Launch of Cybersecurity report in Enterprise Ireland

CyberEurope spotlights opportunities for Irish cybersecurity companies in Europe

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Irish cybersecurity companies and market experts from all over Europe gathered last week in Enterprise Ireland’s East Point campus for CyberEurope – a conference that explored opportunities, challenges and strategies for Irish businesses exporting to the UK and Europe.

CyberEurope also saw the release of a research report commissioned by Enterprise Ireland, with market scoping analysis delivered by strategy and risk-management consultancy CEIS.

This new detailed report, titled The European Cybersecurity Market: Mapping the Opportunities and Route to Market for Irish SMEs, presents an overview of export opportunities for Enterprise Ireland-backed companies in eight target countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK, and international institutions: European Union and NATO.

Download the report’s key summaries now

 

CyberEurope report highlights

While there are significant differences between the cybersecurity markets of the eight countries studied, Enterprise Ireland’s research demonstrates continued levels of growth across each.

The report identifies three “opportunity clusters” that can be used as a guide when assessing markets: the first groups the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands, the second is Belgium, and the third includes Poland, Spain and Italy. Each cluster market is categorised based on macro factors including market size and maturity, competition level, policy framework and market accessibility.

These opportunity clusters are intended to help Irish businesses to prioritise target export markets and to inform their decision to invest in either more challenging and more mature high value-added markets, or to focus efforts on less mature and less saturated markets. Cybersecurity Report

The report also makes recommendations for companies entering a new market, such as establishing a local presence, obtaining relevant European or national certifications, and to leverage hot and trending topics of interest in the cybersecurity sector’s sub-segments.

Download the full report: The European Cybersecurity Market: Mapping the Opportunities and Route to Market for Irish SMEs 

 

Exciting time for the Irish cybersecurity sector

The report and related event are part of a drive to create visibility for Irish cybersecurity companies among potential overseas buyers, partners and customersaccording to Enterprise Ireland’s Senior Market Advisor for Benelux, Matthijs Egger.

Egger, who led the project for Enterprise Ireland, says: “The report, and hosting a conference on this scale, really is a milestone for the sector in Ireland.”

The publication of the report marks the culmination of an Enterprise Ireland market scoping project, which aims to give client companies an overview of opportunities in the sector in these markets, and to establish how best to support them.

Sarah McNabb, Market Advisor for the UK at Enterprise Ireland, says that the cybersecurity industry is seeing such growth because it’s becoming a board-level issue: “It’s shifting from a reactive to a proactive issue and companies aren’t sitting back anymore waiting for an attack to happen.”

 

Making valuable connections

Presentations and panel discussions at the East Point event allowed attendees to explore the detail behind the data. Panel members gave their views on the findings and discussed the report’s impact. Egger says: “By having real discussions with experts from the markets studied, participants could check and validate the realities on the ground in each market.”

CyberEurope event in Enterprise Ireland, DublinPanel member Manfredi Blasucci, IT Security Manager for Auchan Retail Italy, agrees with the importance of the clusters identified and adds that he sees the European cyber market as being split by the north and south of Europe – with the north valuing quality of service most, and the south valuing price.

One of the most valuable elements of the event, Egger says, was the opportunity for networking. “Along with Enterprise Ireland Market Advisors at the event, we had buyers from six markets, so there were lots of introduction opportunities for client companies.”

The day concluded with a workshop, which gave attendants the key criteria and next steps for finding the best routes to market in Europe, and a site visit to UCD’s Centre for Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Investigation (CCI).

 

Importance of the report for cybersecurity in Ireland

Speaker Pat Larkin, CEO of information security company Ward Solutions, and Board Member of Cyber Ireland, an organisation uniting resources between government, academia and industry, says that the report offers valuable insights for resource-strapped SMEs in Ireland when making informed decisions.

“It’s very important that any decisions we make in the context of exporting to new markets are based on the most up-to-date information and advice, to maximise the likelihood of success and shorten the time to return on investment.”

Larkin says that the report “presents a very clear set of market information to any prospective Irish cyber SME planning on exporting to Europe”.

He expands on the relevance of the report saying that the information helps narrow-in on markets that are most suitable for each company’s offering: “It saves us the time and effort in performing this research. It offers a higher level of data quality, and it’s a clear pathway to making decisions on which market to focus on and why.”

Iberia

Ambition Spain & Portugal: How we got Iberia to work for us

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Easy to get to, easy to get around, but a tough nut to crack. It’s sometimes thought that the Iberian markets of Spain and Portugal are challenging to take on. Language barriers and differences in business culture are cited as barriers to a combined market with a GDP of almost €1.5trn.

But both countries not only actively trade with Eurozone neighbours including Ireland but enjoy legacy links with growing, dynamic markets in South America and Africa, acting as bridges for firms active in the Iberian market. It’s no wonder the region is home to global giants such as Banco Santander and Telefónica.

The economic downturn changed the region’s business landscape, and structural reforms opened up new opportunities for firms looking for a route to market. Along with reforms in labour and employment, a cultural shift towards innovation has helped Irish firms to enter this valuable market.

 

Formula for Irish success in Spain and Portugal

At Enterprise Ireland’s Ambition Spain and Portugal event, Irish firms that have made successful entries to the market outlined why it had worked for them. The common ingredients for successful exporting included getting boots on the ground, perseverance, and robust planning.

Research and planning was a major exercise for Atlantic Therapeutics, the Galway-based rehabilitative medical devices firm. The company already has a presence beyond Ireland in the UK, France, Germany and the USA, and wanted to move into Spain. Market research threw up interesting market segments.

“When we started out 18 months ago looking at the Spanish market, we looked at the medical device space to start with. Through Enterprise Ireland, we were introduced to people who could focus our route to the Spanish market,” Alan O’Shea, Head of Distribution Markets for Atlantic Therapeutics.

During discussions, the company realised that their rehab devices could get market share by using the well-developed TV home shopping channels in a very buoyant private home use market.

“It isn’t traditionally the usual distribution channel for our technology,” he told delegates. “We’re two months in and so far it’s a very positive experience.”

Finding a complementary partner with local market knowledge and contacts can provide a lift to securing new exports. That was the route that helped accelerate growth for Tullamore-based emergency vehicle kit-out specialists Acetech. Enterprise Ireland helped to introduce the firm to a Spanish ambulance manufacturer who was interested in their vehicle intelligence systems.

