Conor O'Donovan: New EU startup plan will help Irish firms be more competitive on global stage
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• What the new EU plan contains
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• The five key actions to come out of the plan
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Everything from dinosaurs to dining sets at two summer sales
Home or garden? The choice is yours at two appetising sales next week, the At Home online sale at James Adam in Dublin on Wednesday (June 11) and the two-day summer garden sale by Victor Mee in Cavan on the evenings of Tuesday and Wednesday. Top lots at Adam's range from Playing in the Sand (€4,000-€6,000), a lovely summer scene by Dorothea Sharp (1874-1955, through a Louis Quinze ormolu-mounted longcase clock (€3,000-€5,000), an Irish Regency oval beaded wall mirror (€3,000-€5,000) and a Milkmaid pattern Irish silver tea set (€2,500-€3,500). A wrought-iron glasshouse in Victorian style, complete with modern accoutrements like remote control glass and automated vents (€18,000-€22,000) leads the offerings at Victor Mee. A Regency oval beaded mirror at James Adam. Lifesize bronze sculptures of a horse and jockey and a galloping horse are estimated at €10,000-€20,000 each, while bronze-effect statues on pedestals of The Four Seasons, a bronze fountain with Mercury and a pair of 19th-century wrought-iron entrance gates are all estimated at €8,000-€12,000. One of the more unusual At Home lots, for use when away, is a complete set of early 20th-century 40 nautical signal flags. Originally drafted in 1855, the code is an international system of signals used by ships to convey important information on safety and navigation. The flags are in a fitted timber case with brass carrying handles and are estimated at €400-€600. With more than 500 lots, the last At Home sale before the summer features a diverse range of home objects, including a pair of brass-framed circular hall lanterns, an Edwardian club fender, and a pair of 19th-century Sitzendorf porcelain wall sconces. A bleached timber library table at James Adam. There are lots of chairs like sofas and Chesterfields, a set of eight Windsor-style oak and elmwood kitchen chairs, a pair of French 19th-century two-seater settees, a pair of red leather wingback armchairs, a George II walnut armchair, a pair of library armchairs, green leather button back chairs, a set of c1820s provincial Irish dining chairs along with Victorian and Edwardian dining chair sets. Among the artworks on offer are two botanical watercolours by Wendy Walsh and Cattle Watering by Thomas Sydney Cooper. A pair of giltwood and marble figural console tables, a bleached timber library table, Georgian and Regency dining tables, side tables and card tables feature along with collectables like silver, clock sets and a Baccarat three-light candelabra. At Victor Mee's sale, you will find exceptional urns and planters, a private collection of antique stone troughs and an obelisk gifted by the Chinese government to the Hely-Hutchinson family at Knocklofty House in Clonmel. The two-day sale features over 850 lots of garden statuary, furniture and architectural features. An obelisk gifted by the Chinese government at Victor Mee. There is a focus too on animal garden statuary with an emphasis on native Irish wildlife. This is an area of collection which the team at Victor Mee has noted is growing in popularity as animal sculptures are increasingly used to add character and whimsy to Irish gardens. Among the offerings are hares dancing, a lifesize bronze sheep, bronze pigs, a cast-iron red squirrel and a pair of boxing hares. A raptor for your garden at Victor Mee. More exotic creatures include a bronze elephant with a Dali-style decoration and a bronze velociraptor. As always, there is a good selection of antique and vintage outdoor furniture. Catalogues for both sales are online.
Business Post
3 hours ago
- Business Post
Ireland's aquatech sector is making waves
A key pillar of Ireland's seafood economy is the aquaculture sector, which reported value growth of 25 per cent and volume growth of 4 per cent last year, according to the latest Business of Seafood report by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland's seafood development agency. With a total value of €211 million – of which salmon accounted for €142 million last year – Ireland is establishing a reputation for high-quality aquaculture, although the sector has a long way to go to catch up with the likes of Norway, or international powerhouses like China or Chile. Where Ireland does have the potential to make a global impact, however, is in aquatech. In 2023, BIM declared that Ireland has the potential to become the 'Silicon Valley of the aquatech industry', such was the level of investment taking place in the nascent sector. Two years on, that momentum has shown no signs of slowing, according to Caroline Bocquel, chief executive at BIM. 'The Irish aquatech sector started at zero five years ago, and is now worth about €165 million,' she explained. 'What we've seen is that companies that have come through in the sector have spent one or two years in their startup phase, then moved on to Series A and Series B funding. Now they're really taking off.' Aquatech covers a broad range of services, including marine engineering, genetics, feed additives, bioscience, health solutions and digital technologies, with much of the innovation in this sector supporting global salmon and shrimp farming, as well as domestic shellfish and seaweed operators. As global demand for sustainable aquaculture continues to gain pace, Ireland is well-positioned to capitalise. 'There's a limit to the amount of aquaculture that Ireland can produce, but there's a €300 billion international aquaculture industry that we, as a country, can support,' said Bocquel. 