Scale 21 – Helping businesses to get established in the UK

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The UK has always been and remains Irelands largest single trading partner with a wealth of opportunities for Irish companies.

To support Irish companies to establish themselves in the UK, Enterprise Ireland has run the Scale UK mentoring programme since 2012.

This year’s Scale 21 invites companies to advance their businesses by finessing their strategies, developing their UK messaging, analysing their sales channels and becoming pitch ready with inputs from our experienced mentors.

Download more information on Scale 21 or watch our programme overview below.

Gain insights from a previous participant and mentor who discuss their experiences with Scale UK.

Gillian Doyle, CEO Cerebreon discusses her experience of participating on Scale UK and gives her advice for companies applying for next year’s programme.

Carol Ward, President at Man GLG and Scale UK mentor shares her experience of Scale UK, working with fellow mentors and Irish diaspora and the importance of supporting companies with growth ambition for the UK.

 

To learn more about the Scale 21 programme download our guide.

Market Watch – View from Asia Pacific

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Mary Kinnane, Enterprise Ireland Asia Pac directorAs Covid-19 impacts markets globally, our Market Watch will provide timely insights to clients. Mary Kinnane, Regional Director, Asia Pac, Enterprise Ireland discusses the view from the APAC region.

 

1.What are you seeing on the ground in the APAC Region in terms of the impact of Covid-19?

With Covid-19 being present in the Asia Pac region for some months with serious human health implications, the collateral damage to business and economic sentiment has been apparent since early Q1.  This past fortnight has seen the global implications of the virus really impact economically with business indicators and sentiment on the ground turning very negative.  There has been a near collapse in regional and international travel as governments across Asia Pac try to control the spread of the virus.  The situation varies to some extent across the region, and also across sectors, but the overall impact in the region is profound.

 

2. What’s your advice to Irish exporters in terms of engaging with customers and suppliers?

Stay focused on what you can influence and control, both in respect of existing sales delivery in the near term, and on planning for the recovery when it does come. Proactive and regular communication with suppliers is to be advised to instill and ensure mutual confidence.

 

3. What Covid-19 business supports are being put into place across the APAC Region to support business continuity?

The increase in remote working and split teams in mission critical areas within organisations has unfolded at an unprecedented pace in APAC.  Company policies have and are evolving rapidly with respect to such supports.  On a macro basis government and central bank stimuli are being deployed at scale in an attempt to contain the potential longer term economic impact of the crisis.

 

4. What advice would you have for Irish businesses exporting to APAC during this time?

If already exporting to the region the advice would be predicated on the simple premise that it is much easier to retain a customer than to win a new customer in the region.  Within whatever constraints you are operating under, communicate proactively and try to support business continuity.  As with historical crises in the region customer loyalty will more often than not be rewarded in the longer term.

For potential new entrants to the region whilst travel is not possible in the short term, if resources allow, it is a good time to research and prospect new opportunities remotely.  We are finding that some APAC companies have time and are more amenable to digital contact than heretofore.  As always with the APAC region, Irish companies must be realistic on the runway required to winning new business.

 

5. How is the Enterprise Ireland office network across the APAC Region supporting Irish companies during this period?

The Enterprise Ireland network of offices from Beijing to Sydney is fully operational with teams working remotely to ensure continuity of service to both existing clients and to support the pipeline of new entrants to the region.

Our focus is twofold;  firstly, supporting the immediate challenges of clients with respect to customer delivery and supply chain management and secondly, continuing to support new business prospecting in the region in preparation for the uptick which will come in time. There is every reason to believe that the high growth APAC region will continue to offer serious rewards to client companies once the current crisis abates.

Irish innovation working to combat Covid-19

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Irish companies are taking up the fight against Covid-19. New developments rapidly emerging from Ireland, one of the leading medtech hubs in the world, are being used to help stem the advance of the virus.

 

New rapid Covid-19 diagnostic test

Dublin based HiberGene Diagnostics develops and manufactures molecular diagnostics tests for human infectious diseases. It specialises in the manufacture of rapid and highly accurate testing solutions that are cost effective and simple to use.

Now it is developing a new and rapid test for the novel coronavirus, which it hopes to bring to market shortly after clinical evaluation at potential sites in China, Italy & Ireland.

HiberGene’s tests are based on non-invasive human samples such as swabs, and minimal sample processing.

Because the test for the new coronavirus is a “near patient test”, samples will be taken and tested on location, without needing to be sent offsite to a laboratory, it expects to diagnose a positive COVID 19 result in approx. 20 minutes, many times faster than the fastest existing molecular diagnostic tests.

 

New Protein to fight Covid-19 through diagnosis, vaccines and research

Fellow Irish biotech company Aalto Bio Reagents has launched a new protein with the power to fight the Covid-19 on three fronts – diagnosis, vaccines and research.