“They will now represent us, in terms of putting our equipment in the vehicles they are providing to the Spanish marketplace, and also the Latin American marketplace as well,” Acetech sales director Fergus Claffey told delegates.

By 2020, Spanish business will account for 10% of turnover for Acetech as a result, he said.

 

What to do after market entry

Once in the market, Irish firms should get boots on the ground as regularly as possible, the conference was told. Not only will you get a handle on the business culture but it can help with honing your product fit, and generate new market opportunities.

Eamonn MacLughadha, founder of Spanish-based import company Machemac and based in Spain for the past 23 years, said Irish firms should get their feet on the ground if only to get an idea of scale.

“If you are capable of supplying 50% of the Irish market, that may only equate to 5% of the Spanish market. If your product takes, do you even the capability to deliver?”

With six months being a typical timeframe for payment in Spain, resourcing your route to entry is vital, he added.

“The closer you stick to a Spanish customer, the better the feedback you get on a problem. Getting to see them face to face will get you what you need to know. A phone call or email just won’t cut it.” says MacLughadha.

Likewise in Portugal, being in the market is seen as a commitment to the customer, said Helder Palhas, country manager for Aspire Technology. “Keep your relationship alive. Don’t just abandon a customer after a sale, keep in touch. Go for lunch, even if you don’t have a product to sell them right now – it will make a difference.”

The sentiment was echoed by Mr Claffey: “We thought we knew what we were doing with the research but we learnt more from a three-hour plane trip to Spain than three months of planning. Stop relying on Skype.”

One of the biggest pitfalls that befalls Irish firms trying to enter the market in Spain, according to MacLughadha, is not appreciating the length of the average sales cycle.

“In my experience here, the sales cycle is a lot longer than Irish companies are used to, or comfortable with. They give up too soon. The sales cycle is a lot longer. I’ve seen agri sales take two years from trade show to sale. That wouldn’t be unusual. You have to persevere.”

For Acetech, entering the Spanish market was a revelation even with all the steep learnings: “The cultural fit between Ireland and Spain is very, very good. I don’t know why we didn’t do it earlier,” said Mr Claffey.

Learn more on trading in the Spanish and Portuguese markets and the Enterprise Ireland supports available with our Going Global guide.

GradStart Programme

GradStart: 3 reasons why your company should apply

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With Irish companies increasingly urged to step into new markets, the benefits are clear – new opportunities can equal new customers to deliver big growth.

The challenges of communication and cultural understanding are sometimes a barrier that can make companies nervous about pursuing those rewards.

But support is available to help you attract top talent that will enable your business to succeed and scale in new export markets. Top among these is a unique programme called GradStart, which has helped many Irish companies to overcome the challenges of communicating with customers and partners overseas. It provides funding for Enterprise Ireland-backed companies, across a broad range of business sectors, to employ graduates in a variety of positions.

Why apply for GradStart?

  1. Attract top graduate talent

Get the tools your company needs to successfully compete for graduate talent in a crowded marketplace. Helen McMahon, senior executive for Client Skills with Enterprise Ireland, advises:

“Having the right skills in a company is a huge issue in an era of low unemployment. To get the skills they need, Irish SMEs also have to compete with multinational companies and overseas employers for candidates. GradStart can really help with attracting the right talent into a company.”

The benefits of GradStart can also extend beyond meeting the immediate skills needs of a company. Long term, Irish companies can build relationships, not just with graduates in their sector but with relevant education and training institutes. These relationships can position you at the very cutting edge of your industry not just now, but into the future.

  1. Build your company’s capability

Using GradStart helps Irish companies to build capabilities across a broad range of disciplines, including engineering, ICT, operations, technology, and finance. In fact, the only two areas for which GradStart support is not available is for graduates working in direct sales and marketing.

Helen adds, “With graduates, people often immediately think of sales and marketing. But language graduates have a great deal more to offer. For example, they can work in market analysis or customer analysis. They can help develop a business case or have input to the new product development or adaptations to existing products.”

  1. Stimulate innovative thinking

A recruit with a fresh perspective can help your business to approach challenges and opportunities in new ways, by questioning the way things are done and introducing new ideas about products, processes and business models.

Helen says, “To succeed in European and global markets, Irish companies need the confidence of knowing they have the best talent, the most innovative thinkers and the freshest ideas in their sector. By enabling them to attract, retain and build long-term relationships with ambitious, talented individuals, GradStart helps Irish SMEs develop a real competitive edge in new markets.”

 

Special support for languages

The Eurozone should be high on the list of markets targeted by Irish exporters. The scale of the opportunity is immense. Enterprise Ireland-backed companies currently send €7.9bn in exports to the UK.* If they were to export the same amount per head of population to the Eurozone, that figure would rise to €38bn. [*Source]

If the Eurozone is a market you have yet to explore, GradStart can help. While the programme is available for graduates in a wide variety of disciplines, there is a particular focus on language graduates given their importance in developing export markets.

“Irish companies have traditionally focused on English-speaking markets and it’s true to say that, as a country, we don’t generally have great foreign language skills,” explains Helen.

Research shows that Ireland lags behind our European neighbours on language proficiency and that can impede a company’s ability to succeed in non-English speaking markets.

“It’s not just about being able to speak to clients and business partners in their own language, although that’s important,” says Helen. “At a deeper level, it’s about understanding the cultural nuances and having a clear picture of the business environment as it is, not as you think it might be.”

“You can have a brilliant product or service but if you have no grasp of sometimes quite subtle differences in, for example, marketing norms, visual preferences or business processes you won’t meet with the same success. The only way to truly understand a customer is to speak their language.

“To really build relationships in non-English speaking export markets, the companies and clients you’re dealing with really need to feel you understand where they’re coming from in terms of language and culture. They’ll appreciate you putting that energy into understanding them which can make all the difference in a new market.”

 

What does GradStart offer?

GradStart provides financial support for a company to recruit up to three graduates. That covers 50% of a graduate’s yearly salary, up to a maximum of €15,000 a year in grant aid (ie a salary of €30,000) for two years, depending on certain conditions.

For graduates with proficiency in a language relevant to the business role, the grant increases to 70% of the salary, up to a maximum of €21,000 a year for two years.

It is available for Irish graduates or for overseas graduates, based either here or overseas. As long as the graduate is being paid by an Irish company, GradStart can provide funding.

