livestock comfort manufacturer, Easyfix, announced a distribution partnership with Thorburn.
Services provider TEKenable announced they will lead PureMalt's digital change programme, designed to establish a digital backbone for its future growth.
The trade mission included a visit to Edinburgh's award-winning Winchburgh Water Treatment Plant – where Enterprise Ireland client EPS, a specialist engineering company focusing on water and wastewater infrastructure, worked closely with Scottish Water's delivery partner ESB in completing the design and built of this state-of-the-art project.
Minister Smyth also attended a bi-lateral meeting with Scotland's business minister, Richard Lochhead, and took part in three round-table sessions on offshore wind, agriculture and water.
For information about how Enterprise Ireland can help your business identify opportunities in the Scottish market, visit Enterprise-Ireland.com.
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