Its new recombinant SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (code CK 6404) is available for diagnostic test manufacturers, vaccine developers and researchers globally, all of whom are working to stem the current pandemic.

“Patients are currently being screened for the virus by PCR”, explained Philip Noone, CEO of Aalto Bio Reagents, “however there is an important need for serological tests as well to detect all those mild or even asymptomatic cases that may otherwise be missed. Sero-epidemiologic investigations, such as those aimed to better understand transmission characteristics and severity of COVID-19, are also essential.”

The medical field and diagnostic industry have an unrelenting requirement for access to scientifically proven raw materials in outbreak situations like this, where fast diagnosis is required, he said. “With our new SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein we endeavour to meet this urgent demand.”

Irish company Aerogen has pioneered new ways to help people in respiratory distress. To date more than nine million patients worldwide have benefited from its innovative aerosol drug delivery technology.

Unlike conventional nebulisers, Aerogen has an in-line circuit design, which means the ventilation circuit does not need to be broken for drug delivery. Its management team believes it could therefore be a viable option to help deliver industry-leading care to patients infected with Covid-19.

Its products offer a lower risk of transmission of patient generated infectious aerosol for health care professionals in acute care settings than traditional nebulisers.

For patients requiring ventilation, its vibrating mesh technology, and closed circuit design, makes it a viable option to help deliver industry-leading care. Recent UK government guidelines state that when treating respiratory patients a closed suctioning system must be used, and that ventilator circuits should not be broken unless necessary.

Unlike conventional nebulisers, the Aerogen Solo device has an in-line circuit design and is designed so that the medication reservoir is isolated from the breathing circuit, minimising nebulisation of contaminated fluids.

 

Air Purification System to Kill Airborne Viruses

Pioneering plasma technology developed by Irish company Novaerus is already being deployed to purify air for patients and medical staff.

Novaerus helps control the spread of pathogens by closing the infection control loop made up of hands, surfaces, and now air. It uses a patented technology that kills airborne viruses by sucking air from a room and passing it through patented plasma coils which destroy them, reducing the risk of cross-infection.

Several of its medical-grade, clean air solutions have been donated to hospitals in Wuhan, China.

These include its latest model, Defend 1050, a mobile solution designed for rapid remediation in large spaces and situations with a high risk of infection.

Coronaviruses spread via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread. “The most difficult disease transmission-route to guard against is airborne because we have very little to protect us when we breathe,” explained Dr Kevin Devlin, CEO at WellAir, the Irish parent company of Novaerus.

 

New Augmented Reality Hand Washing App

Leaders across the world have stressed that the primary tool we have at all our disposal in the fight against Covid-19 is the ability to wash our hands. Stemming the virus’ spread depends on how often, and how well, we do that.

If hand hygiene is done properly it can be over 90% effective in preventing the spread of harmful germs, yet a large number of people are unaware that they are not washing their hands correctly.

SureWash is an augmented reality hand washing app developed to provide proper hand hygiene training to healthcare workers, patients and visitors worldwide.

It ensures compliance in hand hygiene to World Health Organisation protocol by delivering training in an engaging manner that encourages participation. By providing real-time feedback, it helps users to improve their technique.

The software system also provides infection control personnel with the data necessary to monitor hand hygiene progress and to guarantee positive results.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic it has launched its app to the general public, so that everyone can play their part.

 

New Covid-19 online portal allows GPs to treat patients remotely

Patient portal developer Wellola responded to a call from Ireland’s Health Services Executive (HSE), Ireland’s national health authority, to develop and launch a new secure communication portal for clinicians and primary care providers in response to the pandemic.

Called HSE Covid 19 Portal, it’s an easy to use digital tool designed to optimise doctor and patient safety.  Patients access it via an app which is downloadable via the HSE Covid 19 website. The new online portal allows GPs and healthcare providers to treat people remotely so as to protect themselves from Covid-19. The portal allows GPs and primary-care providers to easily offer patients a range of services, including online bookings, a video consultation service, secure messaging and form completion to assist in triaging.

The Covid 19 app is based on existing technology already developed and tested by Wellola and so was ready to launch just four days after receiving the call from the HSE.

Finally, in the face of a worldwide shortage of life saving ventilators, an international initiative called the Open Ventilator Project quickly came together on Facebook to design and build a 3-D printed ventilator.

In Ireland the project was led by Colin Keogh of Sapien Innovation, a specialist in applied innovation, creativity and design thinking services. Within a week it had produced a prototype it hopes will be validated by Ireland’s health authorities for use in the fight against Covid-19.