Get the support you need to step into new markets. Apply for GradStart now.

How Modubuild Became the Go-To Contractor for Global Data Centre Providers

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“When we did finally take the plunge to grow our business internationally, our growth skyrocketed and today we’re delivering multiple multimillion-euro projects  simultaneously.” 

Kevin Brennan, co-founder and managing director of Modubuild

Overview:

  • Sector: Construction, Data Centre industry, Biopharma and Pharma
  • Markets: Netherland, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Finland,
  • Supports: Job Expansion Fund, Enterprise Ireland’s International Office Network

Case Study: Modubuild

The world is producing more data than ever and the need for high-capacity storage systems has never been greater. In fact, TechNavio said it expects the data centre market in Europe to surpass $25 billion in 2023, a compound annual growth rate of 11% since 2019 — and Kilkenny-based Modubuild is banking on being a big part of that.

Established in 2006, Modubuild provides on-site modular construction solutions on some of Europe’s largest high-tech projects, primarily in the data centre, biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical sectors. The company also operates a 140,000-square-foot off-site production facility in Castlecomer, where entire high-tech building modules are constructed within the factory and then transported to sites across Europe.

Modubuild has grown an average of 45% year-on-year for the last six years, with significant contracts in Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, the UK and Finland. Its customers include leading global data centre providers, as well as biopharma companies such as Amgen, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, MSD and more.

“We were a small Irish company for a number of years. When we did finally take the plunge to grow our business internationally, our growth skyrocketed and today we’re delivering multiple multimillion-euro projects simultaneously,” reveals Kevin Brennan, co-founder and managing director of Modubuild, noting that the right support has been essential to the company achieving its global ambitions — and Enterprise Ireland has been a key partner on its path to growth.

 

The Netherlands: a gateway to Europe’s data centre industry

Modubuild wasn’t always in the data centre business. Back in its early days, the company provided specialist modular fire and explosion systems for pharmaceutical companies and infrastructure projects such as the Limerick Tunnel and Dublin Airport. But it wasn’t long before Kevin and his team noticed a gap in the market for companies that could deliver high-tech data centre systems quickly and in multiple locations throughout Northern Europe.

“We wanted to grow the company internationally and we wanted to become the leading international player in high-tech modular construction, to do this we knew we needed to grow our team and partner with the right organisations in our target markets,” Kevin says, explaining the reason behind Modubuild becoming an Enterprise Ireland client company in 2014. “We knew that Enterprise Ireland could introduce us to various partners in target markets and could also help us with funding to hire the additional staff we needed at the time.”

With the help of Enterprise Ireland’s Job Expansion Fund, which provides grant support of up to €150,000 towards the recruitment of additional employees, Modubuild was able to grow from 10 to 20 employees, enabling it to invest in picking up opportunities in new markets.

“A lot of small businesses might think twice about hiring people because of the cost blow,” Kevin says. “Whereas, if you have the financial support behind you from Enterprise Ireland, it makes it that little bit easier to overhire people in advance of winning contracts.”

In 2015, Modubuild won its first large international contract — a data centre project in the Netherlands, worth €8 million, for a client that the company had previously worked for in Ireland.

“That was our biggest contract up to that point and it was in a new market so it was a double win for us,” Kevin recalls, adding, “From this, we developed a reputation as a company that could deliver large, complex, fast-track projects internationally. At the time, it was one of the largest data centre projects in Europe.”

That said, there was more to entering the Dutch market than winning a contract there — Modubuild needed local advisors and partners that could guide the company on the legal and tax compliance front. Enterprise Ireland recommended a law firm that could offer advice around contract, legal and tax requirements as well as an accountancy firm that could help with day-to-day work related to labour, payroll and local compliance.

Since then the company has continued to ramp up work in the Netherlands — there are currently multiple multi-million projects ongoing — and, with Enterprise Ireland’s support and guidance, opened an office in Amsterdam in January of this year.

“Enterprise Ireland arranged for Kevin Kelly, the Ambassador of Ireland to the Netherlands, to attend the official opening and we got a nice bit of PR around that,” Kevin says, adding that something similar is planned in the coming months when the company will announce the opening of a new office in Brussels. “We recently set up a regional office in Belgium where we have won our largest project to date. We have also secured significant contracts in Finland and Sweden, so we expect to see continued strong growth across the Benelux and Nordics regions in addition to Ireland and the UK.”

 

Scaling for future growth

With the digital universe expected to reach 44 zettabytes by 2020, fuelled by the Internet of Things and the use of connected devices, the global data centre industry shows no signs of slowing down — and either does Modubuild.

“We’ll continue to grow our international data centre business. Every year we’re picking up more contracts and larger contracts, which is causing us to grow across Northern Europe and we expect to enter some new markets within the next year such as Norway,” Kevin says.

He also sees the off-site facility as a major factor in Modubuild’s future growth.

“We’re the only company in Europe with an off-site facility that can produce these high-tech buildings and it allows us greater control of quality, greater efficiency and enables us to export a higher value product, meaning we can do more of the value-add within Ireland before we ship out the buildings” states Brennan.

And because a strong team will be central to such growth, Modubuild is in the middle of a major recruitment drive and has hired 20 additional people in the last 12 months, bringing its total to 45 direct staff as well as over 200 indirect employees.

“I expect that Enterprise Ireland will help us with more job expansion funding and by making key introductions as we enter new markets,” Kevin shares, adding that he’d urge any Irish company that’s considering a move to talk to Enterprise Ireland and to other companies who have successfully diversified their client base. “It’s extremely worthwhile to move into new markets. The benefit of scaling your business internationally is that you’re not dependent on any particular market. Even if things are quieter in Ireland, when you have multiple different markets, you spread your risk.”

Read more on the supports available to help your business diversify into new markets or speak to your Development Advisor today.

 

Commitment to excellence keeps Takumi at cutting edge of engineering manufacturing

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When Takumi Precision Engineering wanted to grow its capability, its management team realised that it would require a significant investment in capital equipment, innovation, and staff training.

Investing for the future is not new for Takumi. Founded in 1998 by Gerry Reynolds, the Limerick-based engineering manufacturer is a leading supplier of components to a wide variety of multinational aerospace and medical device companies. Over the years, Takumi has accumulated a unique range of CNC precision machining equipment and invested in its staff to a level that has positioned the company at the cutting edge of their sector.