'Aquaculture is relatively new – it's only about 50 years old as a sector – and it's moving at pace in terms of using technology to make farms more efficient, improve survivability, disease resistance, etc. We now have a stable of companies that are able to provide that technology, at a global level, and that will continue to grow over the coming years.' BIM has been investing in the aquatech industry for the past six years, and currently supports more than 70 companies in the sector, a figure it expects to grow exponentially. The Irish aquatech sector started at zero five years ago, and is now worth about €165 million BIM recently announced details of its 2025 Aquatech Innovation Studio, in partnership with Hatch Blue and backed by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) – a six-day programme to support early-stage aquatech startups. The initiative provides mentoring, investor training and technical development, providing a springboard for aquatech innovation. Auranta ( is an example of an Irish business that has gained an international footprint in the aquatech sector. The Dublin-based biotech company, which develops fish feed to bolster the immunity and gut health of species like shrimp and salmon, was awarded the BIM Aquatech Business of the Year award in 2024. 'There's a huge opportunity in this space, as we can offer a test bed for new technologies in our farms, ahead of their deployment internationally,' says Bocquel. 'Ireland has successfully grown businesses in other tech sectors – we see an opportunity to replicate this in aquatech.' As well as mentoring services, BIM assists Irish aquatech firms in accessing venture capital ('we hold their hand for the first three or four years') until they become self-sufficient and more established in their funding rounds. The net result is little short of astounding. Bocquel admits that she is 'blown away' by the level to which businesses in the sector have matured in such a short space of time. 'Watching them talk about their business makes you think, 'Oh my God, why didn't anyone else think of that? That's brilliant',' she said. The application process for the BIM Aquatech Innovation Studio is open until 18 July, with the studio running from October 13 to 18. Details are available at
Business Post
3 hours ago
- Business Post
Experts you can trust ensure peace of mind
Securing cost-effective insurance has been challenging for community, voluntary and charitable organisations over the past number of years – yet it's vital to ensure that organisations can continue their important work even when losses arise. Part of The Ardonagh Group, one of the world's largest brokers, Arachas is Ireland's largest nationwide insurance broker with over 700 people based across 14 offices throughout the country. This positions the company well to insure the people of Ireland, their businesses and the community, voluntary and charitable organisations that they are involved in. 'The theme of the Wheel Summit 2025, sponsored by Arachas, was Thriving through Change; and in uncertain times, working with insurance experts you can trust, comes to the fore,' said Celine Greene, chief trading officer at Arachas Specialty. 'At Arachas, our focus is to provide you with the right insurance protection so that in the event of a loss, you can continue to provide your valuable services, allowing you to direct your energies on your cause with security and peace of mind.' As the world gets more complex, insurance needs get more complicated. 'With uncertainty in areas such as tariffs, and geopolitical instability to list a couple,' said Greene, 'you need to focus on planning for the future and get help from insurance experts, allowing you to plan for the unexpected. 'Our Affinity Schemes team at Arachas Specialty work hand in hand with customers to understand the challenges our customers face and advise them around how they can get the best cover. A tailored approach is often required working with our customers in pinch-point sectors (areas which due to their nature are challenging to insure) in the Irish insurance market, such as groups operating in the childcare sector, the Irish Association for Adventure Tourism and the Irish Inflatable Hirers Federation, resolving real needs for customers that otherwise weren't able to access insurance products.' Arachas boasts high-quality in-house expertise as well as a significant number of existing not-for-profit customers. 'To support the sector, we have brought together a division of professionals focused on catering for the risk and insurance needs of not-for-profit organisations,' said Greene. 'This division is underpinned by our new insurance scheme, developed in partnership with Ecclesiastical Insurance Office Plc. bringing cost-effective, enhanced insurance cover to the non-profit sector, providing greater protection, thus reducing uncertainty and risk.' Emma Murtagh is the director of development and member services at The Wheel, and welcomes the initiative. 'With the introduction of their new insurance scheme, tailored to community, voluntary and not-for-profit sector, in conjunction with Ecclesiastical Insurance Office Plc., Arachas are coming with something that the industry has been asking for, for quite some time. This is music to our ears, as it means that our members have more insurance options open to them, which can help them focus on their core mission to help others, in the knowledge that their risks are catered for.' Greene added:'We were delighted to support The Wheel Summit 2025 event where the Arachas Specialty team got to meet and understand more about the requirements that you have as Not-For-Profit, community, voluntary and charitable organisations. The type and level of cover may vary greatly depending on how your organisation operates, how you are funded and how you generate income. The Arachas Specialty team, led by Schemes Development Director Amanda Harton, would be happy to speak to you about how the package we've developed with Ecclesiastical can cater to all of the risks that you might be facing, including your assets, liability exposures, trustees and management and professional indemnity.' On a more personal level, Arachas believes that giving back through community involvement and charitable giving are important aspects to their human approach to insurance. 'Just two weeks ago, we took part in the LauraLynn 24-hour treadmill challenge,' said Greene. 'And, over the past few years, another organisation we have supported is Cancer Fund for Children where, in conjunction with our parent company Ardonagh, we raised €2 million to support vital resources for families and children battling cancer. 'We have now launched our biggest companywide fundraiser this year as proud sponsor of the 26 Mountains 2 Mayo Challenge, where we will scale the highest peak in every county across Ireland, in aid of Cancer Fund for Children, supporting families and children, who are impacted by cancer. 'So, please keep an eye out for us, we will be coming to a mountain near you!'