Pilot Photonics

Spotlight on DTIF: Pilot Photonics combines Irish lasers and the internet of the future

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Laser technology has come a long way since Star Wars. Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation is now widely used across areas from medicine to communications. It plays an important role in our daily lives, allowing us to send information over the internet, play DVDs and store data in the cloud.

But the full potential of photonics, the science and application of light, remains untapped. Irish companies are playing a growing role in exploring the possibilities of this key technology with the help of significant investment from the Government’s €500 million Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) as well as university research programmes.

Founded in 2011 as a university spin-out, and built on more than 10 years of research at Dublin City University (DCU) and the Tyndall National Institute in Cork, Pilot Photonics is among those working and innovating in the area.

 

iLife project

With research partners in DCU and Trinity College Dublin (TCD), it is working on a new project called iLife, or Irish Lasers for the Internet of the Future. The three-year project, supported by €1.6 million in DTIF funding, aims to develop a new type of laser technology for the communications market.

“Ultimately, it’s about creating optical microchips that use light rather than electricity to send information,” says Frank Smyth, project leader and chief technology officer at Pilot Photonics. 

The project aims to provide a solution to the impending “capacity crunch” facing telecommunication and data centre networks. As internet consumption increases, technology is struggling to keep pace with usage rates. Every time streaming video must buffer or online games freeze, we see the impact of reaching the limits of global bandwidth.

 

New laser technology

iLife is developing a new type of laser technology that could provide one solution to this problem, increasing internet capacity by packing as much information as possible onto existing networks.

Its comb source laser technology offers numerous advantages over the single wavelength lasers that have been used in telecom applications to date, including increased performance and reduced cost, footprint and power consumption.

“We are developing a new type of laser known as an optical comb source that can dramatically increase the amount of information that can be packed onto the optical fibres that make up the backbone of the internet,” Smyth says. 

To put it simply, he says: “When you change station on your car radio what you’re doing is changing the frequency. Our technology allows you to insert more frequencies between the set channels and pack everything tighter together. Each one of those intermediate channels can carry more data increasing the overall capacity of the system.”

 

DTIF: Government funding for innovation

iLife was awarded state funding of €1.6 million in 2018, one of 27 innovation projects across the health, food, ICT and manufacturing sectors to receive money from the first tranche of the DTIF.

The €500 million fund, established under Project Ireland 2040 and run by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation with support from Enterprise Ireland, aims to help enterprises and research institutions to collaborate on projects that will develop and deploy disruptive innovative technologies on a commercial basis.

“The DTIF funding was a big gateway that allowed us to resource this project,” Smyth says, noting the company would not have been able to undertake such cutting-edge work without it.

At present, 12 people are working on iLife, including a team of eight from Pilot Photonics. The DTIF money is initially being used to fund the design of new photonic microchips as well as their fabrication, testing and the development of advanced prototypes.

 

Commercial potential for Pilot Photonics

“What the funding will allow us to do is to really take this technology to a point where we can put it into customer’s hands for evaluation and then get it out into the marketplace,” Smyth says. He estimates that the laser market is currently worth around $12 billion, with the communications sector, the segment iLife is targeting, accounting for around $3 billion of this.

“The commercial focus of this development is at the high end,” he says, adding that the large global corporations interested in this project and its outcome include Google, Nokia, Huawei and others. “We are talking to some of the biggest networking companies in the world.”

Aside from its commercial possibilities, Smyth believes the research can be used in sectors besides communications. For instance, the same technology can also be used in LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) for driverless cars, and in gas-sensing for environmental monitoring, he says.

 

Other projects in the pipeline

In December, Pilot Photonics was successful in securing further DTIF funding for another project, known as FreeSpace. The project, a collaboration with mBryonics, OEWaves, DCU and TCD, received €3.6 million under the second round of DTIF funding, with around €652,000 earmarked for Pilot Photonics.

Freespace aims to revolutionise wireless connectivity with ultra-high capacity laser communication technology that delivers an unprecedented combination of bandwidth, availability and distance without the need for spectrum licensing.

Meanwhile, the DTIF is also backing another ground-breaking photonics project, the Photonics Manufacturing Pilot Line. It is providing funding of €4.1 million to the project, which is led by Tyndall and includes German photonics assembly and testing firm Ficontec along with industry partners mBryonics, Eblana Photonics, Sanmina and Optics11 Faz Technology.

The project will build a dedicated, open-access physical photonic packaging pilot line in Ireland, designed to fill the gap that exists today by fabricating tens to hundreds of units.

 

Irish photonics cluster emerges

To date, the DTIF has invested €19.6 million in photonics-related projects through its first two funding rounds. This builds on the significant state funding that has flowed in recent years to photonics research in DCU, TCD, and Tyndall, which has a state-of-the-art photonics centre.