Takumi’s revenues have doubled to €10m in the four years since it moved into the aerospace market in 2015. Aerospace now accounts for 60% of its business but the medical devices sector is also a vitally important market segment, which continues to offer ongoing opportunities – and Takumi’s management team is confident that the company will be a €20m business by 2025.

In order to continue its strong growth trajectory, Takumi had to put solid foundations in place. The company sought assistance from Enterprise Ireland’s Operational Excellence offer, a large-scale holistic company transformation programme that is designed to deliver a change in company culture and raise productivity.

Culture can be one of the most difficult elements in an organisation to change and even more difficult to sustain. The Operational Excellence offer is focused on embedding competencies necessary to achieve ongoing productivity and efficiency gains, thereby creating sustainable improvements in the business and across its supply chain throughout its one to two-year assignment period.

This is not an easy task for businesses and requires full commitment at every level of management, in every department, at every stage of the transformation. Operational Excellence assignments must be built around an identifiable project plan. This can include support for business innovation, capability building, and/or capital expenditure.

Companies benefit from a streamlined process whereby they can apply for these supports within the one Operational Excellence offer, as opposed to the usual process of applying to Enterprise Ireland for them separately.

Business innovation support includes the implementation of new production, delivery or organisational methods in the company, while capability training is offered to support the plan along with capital expenditure related to production or operations.

 

How Takumi used Enterprise Ireland’s Operational Excellence offer

The result is a one-off application to transform the business, and Takumi sought assistance through Operational Excellence in the following headings:

  1. Acquisition of new capital equipment
  2. Introduction of a new Nadcap approved metal treatment plant for aerospace components
  3. Refinement and strengthening of the key core competence of metal cutting/machining through an R&D project on discovering and adopting the latest 5-axis CAM technology
  4. Adoption of Lean methodologies into the business operating systems, particularly through fine-tuning the ERP system and adopting Industry 4.0 practices across the entire bandwidth of the business, including processing orders, scheduling and planning, reporting and metrics
  5. Growing further tiers of management and supervisors so that the business can continue to expand while preserving the ethos of ‘growing our own’.

Takumi has involved its entire management team in its Operational Excellence offer, which is running from 2018-2021.

Managing Director Gerry Reynolds said: “It might be a new programme but I believe that Operational Excellence will be widely adopted by industry. It affords companies an opportunity to put together a comprehensive business plan that really can transform businesses. The application process is really no more difficult than previous programmes.

“There has been some apprehension that some business are not ‘ready’ for OpEx but, in reality, what business is not ready for a comprehensive plan? Being all encompassing, OpEx can deliver a more coherent business plan. Some previous programmes could be somewhat fragmented and lack cohesiveness. I look forward to the experience of transforming and growing Takumi into a bigger, high tech, modern, Industry 4.0 factory.”

Enterprise Ireland’s Operational Excellence offer provides the best possible support to companies that wish to transform their business. Not only does it systematically change the way work is performed, it enables companies to change the culture and mindset of how they do business. By offering more than one support option, it encourages managers to view the business in holistic terms and, as Takumi has shown, what business isn’t ready for a cohesive and comprehensive plan?

 

Learn how Enterprise Ireland’s competitiveness supports can help transform your business.

Ambition Benelux: How to find the right export partner

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There are challenges to breaking into new export markets like Benelux. These include determining if your products are the right fit for your target market, cultural and linguistic barriers, and the costs of establishing a presence in a new country.

While support from resources like Enterprise Ireland’s overseas offices and Market Research Centre will help you to find solutions for these challenges, sourcing indigenous partners for sales channels is one way that Irish companies gain footholds in new regions.

As an exporting nation, Ireland’s track record in building bridges to new markets is strong. Right now, one of the most exciting market opportunities lies in the nearby Eurozone. As well as offering attractive markets individually, the Benelux region, covering the open economies Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, offers a valuable proving ground for, and gateway to, that wider Eurozone market.

 

Why you should consider sourcing an export partner for Benelux

Choosing the right export partner is a significant undertaking. Care must be taken to ensure that the partnership will be adequately beneficial. When done well, it will give your business a solid foundation in the new market.

The potential benefits and risks were expertly outlined by QuPact’s Brian English at Enterprise Ireland’s Ambition Benelux event in Athlone. English advised that the usual route to market channels for Benelux are similar to those that work in Ireland, and include partners, distributors and wholesalers, agents and reps, direct sales, franchising, and licensing to referral partners.

Initially, bypassing your own direct salesforce to get up and running can offer advantages, English told attendees: “I encourage people to think about using channels for two big reasons. First, is the time to get your product to market. If you compare the amount of time that you can get to sales, invoicing and collecting money in a market using channels, compared to setting up and going directly or acquiring customers directly, that is a big win.”

Enterprise Ireland Benelux team“Secondly, there is a saving on direct costs. Think about the cashflow impact that putting a direct salesperson into the Benelux region has from day one: payroll costs, expenses, and associated costs.

“Whereas, if you can leverage the right channel, it’s quite feasible that you can source a partner who owns the relationship with your target customer. That can help you to get to sales quicker, and with more conserved cash.”

While Enterprise Ireland’s in-country market advisors are always available to assist with networking with potential partners, English advised that options are also often found within the company’s existing network.

 

Get inspired by Azpiral and Over-C’s successful partnerships in Benelux

The conference heard that Limerick’s Azpiral, creators of the AzpiralPRO integrated real-time loyalty platform, had just concluded a deal that will see their cloud-based solution positioned in 350 AVIA service stations in the Netherlands, representing 10% of the market. AVIA is an international leader in the European forecourt sector, with over 3,000 stations across 15 European countries.

After exploring opportunities in the market last year, Sales Director Kevin Nolan reported that he is “hopeful that being the first choice in loyalty software for international brands like Circle K, Gulf Oil, Spar and AVIA will present opportunities for Azpiral to continue to expand internationally.”

A second success story is Cork’s Over-C, who deploys an integrated digital platform providing transparency for all functions relating to the upkeep of high-footfall, high-risk public facilities, such as shopping centres, stadia and transit hubs, with operations in Amsterdam.

Over-C leveraged existing links with Dutch-owned client ScotRail when targeting the market. James Murphy, Head of Partnerships, told delegates: “I see the Netherlands as a gateway to the rest of Europe. The Netherlands are early software adopters, and Germany looks at the Netherlands and what works there, so it’s good preparation for new markets.”

Over-C’s innovative software uses artificial intelligence, data and analytics to provide industry professionals with key insights for time-critical decision-making. It has been operating in the Dutch market for two years, with customers including Facilicom, Trigion, Koopgoot, Plaza Nieuwegein Shopping Centre, and Wereldhave. Over-C is currently working with KPN to identify further opportunities through their customer base.

Some firms can view channels as an afterthought, and still see direct sales as the best option, but they are missing out on leveraging a partner’s boots on the ground, English said.

“Think about putting them at the center of your business. They have an input into the sales process, into marketing, into new product development, into engineering. If you can bring the channels, as your eyes and ears in the local market, into your business and get contributions into those critical areas, you’ll end up with a much better sales ecosystem.”

Vetting your prospective partners, be they agents or distributors, is vital, said English. Make sure you understand the laws and compensation due to an agent should you eventually terminate the arrangement as it covers not only existing customers but those you may subsequently acquire based on agent work.

Distributors of your product should be vetted to ensure they have the capital or secured credit in place to acquire your stock, a frequent oversight by many, said English.

Whichever route you choose, make sure you’re partnering with someone who owns that end relationship with your target customer, he added.

“Look at all of their routes to market and find out who owns the relationships with those end customers. It’s a labour of love that takes about 30 days. But once it’s done, you can make really informed decisions about your strategy to go into the markers and about which channels you want to work with.”

Abcon

How Enterprise Ireland’s Market Research Centre helped Abcon to break new markets

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“You need to be constantly selling and expanding your customer base. You can’t depend on a particular country or territory or one big customer.” 

Lyn Sharkey, Abcon Sales and Marketing Director

Overview:

  • Sector: Design and Manufacturing
  • Markets: Germany, France, UK, Nordics, Eastern Europe
  • Supports:  Enterprise Ireland’s Market Research Centre
  • Goals: To increase exports to mainland European countries
  • Challenges: Abcon needed help identifying and accessing people in key EU markets
  • Results: Abcon has transitioned from  a company whose exports were almost all to the UK to trading in multiple European markets

Case Study: Abcon

A decade ago, the UK was effectively Abcon’s entire export market, says Lyn Sharkey, the company’s Sales and Marketing Director. While Abcon had focused on increasing exports to other markets over the past ten years, Brexit accelerated its efforts.

Abcon

Working with Enterprise Ireland’s Market Research Centre helped Abcon to pinpoint new markets with the potential to grow the business and to gain expert insights into how to compete in them.

Based in Cootehill, Co. Cavan, the Abrasives and Industrial Hose Manufacturer currently employs 155 people. Its Industrial Hose Division markets its goods under the CavMac brand, which Abcon acquired in 2007 and serves sectors including oil and gas, mining and aggregates, food and beverage, and portside services and dredging. The Abrasives Division serves totally different sectors including stainless steel fabrication, joinery, aerospace, and automotive. Exports are hugely important to both.

A number of Market Research Centre supports helped Abcon to increase exports to European countries. These included independent and reliable information from blue-chip providers, such as Gartner, Frost & Sullivan, Mintel and others, databases of potential leads and prospects, guidance on the right trade events to attend, and in-market knowledge. 

Sharkey emphasised that obtaining such information would have been much more difficult without the help of the Market Research Centre.

With a high volume of sales driven by internet searches, accurate information about the names of products in local languages is essential to underpinning successful international digital marketing tactics. Assistance with learning how its products are described in the languages of key overseas markets proved to be one of the most useful services.

 

Support for moving beyond the UK as your sole export market

Long before Brexit made diversification a matter of urgency, Abcon understood that relying on a single market, or a small number of large customers, was a risk. Sharkey says, “We are very conscious that, over the years, some customers for whatever reason come and go. You need to be constantly selling and expanding your customer base. You can’t depend on a particular country or territory or one big customer.”

While the opportunity to enter new markets is one every ambitious Irish company should consider, authoritative market research is critical to such business decisions. With support from the Market Research Centre’s information specialists, Abcon realised that a strategy of increasing exports to countries beyond the UK would help the company to grow and diversify the business. 

“Over the last ten years, we have been steadily growing export sales to territories outside the UK, because initially the UK was our only export market.” explains Sharkey.

The UK, nevertheless, remains an important market for Abcon, accounting for 27% of turnover.

 

Dipping into Deutschland

In recent years, Germany has become an important market for the business. Sharkey offers some advice for other Irish companies aiming to increase exports to the Eurozone’s largest economy: “Know who your target customers are. You have to visit them, attend the shows. We recommend staying in touch with the Enterprise Ireland office in that territory because they can let you know about appropriate events to attend and give you an insight into how that market operates. At International Markets Week, the team told us about events they host, to which companies backed by Enterprise Ireland can invite potential customers. It’s all about relationships at the end of the day. You need to get in front of the customer and understand what they need.”

Germany is not Abcon’s only European market. Its CavMac division engages in significant volumes of business across the Nordic countries. Other important markets include the Netherlands, Italy, France, and the Czech Republic.

While none of these markets are primarily English speaking, Abcon’s experience has been that the need to hire staff with native language skills varies depending on the territory.

“In central and eastern Europe, where English isn’t as widely spoken, it’s definitely helpful that we have Russian, Polish and Latvian speakers in our company.” says Sharkey.

The Market Research Centre helps companies backed by Enterprise Ireland to explore opportunities and to compete in international markets. If your company is considering breaking into new markets, struggling with Brexit or dealing with thorny strategic issues, the Research Centre’s extensive resources and expertise should be your first port of call.

Sharkey strongly recommends that companies similarly positioned take advantage of this support, concluding: “I definitely would. First of all, it’s a free service to client companies. You’re not paying for lists that may be out of date, as can be a risk elsewhere. Their information specialists work to keep them updated and the searches are quite versatile. The support you receive from the Market Research Centre is really helpful. The team can help you to understand and refine the searches. They want to make sure you go away with a meaningful list. Their customer service is really good”.

 

Key takeouts:

  • Working with the Market Research Centre helped Abcon to find new markets and to decide how to compete in them.

  • Supports accessed included independent and reliable information from blue-chip providers, such as Gartner, Frost & Sullivan, and Mintel, databases of potential leads and prospects, guidance on the right trade events to attend, and in-market knowledge.