“The government has prioritised photonics as a key area for investment over the past 20 years and the country is now beginning to see the rewards from that investment,” Smyth says. 

He points to the emergence of several new photonics startups, some of which have been acquired by large US companies, while keeping and growing the number of high-value jobs in Ireland. He also notes the growing number of researchers with expertise in the area coming through the education system while the Irish Photonic Integration Centre (IPIC) acts as a hub for the industry in Ireland.

“A photonics ecosystem is coming together,” Smyth says, one that aims, in the words of the IPIC, “to build the future with talent and technology”.

 

For more information and call dates for the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund visit the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation website.

Enterprise Ireland’s top tips for entering the Chinese market

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The ambitions of both the Chinese government and the private sector to improve competitiveness is driving demand for foreign technology and expertise, which in turn is increasing opportunities for Irish firms in the region.

If you are considering doing business in China, please be sure to explore our tips to enter the market below and also be sure to reach out to our dedicated team. 

  • Make a strategy to protect your intellectual property before you enter the Chinese market.
  • Treating China as one large market is difficult, narrow down your target cities
  • Second- and third-tier cities might be a better option for many products since there may be fewer competitors, more demand from consumers and local governments willing to facilitate market access.
  • Best practices show that investing some time in China to meet people, experience the market, and test prices and consumer behaviour is critical before making the decision to invest.
  • Having a physical presence in China can be part of a long-term strategy to enter the country.
  • Firms should carefully weigh all the available options against their business needs before deciding on a legal structure in China.
  • In China, there are certification, registration and labelling schemes that are often complex.
  • Labour costs in China are rising quickly. High turnover is also becoming a concern.
  • Finding the right importer/distributor in China is critical for success. Guanxi (people to people relationship) is important as reliable contact can help you understand the negotiating habits of the Chinese that would otherwise require months of on-the-ground presence in China to understand.
  • Companies need 6-9 months of preparatory work to enter China, which is longer than other markets;
  • In Greater China, Enterprise Ireland have three offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong, servicing key sectors for Irish companies.

If you are considering doing business in China be sure to reach out to our team and read our Going Global Guide for more information.

 

If you would like to know what to prepare ahead of your first MA call, click the graphic below

HidraMed Solutions revolutionises wound care

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“I think Ireland is a great place to be a female entrepreneur. There are so many networking opportunities and great support. It’s just a case of finding it and using it.”
Suzanne Moloney, Founder and CEO, HidraMed Solutions

 

Finding a solution to a problem leads to the development of innovative and vital products – or to put it another way, necessity is the mother of invention. One Irish entrepreneur who embodies this phrase is Suzanne Moloney, whose very real need for a solution to managing her medical issue led to the development of a new and innovative wound management system, HidraWear.

HidraWear is the first product from HidraMed Solutions and was developed with the support of Enterprise Ireland’s Competitive Start Fund (CSF) for Women Entrepreneurs. Suzanne believes that the CSF is the type of support that can really help with the growth of women in the business world. “I think Ireland is a great place to be a female entrepreneur – there are so many networking opportunities, great support – it’s just a case of finding it and using it.”

HidraMed Solutions was inspired by patient frustrations

Suzanne was inspired to start HidraMed Solutions and develop HidraWear when she found that her own frustration at managing her medical condition was shared by other patients. “I have a condition called HS, or hidradenitis suppurativa. It’s a debilitating disease of the skin that affects at least 1% of the population globally, and it’s incurable. It causes lesions in the skin in places like the armpit and the groin, quite sensitive areas, which would need to be covered with a bandage. I was a chef and a baker and quite physically active in my work, and to keep a dressing on my thigh or armpit would be virtually impossible – they’d just fall off due to the moisture in the area and the fact that these areas are not flat surfaces and need to move in multiple directions. I’ve come across other HS patients improvising with sanitary towels and kitchen paper – there was literally no solution there for HS patients.

“I found myself spending far too much time on trying to manage these dressings. The straw that really broke the camel’s back was when I attended a friend’s hen party and was talking to the groom’s mother. I was shaking her hand and a dressing just fell out of my dress. I always had this idea to develop some sort of solution and that just spurred me on to really find something that worked for HS patients.”
After initial work with a product designer that didn’t progress, Suzanne decided to try again, this time with the help of Enterprise Ireland. “I applied for a co-funded Innovation Voucher to develop a prototype with design experts at NCAD.”

The result was HidraWear. “The product removes the need for using adhesive on the skin, which can damage the skin around the lesion if you’re constantly putting bandages on the area, causing medical adhesive-related skin injuries (MARSI). We’re also giving back control to HS patients by making changing a dressing quick, painless and easy. It’s very discreet and convenient too.”