  • Help with learning how its products are described in languages of overseas markets was one of the most useful services received.

Read more on the supports available to help your business diversify into new markets or speak to your Development Advisor today.

Red tape and how to navigate it when exporting to Spain and Portugal

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Ireland’s open economy is relatively easy for small and medium-sized businesses to navigate. As a result, it can be surprising for Irish firms aiming to expand into the Iberian markets of Spain and Portugal when they encounter more red tape and business administrative costs than they are used to.

While exporters planning to use agents or distributors to set-up in the market must be aware of requirements, they are manageable. At Enterprise Ireland’s Ambition Spain & Portugal conference, attendees received advice from experts with first-hand knowledge of what to expect.

 

Essentials for setting up in Spain

‘’Forget about a shelf company,” said Mr. Rocco Caira, Ireland’s Honorary Consul to Spain, “It’s not going to be straightforward. You need to know what you are dealing with and how long it’s going to take.” Everything takes time, he added. Shareholders setting up a limited company require a Spanish tax number and the appointment for that can be up to a month, he said. All company documents must be signed in person in Spain – or by someone appointed with the power of attorney. Companies can be sole member shareholdings, making them ideal as wholly-owned Irish subsidiaries, and the minimum shareholding capital requirement lodged in a Spanish bank is €3,000.

 

Get your paperwork right for Portugal

While Portugal requires a similar amount of paperwork, the system is highly streamlined. A limited company could be up and running within a day, according to Aoife Healy, chair of the Ireland Portugal Business Network. Simply registering your company, acquiring a company number and bank account will smooth the way to a Certidao Permanente or tax cert, allowing the company to begin trading almost immediately.

 

Dealing with distributors

The route to market for Spain may see companies start with a commercial agent or distributor, rather than setting up a wholly-owned subsidiary. Caira advised exporters to be familiar with the rights and indemnities agents are entitled to.

“It’s tempting to enter a market with a commercial agent due to low start-up costs and big commissions. But you can be hit with big indemnities if you cancel your arrangement and it’s no fault of the agent,” said Caira. Spanish law requires one month’s notice per year of contract. Commission is payable on deals whether a company is paid or not, with compensation reaching a year’s salary or more in some cases.

“You really have to choose the right agent, so give it serious consideration,” Caira advised. Other tips included:

  • Make an agent contract subject to Irish Law, in the first instance.
  • Clearly define the product territory, customer base and whether or not exclusivity applies.
  • Make sure a sales objective is defined.

Whichever route to market you choose, it’s worth remembering that payroll will factor costs in direct employer tax liabilities and administrative burden.

 

How Zartis fared in Spain and Portugal

Specialised recruitment firm Zartis established its office in Madrid in 2015. “As Irish people we had to adjust our mindset to the level of bureaucracy. Everything is codified, particularly outsourcing.’’

One payroll quirk to be mindful of is that there are 14 payments in a payroll year as standard in Portugal, something that should be considered when salary expectations are presented as monthly when hiring.

Both markets offer a highly skilled pool of talent from which to draw. Spain is particularly blessed with high quality talent in coding and software development, with high internal mobility in the market.

Padraig Coffey, CEO of Zartis, advised: “We found that the management style in Spain is quite ‘old school’, which means that Irish companies with a progressive company culture and style have great opportunities for not only recruitment but retention.”

If you’re interested in taking the step into the Eurozone read how Enterprise Ireland can support your growth.

Cubic Telecom is Helping Germany’s Biggest Carmakers to Drive Forward

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“Enterprise Ireland is always extremely helpful in terms of providing meeting space and setting up partner meetings, finding out beforehand who we want to make contact with and enabling those briefings at the show.” Gerry McQuaid, CCO Cubic Telecom

Overview:

  • Sector: IoT
  • Markets: APAC, China, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East
  • Supports: Trade Missions & Events, International Office Network

Case Study: Cubic Telecom

In an always-on world where consumers expect instant access to information and experiences, car manufacturers are clamouring to ensure that 24/7 connectivity is provided behind the wheel — and Dublin-based Cubic Telecom is supplying the solution.

Cubic’s global connectivity platform PACE enables cars and other devices to automatically connect to high-speed local mobile networks around the world. The company is a fully licensed mobile services provider powering high-quality connectivity worldwide for global manufacturers, including six brands within Volkswagen Group, e.GO Electric Vehicles and Panasonic Automotive, among others.

Not to mention, Cubic’s connected car solution supports 2.5 million cars in 93 markets globally, with capabilities across Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

“Our focus spans wider than the Irish market,” reveals CCO Gerry McQuaid, who has been part of the Cubic Telecom team from its beginning in 2009. “Obviously we support the sale of our partners’ products in Ireland but we are focused on the global market and we have had that global focus from the start.”

But scaling internationally requires more than identifying a global customer base and Gerry says Enterprise Ireland’s assistance has been critical in helping Cubic to forge strategic partnerships every step of the way.

 

Powering global connections

When Cubic Telecom made its first foray into the international market, it was with a SIM card that let travellers make low-cost phone calls from anywhere in the world without incurring huge roaming charges. But the company soon switched gears to focus on creating technology that would connect any device to the internet while abroad and in 2012 took part in a major trade mission to China, helmed by Enterprise Ireland and then Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

“Enterprise Ireland helped to arrange private meetings in China with the Taoiseach which gave a fantastic boost to our fledging profile in China,” Gerry says, noting that the trip ultimately helped to cement our business relationships with Qualcomm, Lenovo and China Unicom.

At the same time, demand for vehicle connectivity was on the rise. Automakers wanted to transform cars into infotainment centres on wheels and Cubic Telecom’s technology, which is embedded at the manufacturing stage, could enable standardised vehicles to offer connected services anywhere in the world.

“We’ve always attended MWC and exhibited as part of Enterprise Ireland’s pavilion stand. That’s where we meet our customers, prospects, mobile operator partners, technology partners and important industry analysts every year,” Gerry says. “We are delighted with the support provided to us by Enterprise Ireland in regard to exhibition stand facilities and the arrangement of key meetings ahead of each event.”

Cubic’s first auto contract was with German car giant Audi, which was looking to provide its drivers with a fully digital experience — something that traditional mobile operators were struggling to achieve.

“We were delighted to partner with the leading automotive brand within Volkswagen Group and this partnership has been an intrinsic part of developing our business success in Germany,” Gerry says.

As a result, Germany is one of Cubic’s biggest overseas markets.

“It’s important to point out that we did not select Germany as a generic target market,” Gerry says. “Instead, we looked at the world’s biggest automotive manufacturers and decided which companies we wished to build a partnership with. This naturally led us to Germany, the home of some of the world’s top auto manufacturers. We were very careful to take the time to understand what is required to do business successfully with large prestigious German companies and we had excellent support from the Enterprise Ireland team in Germany.”

Enterprise Ireland still works closely with Cubic Telecom to support its continued growth in other international markets.

“As well as being part of Enterprise Ireland’s pavilion at MWC Barcelona annually, last year we participated with Enterprise Ireland in MWC Americas in Los Angeles for the first time. That proved to be a great success,” shares Elaine Murray, Cubic Telecom’s External Communications Manager, adding, “Enterprise Ireland is always extremely helpful in terms of providing meeting space and setting up partner meetings, finding out beforehand who we want to make contact with and enabling those briefings at the show.”

Besides trade shows and networking opportunities, Cubic Telecom is often invited to sit on conference panels hosted by Enterprise Ireland, which Elaine describes as “integral” to the company’s exposure in foreign markets. Gerry agrees: “We’re always more than happy to participate because it’s a win-win situation.”

Brazil, Brexit and beyond

One of the next stops on Cubic’s path to world domination is Brazil, a notoriously tough nut for non-Brazilian car manufacturers to crack in terms of IoT connected device services.

“We have received excellent advice from Enterprise Ireland to assist with setting up our local presence in Brazil,” Gerry says. “Like in Germany, we align ourselves with the markets that our customers have prioritised. As all of the world’s major automotive companies want to sell connected cars in Brazil, we prioritised establishing a unique locally compliant solution for global automotive and IoT companies there.”

Speaking of complicated, while the UK is not a dominant market for Cubic, it is an important one for many of the company’s customers.

“If you’re driving on the motorways in the UK, most of the cars are German-built cars, so Brexit does have a concern for us in terms of what’s going to happen to the ease of doing business but we’re not as exposed as other companies because we are used to dealing with complicated market conditions around the world,” Gerry says.

His advice: Irish companies must reduce their dependence on the UK market, regardless of the Brexit outcome.

“Any Irish company that’s trying to do business in overseas markets has a very valuable resource that is always there to help in Enterprise Ireland,”

“Start by considering the needs of the customer you are selling to, what solution you are selling, who you need to sell it to and what markets those target customers are in. Then leverage the Enterprise Ireland regional offices to get introductions to the people in that market who you need to meet.”

Read more on the supports available to help your business diversify into new markets or speak to your Development Advisor today.

 

Using edtech to prepare businesses and students for impacts of AI and more

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Jason Dineen, educational technologist at the UCD Innovation Academy, shared his insights at Enterprise Ireland and The Learning Forum’s conference: Impacts and Future Trends in the EdTech and Corporate Learning Landscapes.

Due to the increasing pace of technological change, a sense of what the work environment will look like in five years is mostly unclear to students now entering higher education. To help build that picture, educators from the UCD Innovation Academy collaborate with businesses to explore evolving trends and to use leading edge technologies to ensure students are as prepared as possible.

 

Role of AI and automation

The impact of trends such as AI, automation and other new technologies, means that workplaces and roles around the world are changing quickly, creating challenges for students, educators, employees, and employers.

Jason described how The Innovation Academy helps businesses to adapt within this environment: “We mostly meet small and medium enterprises – companies that aren’t sure how to define a role that they will need in two years’ time. It’s difficult to create a job description when you don’t know what you will need. Our students and staff at the Innovation Academy consult businesses on what they should be looking for and to understand their concerns and views about the future.”

He highlighted that graduates must develop a range of soft skills, such as complex problem solving, critical thinking, and team work. Having one core skill that you are highly competent at is no longer enough.

Among students, Jason indicated there can be a fear of AI. The task for businesses and educators is to demonstrate how AI will improve the workplace of the future: “That’s why we show students the technology as they study with us, allowing them to see how it helps to minimise repetitive tasks we don’t need to do anymore.”

The Innovation Academy’s social humanoid robot, Pepper (by SoftBank Robotics), was on display at the conference. Students are given the opportunity to programme Pepper “to give them the chance to see how they can use AI to undertake tasks”, Jason explained.

 

How businesses can attract and retain talent in the new world of work

In order to attract and retain talent, businesses will be required to become more flexible with practices such as remote working, Jason predicted. What attracts candidates to jobs is no longer just a salary. With many applicants prioritising their ability to enjoy their job, companies should allow work to complement employee interests: “If your employees have a genuine interest in something, they will do very good things for your business, and they will be loyal to you.”

The task for employees in this new landscape is to ensure they are upskilling to adopt technologies with confidence.

Jason advised that career-long learning is vital to employee fulfilment: “Employees are not going to come into a job after doing a four-year college degree and think that’s it for the next 40 years. They now want to upskill constantly – to learn new skills and see how they can adapt for what’s coming down the tracks in terms of technology.”

How success at home helped Connolly’s Red Mills win in Japan

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Kilkenny-based Connolly’s Red Mills makes scientifically advanced nutrition and healthcare solutions for animal health, well-being and performance.

The fifth-generation family-owned business was set up in 1908. It is led by chief executive Joe Connolly, chief operating officer Bill, and business development manager for exports Michael. The brothers work with the next generation of Gareth, William and John Connolly, and a dynamic management team, to drive the business forward. The company employs 320, working on three main strands: a vertically integrated domestic feed and grain business; the manufacture and sale of pet foods in 40 countries; and the manufacture and sale of premium horse feed into 80 countries worldwide.

 

How Connolly’s Red Mills became a global leader

Its premium horse feed is used by some of the world’s most successful race horses, show jumpers and dressage performers.

“In the field, we are considered a global leader, selling right across the northern hemisphere, and beyond that, as far away as Australia. Enterprise Ireland has supported us significantly with research and development, which was the key to our success, especially in Japan,” says Michael Connolly.

“We received funding from Enterprise Ireland for market research and product development for specific markets, including customisation and localisation.”

Connolly’s Red Mills’ success at home helped it succeed abroad. “Race horses are the best paid athletes in the world. We were able to piggy back on the success of our Irish breeders and trainers, to follow our customers, and their customers, around the world,” says Michael.