“It’s a Class one medical device, so the regulatory burden is quite low, which means we can roll it out to other countries relatively quickly,” says Moloney. “We are beginning with an armpit solution and then moving onto products for other areas of the body quite quickly. But we also plan to be a support system for HS patients – we want to help, not just be a dressing company.”

Getting support from prototype to launch

Going from prototype to launching a working product is a long journey, but Suzanne did the research and found plenty of support along the way. “We received a grant from the CSF for Women Entrepreneurs in 2018. We also received invaluable advice and guidance along the way. Through the mentoring programme, we were paired with Aileen McGrath, who is a marketing expert and highly skilled in ecommerce – which was really vital, as we are selling directly to the consumer, an unusual approach for a medical product.

“I made some mistakes at the start but once I got the right advice, things began to happen for me very quickly – particularly when I was accepted on the BioExel Medtech Accelerator Programme at NUI Galway, which is backed by Enterprise Ireland. This was a six-month programme that taught me everything I needed to know about developing a medical device and developing a business.”

HidraWear is now available to order online through www.hidrawear.com in Europe and the USA. Development of the full HidraWear range is now underway, with new products coming available towards the end of the year. The company is selling direct to consumer to begin with, but developing reimbursement strategies for the UK and USA at present.

HidraMed Solutions was unveiled as one of 38 women-led High Potential Start-Ups at Enterprise Ireland’s Start-Up Showcase 2020. Increasing the number of women-led start-ups with high growth potential is one of four objectives in Enterprise Ireland’s recently published 2020 Action Plan for Women in Business – read more here.

Forward-thinking ethos drives Kora Healthcare’s success

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It has been an extraordinary year for business across every sector and many companies in Ireland and around the globe have been badly affected by both the pandemic and the onset of Brexit.

But the healthcare industry is one which has managed to stay afloat and even thrive during the crisis as demand for its products and services increased.

Conor O’Daly, CEO of Kora Healthcare, which was originally established in 1994 but ‘reborn’ in 2011 when its sister company was divested and it refocused its sights on a more international market, says the company was fortunate to have been well prepared when the pandemic hit.

“Every business has felt the impact of the crisis over the past 12 months, and we, like everyone else, were taken by surprise,” he says.

“But thankfully we are an organisation which has always worked towards continuous improvement and given our size (32 employees across Irish and UK branches), we were agile and able to adapt easily.” says O’Daly

“When it came to remote working, our IT set-up was thankfully already in place as some staff had been working from home on occasion or internationally and we also have pretty adaptable working methods so rather than hibernating or going into sleep mode, we looked for opportunities. One we quickly seized on was launching our new portfolio of Vitamin D products, under our brand FamilyD, which of course are very front of mind now as every time you open a magazine or put on the TV, people are talking about Vitamin D and its benefits on the immune system given Covid. Fortunately, we had a well-established brand BabyD in the Vitamin D space but were looking to expand the portfolio and recent events gave us the push to do just that.”

 

Preparing for Brexit

The emerging pharma and medical device company, which is based in Swords, has actually increased its head count since the start of the pandemic and thanks to a forward-thinking ethos, has not only survived the current crisis but has also prepared well for Brexit and is coping well with the new regulations.

“Given the industry we are in, there was a huge amount to prepare ahead of Brexit,” says O’Daly. “When the UK left the EU, there were always going to be huge changes with regard to the regulation, control and monitoring of medicines and medical devices and impact to Kora Healthcare. It is a heavily regulated industry, and rightly so, so understanding the finer details and scenario planning became a challenge when there was an information vacuum at times.

“But we started preparing for this right from the start –the day after the Brexit vote was revealed, as we knew there would be a lot involved. We broke down the issues into five broad areas – people, finance, operations, intellectual property, and customs – and looked at how they would impact our business and what we would need to do to ensure a smooth transition and continuation of business.

“We have experienced no issues so far, aside from understanding finer details related to Northern Ireland protocol in the latter months of 2020. But we said from the start that we wanted a ‘no regrets Brexit’, so we prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. And when we got back to work on January 4th, we had to roll back on some of our worst-case scenario preparations. The only thing that still concerns us, and perhaps the industry in general, is UK logistics preparations and movements in and out of the UK.

“Our concern is not our shipment but rather the one in front or the one behind which might not have its paperwork in order and could delay our products getting to our customer” says O’Daly

Looking back over the past 2 ½ years, we have been very proactive to the point that at every opportunity we reflected on and discussed Brexit and its impact.”

 

Taking the step into new markets

Along with preparing well for Brexit, the Dublin-based company also decided to open a branch in the UK, which will ultimately, make doing busines there a lot easier.

“Because we already had a commercial team in the UK and increasing revenue was coming from there, we decided the time was right to scale commercially and establish a firm footing and opened a subsidiary in York,” says the company CEO. “Regardless of the Brexit vote, we felt that it was the right time for us to formally put a structure and more dedicated resources.

“Over 50% of our revenue comes from UK, but also we wanted to grow internationally and have put more resources towards developing in other countries such as Germany and Belgium – and we are also looking to branch out to Canada and the US by hopefully opening an office in Canada to cover that jurisdiction.

“Brexit prepared us for further trade and has made diversification across additional territories much easier. ” 

“Of course, as a company, we have always been internationally driven and market our products in 32 countries, either by ourselves or with partners – so we are not afraid to do business around the world and the reality of Brexit gave us the incentive to push more into Europe, which is what we hope to do next.”

O’Daly says that Enterprise Ireland was also a huge help when it came to developing the business abroad.

“Right from day one, Enterprise Ireland was a fantastic resource for us,” he says. “We got some necessary supports and consultancy advice in the early stages particularly around financial planning, given the impact on exchange rates.

“They also ran some very informative seminars and then in recent months, some very useful webinars. And our development advisor has been in contact on a regular basis to make sure we were working on the things we needed to and to check if we needed any additional support.”

While the team at Kora Healthcare has managed to survive and thrive over the past year, they also have plenty of plans for the future and would advise other healthcare companies who are considering branching outside of Ireland to plan well ahead.

“Things can move very slowly in our industry and when it comes to registering or developing a medicine or therapy, it’s a thorough process – not everything happens as swiftly as the Covid vaccine,” he says. “So I would advise other firms to prepare well in advance. And while the UK is still our closest neighbour and trading partner, so it’s natural for Irish companies to seek to trade with them initially, I would also encourage looking to the Eurozone markets sooner rather than later.

“There will be benefits to ongoing trade with our nearest neighbour, but doing business with the UK may become more cumbersome – so we shouldn’t forget about France, Germany, Italy and Spain – as they are all viable and mature markets which are of similar size or indeed bigger than the UK.”

Ambition France brochure

Ambition France: How Irish companies make time for the market

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An important commodity that has no weight, and can’t be seen or felt, is one of the most highly valued of all by the French – time. If you intend to do business in France, factoring in ‘time’ is one of the most fundamental mindsets Irish firms must focus on.

It was a key learning faced by all the Irish companies that shared their export experiences at the most recent Ambition France conference in Cork. The Enterprise Ireland event brought together Irish exporters to share their experiences on diversifying into new markets.

Deals take a time in France, partnerships need to be nurtured over time, and even the most routine meeting must be given time. But do not mistake length of time as a needless delay. French business culture takes time because of its approach to detail, and the value it places on evidence-based decision making.

Tekelek Commerical Director at Ambition France conferenceEoin Licken, Commercial Manager at Tekelek, the Shannon-based oil-monitoring business told delegates: “Everything takes longer in France. It’s a slower route to market and risk aversion is fundamental to public and private life. French business would much rather move slowly and not make a mistake.”

The mindset is written large through the French economy. It is typified by slow and steady growth. It is a large  €2.5 trillion economy set to grow by around 1.3% this year. It is the world’s seventh-largest economy and the third biggest in the Eurozone.

Tekelek’s entry to the French market was via a distributor but when their distributor was bought out a gap in the market emerged for their level-sensing technology.

“It meant within 18 months we had signed with all the major oil companies,” said Licken.

 

Market Entry

Entry to the French market comes with a high barrier in terms of getting up to speed on the technocratic nature of compliance and red tape. While it appears at first sight as a barrier it is actually the opposite, according to Brendan Fleming, Director of Business Development at Klas Telecom.

Klas had intended to provide its telecoms hardware to the German rail network but ended up with the French operator SNCF.

“We found that in other EU markets, when tenders were issued, they were very often issued around a specific product or solution. In other words, the issuer knows who they already have in mind for the tender.”

“However, we found that in France, they left it very open. They laid out the specs, of course, but were more interested in finding a range of solutions and were flexible in discussing them. This was vital to us and led us into the French market instead and SNCF were very impressed with our flexibility.” said Fleming.

Of course, many business opportunities come from chance meetings, insights or third-party events, which an exporter can then choose to react to. But a fundamentally sound market entry plan will go a long way to removing many unnecessary obstacles on your route to market.

Enter the Eurozone via France

Last year, Enterprise Ireland opened its second office in France, in Lyons in addition to Paris. France also plays a key role in its Enter the Eurozone Programme, a tightly pipelined scheme for key management team members to make their first foray into Europe. The programme is aimed at companies with little or no exports into the Eurozone region. Over the course, the CEO and another senior colleague will address the critical challenges in their chosen Eurozone market and target a first significant contract win.