The UK was the company’s first export market, which it entered in 1985. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s it grew sales across Europe. In 2004 it entered Japan.

Connolly’s Red Mills initially sought to sell pet foods into Japan but found there was greater opportunity for horse feed. “Japan has a very wealthy racing industry. It has prize money of around 10 times the average amount you’d see in Ireland,” he says.

 

Prepare to do business in Japan

Success wasn’t assured. Connolly found Harvard Business professor Geert Hofstede’s view of Japan, that it is the most ‘foreign’ country from a business point of view, to be true.

“The biggest difficulty is communications. That is not translation, it’s the fact that what is not said in a meeting is what often counts most. But if you don’t know what should have been said, you won’t know what that means,” says Connolly.

If you have the right product and are prepared to put in the time building relationships, you can succeed. “Your business has to hit all the markers they want to see, which is sustainability, profitability and growth, which thankfully align exactly with our own values at Connolly’s Red Mills,” he says.

Customer acquisition takes Connolly’s up to four times longer in Japan than it does elsewhere.

“Where it might take three months in France, it will take 18 months to two years in Japan,” he says.

Business meetings are highly structured and formal. Irish people’s traditional bonhomie can work against us, he cautions. Not handling business cards with due deference is a case in point.

Japan has a very hierarchical business culture, to the point that business teams meeting across a table must sit opposite one another in order of rank.

“Often it is in the après meeting, when things relax a bit over a meal, that deals are really done and compromises are made. Decisions are very much done on the basis of consensus. Trust is hugely important and has to be built up.”

 

Japan rewards right product and right approach

If you have the right product, and approach the market in the right way, you can reap the reward. Today Connolly’s Red Mills is the largest importer of premium horse feeds in Japan, with 30% market share of premium horse food.

Enterprise Ireland’s Japan team provided practical on the ground assistance in relation to introductions, itineraries, and local expertise, including setting up meetings and providing information about how to set up a company in Japan.

“It helped us interpret business culture and ensure business and tax compliance. It was also a keyhole into the Irish business community in Tokyo, which was invaluable.”

Japan is not for the fainthearted, he cautions. “It is an exacting market. It has to be a strategic move and you have to have your research done.”

But get it right and it will pay dividends. “Japan is a homogenous market which means that if you can win a small part of it, you can win a large part of it.”

 

Read more on doing business in Japan and the support available from Enterprise Ireland.

How undertaking an agile project helped create a culture of innovation at two Irish companies

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Innovation is crucial for companies to grow their business and maintain competitiveness. An increasing number of SMEs in Ireland must undertake research and development projects to develop innovative products and services.

Identifying need and opportunity by talking to customers is at the heart of all good R&D. However, many companies are discovering that undertaking the process also allows them to identify further opportunities for growth and innovation.

 

Two strong approaches to launching an agile project

That has certainly been the case for TEAM Accessories and LaserTec, since they availed of Enterprise Ireland’s Agile Innovation Fund to support R&D projects.

Aerospace company TEAM Accessories specialises in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of commercial jet engines at their purpose-built facility in Ballyboughal, Co. Dublin. At the start of 2018, the company decided to target expansion into new sectors.

Speaking at an Enterprise Ireland Agile Innovation Support event in Dublin, Co-owner and Director Pat McEvoy talked about the opportunity they identified: “There was a fairly buoyant market in aviation, so the core business was okay, but we needed to do something new or different. We looked at where a commercial engine is used in different industrial applications – such as in the oil and gas sector, in the use of power generation, on ferries and ships all over the world.

“We set about developing capability in sectors that would give us substantial growth. That was a big challenge because, although it’s the same technology, it’s completely different systems and components. We would have to figure out how to design and manufacture new parts, how to train people, how to develop our capability as a project.”

Basil Cooney, Managing Director of Dublin-based electronics engineering manufacturer LaserTec, spoke at the event about his company’s plan to add 3D capability to their automated testing and validation solutions for the medical devices sector.

He said: “Using 2D vision technology to inspect and measure products was very cumbersome to use and very expensive. The limitations of 2D means that the solutions were application specific – if you want to look at a different product or solve a different problem, you’re almost starting from scratch nearly every time.

“We decided that we needed to come up with something really different; something that was easy to use, easy to communicate with, which could integrate into existing systems, and was affordable. Our idea was to develop a 3D sensor vision system that could scan a product and be able to read depth as well as length and width. You don’t get that with 2D.”

 

How Enterprise Ireland’s Agile Innovation Fund supports agile projects

Both LaserTec and TEAM Accessories applied for support from the Agile Innovation Fund. Designed to make undertaking R&D as easy as possible, it provides up to 50% funding for agile projects with a value of up to €300,000. The main feature of the Agile Innovation Fund is its fast turnaround time, and the applications for both LaserTec and TEAM Accessories were processed in weeks rather than months.

Pat McEvoy said: “At first, we thought that agile wasn’t a good fit for us because we were thinking about design and manufacturing, but we talked to our DA (Development Advisor at Enterprise Ireland) and she reassured us that our project was innovation and would qualify.

“I was so impressed by how quick the whole approval process was. It was very efficient, and we had really good input from our DA all the way through.” Pat McEvoy, Co-owner & Director, TEAM Accessories

Basil Cooney: “Our experience was also very positive. I think engaging as early as possible with our DA was important, and not just a one-off thing but engaging on a continuous basis initially until we were up and running.

“Initially we had a particular set of ideas for the project, but they changed as the project developed. With the Agile Fund that’s okay – it allows that flexibility to really go after what is required to make the project achieve its goals. Without it, we wouldn’t have achieved what we did.”

Perhaps the most enduring impact the agile project will have on TEAM Accessories and LaserTec is the culture of innovation it has helped nurture.

Pat said: “We have a couple of other things we’re looking at now that happened kind of by accident as a result of this project. We set out to develop capabilities in different sectors, now we’re also moving into an area – and this has come from customers and their feedback – which involves improving some of the existing designs of the engines. So agile has opened up different avenues for us.”

Basil Cooney: “We’ve identified a number of products that we can develop from the core technology of a 3D sensor and software platform. The idea is to customise them for a bigger range of applications that use the same technology, such as scanning and checking boxes on an assembly line or verifying a manufacturing assembly as it’s happening.”

Get more information about the Agile Innovation Fund.