The rewards for doing your market research on France and adapting your product – and your approach – are many. Cork delegates heard how Irish-owned Barclay Chemicals managed to expand its pesticide division into one of the largest agri markets in the world with a pesticide market alone worth €2 billion.

Sandrine Cuozzo, Barclay’s Commercial Manager, said: “Some 10 years ago, we just had one distributor but we changed our model and now have 200 distributors. We marketed flexibility as being part of our solution, and to keep pace with shipping demand we leased facilities in France so we could deliver within 24 hours rather than the week or so it takes to ship from Ireland.

“The barrier to entry is high. There’s no doubt about it,” Cuozzo told delegates. “But the results are worth it. Once you have a French customer, you find them to be very, very loyal and the relationship will be solid.

“For instance, if there is a problem, a French customer will not simply drop you, they will come and talk to you about it and try and resolve it rather than turn their back and you and go to a rival.”

That kind of loyalty takes time and time is something you cannot buy. “But it’s worth it,” said Cuozzo.

Evolve UK – New UK importing rules with HMRC – Establishing a UK presence webinar

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The Evolve UK webinar series highlights the opportunities for Irish companies interested in doing business with the UK.

This webinar examines the upcoming rule changes to importing into the UK with insights from

– Deirdre McPartlin, UK Manager at Enterprise Ireland

– Margaret Whitby, Head of Stakeholder Engagement at BPDG

– Claire Wilson, Stakeholder Engagement at HMRC Customs and Borders unit

– Ruth Potter, Partner at Ecovis

– Gerry Collins, Managing Partner at Ecovis

Access key insights from sectoral experts with the Evolve UK webinar series.

The Future of Digital Transformation in US Dairy – webinar

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The COVID-19 pandemic, price volatility, and the drive towards sustainability in dairy farming means that farmers, processers, and haulers now have different needs and challenges. In a time when digital solutions are in increasing demand in the US dairy sector, innovative Irish companies have proven that they have the answers.

Building on our strong reputation in dairy, Irish companies have developed products that are trusted by a wide range of end users in the US, from individual farms and haulers to large multinationals like Danone North America and Agrimark. Digital innovation has played a central role, as the US dairy industry seeks to modernise and automate, smoothing out processing inefficiencies and safety concerns. In leveraging digital, Irish companies can win in the space, by delivering scalable solutions that offer improvements across the entire value chain.

One example is Piper Systems, which recently won FDA approval for their Dynastream product – the only system approved by the NCWM authority as a legal for-payment device across the USA. Piper’s ability to deliver accurate weights and temperatures, fully representative samples, and real time product data and traceability results in a streamlined milk collection process, making it safer, easier, and more efficient.

Click below for a discussion on the US Dairy sector and its increased need for digital solutions with insights from:

  • Robert Troy TD, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation
  • Director of Milk Quality for Danone North America, Jennifer Walker DVM, Ph.D.
  • Leigh Hamilton, CEO of Piper Systems

Our webinar reflects on:

  • Opportunities and priorities for Irish companies entering the US agri/dairy sector
  • Trends and macro issues affecting US dairy
  • Importance of traceability in supply chains
  • US Demand for increased technology solutions in food safety and the impact of this along the entire value chain

For key discussion points see the below timings:

 

1:05 : Introduction from Minister Troy

13:40: How has the US Dairy sector has changed in recent years?

16:55: Dr. Walker on how digitisation has transformed ‘troubleshooting’ on-farm issues

19:25: What makes the milk collection process a great fit for digitisation?

23:30: What is more important to US customers – improving milk quality or process efficiency?

27:10: Digitising the dairy value chain and the importance of traceability to build consumer trust

34:00: The rise of automation and future data applications in Dairytech

37:50: How better data will change dairy forecasting and logistics

40:45: The importance of sustainability in dairy – how to ‘make sure consumers feel good about choosing dairy’

43:50: How industry will act as a catalyst for positive change in dairy

46:30: Q&A – How should Irish companies approach US dairy companies?

49:00: Q&A – What is holding back the adoption of technology in US dairy?

Regulations in the German healthcare sector

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    The German healthcare market is the largest in Europe offering ample opportunities for Irish medtech and e-health businesses.

    This webinar is chaired by Enterprise Ireland  Market Advisor Nicol Hoppe and will examine

    • accessing opportunities in the German market

    • the opportunities emerging with digitalisation

    • how to manage budgets and timelines effectively

    with expert insights from:

    • Christoph Bischoff-Everding of HGC

    • Andrea Seidel of Dr. Seidel Lifesciences

    Language

    How EI supports SMEs to develop language capabilities

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    Speaking the language of your customer is critical to success. As the former West German chancellor Willy Brandt famously said, “If I am selling to you, I speak your language. If I am buying, dann müssen Sie Deutsch sprechen (then you must speak German).”

    European markets offer extraordinary opportunities for Irish businesses – Irish exports to EU countries were €8.4 billion in 2021 – but some companies can find it daunting to consider operating in a language other than English.

    Fortunately, there are significant supports in place for Irish companies to tackle and improve their language capabilities so they can protect and grow their business through diversifying their export base.

    With the right language skills in-house or coming from external sources, your company can conduct superior market research, understand local culture and connect with buyers and other local partners in a deeper and more valuable way.

    There are three key areas businesses should address when they want to expand into non-English-speaking countries

    1. market research in the language of the market you’re considering, so you fully get at the specific nuances of that market as well as access to important information such as regulatory requirements or market-specific reports
    2. proper localisation of your product/service including search engine optimisation (SEO) and technical language
    3. communicating with local partners, such as buyers, customers and distributors.

    Enterprise Ireland offers its client companies guidance, knowledge and expertise around all of these priority pillars to ensure language capability is part of your export strategy when entering new markets.

    We also offer funding and other supports aimed at increasing a company’s in-house language capability and enabling companies to make the most of new translation and communication technology. Discover some of the key supports on offer below.

    Initial support from Enterprise Ireland

    Enterprise Ireland has offices in nine EU countries and, in each of them, our multilingual staff have strong relationships in the markets they cover. They can support with market intelligence and local introductions and advise on other available supports.

    SMEs and HPSUs with at least five employees can make use of the Market Discovery Fund. It’s designed to help cover internal and external costs associated with researching new markets and developing viable and sustainable market entry strategies. A company can apply to the fund more than once as long as each application relates to a different market.

    While sales and marketing costs are not covered by this funding, it can be used for a multitude of other costs including consultancy costs, overseas travel and subsistence costs, or the translation of collateral for attending a trade show in the new market, for example.

    Another invaluable support for companies seeking to expand into European markets is the programme. This programme offers ambitious companies €30,000 in salary support or 50% of annual salary (whichever is lower) for each 24-month graduate placement. A company can hire three graduates at any one time under the programme.

    When a company can show a clear requirement for a graduate with language proficiency, however, the available support rises to €42,000 or 70% of the salary (whichever is lower) for each graduate. Again, a maximum of three graduates can be hired through the programme at any one time.

    While those hired under GradStart cannot work in a direct sales or marketing role, they can work in any other area of the business. Enterprise Ireland clients have found this support invaluable when it comes to market research, for example.

     

    Rapid need for content localisation

    Succeeding in any new market relies in part on making strong use of digital channels. In non-English speaking markets, for example, it’s vital to have expertly localised SEO to ensure traffic is organically directed to your website and other online channels.

    The Digital Marketing Capability support offered by Enterprise Ireland typically helps to fund 8-12 month strategic projects aimed at enhancing a company’s use of digital channels for business development.

    The work can include:

    • Carrying out a strategic review of existing channels and the development of your digital marketing strategy
    • Understanding international best practices, along with effective digital marketing tools and strategies
    • Embedding digital marketing practices and skills in your company by developing the capabilities of senior management.

     

    The funding covers 50% of the cost of an external consultant and 50% of the salary cost for an internal digital champion, although funding caps apply.

    Any SMEs that could benefit at this point of their market expansion from retaining an external consultant with language and market expertise should consider applying for the Strategic Consultancy Grant. This funding offers 80% funding for short projects involving three to 10 days’ of an external consultant’s time or 50% funding for longer projects.

    SMEs and HPSUs with more than five employees may also find they can avail of the Evolve Strategic Planning grant, especially when it comes to costs such as researching market opportunities or localising packaging and sales or marketing collateral.

    Designed to support businesses who need to develop a strategic response to address business disruption, the Evolve grant offers up to €5,000 to help cover the costs associated of a short project, such as scenario planning for markets over the next 2-3 years with a consultant.

    Following best practices for localisation

    While it’s always possible to hire consultants and interpreters when operating in a non-English speaking country, fully committing to a market usually involves hiring staff who are native speakers or at least fluent in the market language.

    Again, the GradStart funding is useful here, as is the Key Manager funding. The latter offers SMEs with more than 10 employees (and, in some cases, HPSUs) partial funding towards the cost of recruiting a senior manager with skills vital to their future growth, which can include a language capability.

    The person who is hired must contribute to “significant and measurable improvements in company productivity” for the company to qualify for funding.

    The roles for which this funding is available include positions such as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Chief Technical Officer (CTO).

    Talk to your Enterprise Ireland Development Adviser to understand more about the supports in place to help you improve language capabilities in your business.