Help your company grow by using the Market Research Centre

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With Brexit a reminder of the importance of diversifying and discovering exciting new export opportunities, Enterprise Ireland’s Market Research Centre can help.

Conducting the right market research is vital for businesses to maintain their competitive edge and enjoy successful export growth. According to a recent Enterprise Ireland survey, more than four out of five businesses plan to diversify into the Eurozone – a smart move given its potential export market value of €38bn alone.

Enterprise Ireland-supported companies can benefit from support in their plans to expand their reach. Here are five ways that our Market Research Centre can help.

 

1. Access world-class market research

Conducting market research before exporting into new markets can cost time, money and resources for which your business must budget. The Market Research Centre can help by providing access to up-to-date premium market research reports from some of the world’s leading market research publishers, such as Euromonitor International, Frost & Sullivan, and Mintel.

The Centre provides access to:

  • Country reports
  • Global company profiles
  • Industry sector reports
  • Trend forecasts.

The Centre is available free-of-charge to companies supported by Enterprise Ireland across the regional office network.

With some individual reports costing tens of thousands of euro, the potential value of using the service is immense.

 

2. Know your markets

When planning to export, the most important step is to learn as much about your new target market as possible. Accessing the latest research available through the Market Research Centre will help you to understand potential export regions and the competitors already operating there. Questions you should consider include:

  • What is the size of the market?
  • Who are the big players?
  • Is there a dominant brand in the market

       

      3. Know your channels

      When Abcon, an abrasives and industrial hose manufacturer from Co. Cavan wanted to increase exports to the Eurozone after the Brexit referendum, they needed to understand the markets that would help to grow the business.

      With a high volume of sales driven by internet searches, accurate information about the names of products in local languages proved essential to underpinning successful international digital marketing tactics.

      Lyn Sharkey, Sales and Marketing Director for Abcon, says that the Market Research Centre’s information specialists helped the company to obtain such information, in addition to lists of potential leads and trade events to attend – all of which would have been far more difficult to source alone.

       

      4. Insights about your customers

      Understanding the demographics of a market and the competitors already succeeding there is of little value unless you also understand your new potential customers, and how your offerings should be tweaked or positioned to best appeal to them.

      One of the most vital considerations for any company is: “what does your customer want, and how does it differ from what you’re already doing and delivering?”.

      When Irish Dog Foods, the Naas-based pet food manufacturer, was planning to enter the South Korean market, they asked these same questions. The company turned to the Market Research Centre to learn which customers it should sell to.

      “One of the things we learned during our market research is that there are practically no large dogs in Korea,” says Darren Keating, Marketing Manager of Irish Dog Foods. “That meant we specifically targeted the owners of small dogs. That information came from the Market Research Centre.”

       

      5. Guidance from information specialists

      The Market Research Centre’s information specialists have a wealth of experience and are available to guide you to the most relevant reports and databases for your needs, and to provide support before and during your visit.

      Sometimes the best support is reassurance from a specialist that you are heading in the right direction, allowing you to use your time efficiently.

       

      Contact Us

      Contact the Market Research Centre to discuss your research request and to arrange a visit to our centre in Dublin or to any of our eight regional office hubs.

      Phone: +353 (1) 727 2324

      Email: market.research@enterprise-ireland.com

      Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm

      AudioSource 2

      Revolutionary sound separation technology takes AudioSourceRE from the Beach Boys to commercial success

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      Key Takeouts:

      • AudioSourceRE, a recent spin-out from Cork institute of Technology, has developed innovative audio separation technology.
      • Enterprise Ireland’s Commercialisation Fund supported the development of the product and research into its commercial potential.
      • The company has launched three products and is developing the technology for wider application.

      Case Study: AudioSourceRE on Enterprise Ireland’s Commercialisation Fund

      When the Beach Boys come calling to ask if they can use your technology, you know you’ve done something right. In 2012, Dr. Derry Fitzgerald, who had spent 12 years researching the manipulation of audio in Cork Institute of Technology, got such a request.

      “They asked me to use the audio separation technology that I’d developed to split some songs that had been recorded in mono and remix them in stereo. I ended up getting credited on four Beach Boys reissues!” says Fitzgerald.

      It was more than enough to convince him that he was on to something that had commercial value.

      “I knew then that the tech was ready to be used in the real world and I began thinking about how I could make it commercially useful, because at that stage it was just a bunch of scripts on my computer that nobody else could use.”

      Fitzgerald applied for Enterprise Ireland’s Commercialisation Feasibility Study, which enabled him to do some market research. He then embarked on a Commercialisation Fund project, carried out in Cork School of Music in CIT, to develop his first commercial product.

       

      Preparing for spin-out

      “I’m not a business guy, I’m a tech guy. So as part of the project I had to find a business partner and I did that through Enterprise Ireland’s Business Partners Programme,” says Fitzgerald.

      Businessman John O’ Connell, now CEO of AudioSourceRE, was one of the business partners contacted by Enterprise Ireland. He recognised that there was potential in the technology but that more needed to be done.

      “I met Derry and he showed me what the technology was,” says O’Connell. “It was in a very raw state so I gave some feedback and asked him to give me a call when it reached the beta stage, when it could be shown to some people in the market. Nine months later, I got the call and went back and started working with Derry to create a minimum viable product.”

      The team focused on creating a prototype and got the opportunity to demonstrate it at Abbey Road Studios in London. The feedback was very positive.

      AudioSourceRE, a recent spin-out from Cork institute of Technology, has developed innovative audio separation technology

      “At that stage, John came on board full time and started to develop the business plan for the company, so that left me able to focus on making the software as good as possible. He pushed us to clarify what we were trying to get out of the project,” says Fitzgerald.

      O’ Connell explains: “There’s a lot of research required to find out if something that’s created in a university can be developed into a commercial product. So, it takes a lot of work to get to spin-out stage. One of the biggest challenges is that the world of academia and the commercial world are poles apart in terms of mindset.”

      It’s a sentiment echoed by Fitzgerald. “Personally I found the biggest challenge was getting things done faster, and moving on to the next thing. It was about changing the way I worked.  I learnt an awful lot about things I never expected to learn about – how business plans are structured, financial aspects, day-to-day business operations. So I went relatively quickly from being a very traditional academic researcher to someone who had a strong business head.”

      With O’Connell’s input the project became more focused, developing a strong commercial roadmap that enabled the team to progress quickly towards a commercially feasible product. Feedback from musicians and audio professionals helped clarify what the market wanted and just three months after setting up the company in 2018, AudioSourceRE launched its first two products, DeMIX Pro and Essentials, at a major music fair in New York.

      AudioSourceRE, a recent spin-out from Cork institute of Technology, has developed innovative audio separation technology

      The journey continues

      “We’ve been selling products for the last year, relying on the initial seed fund money that John and I put in and funding we got through Enterprise Ireland’s Competitive Start Fund, but we know there is still a way to go to make a profitable business,” says Fitzgerald. AudioSourceRE on Enterprise Ireland’s Commercialisation Fund

      O’Connell and Fitzgerald are now in discussions with venture capitalists and Enterprise Ireland about getting investment to grow. “We feel that we’re at the point now that with a little more R&D we can open up a whole range of creativity for audio manipulation,” says O’ Connell.

      With plans to have nine employees by the end of year one, and to use AI to complement Fitzgerald’s skills, the company has a strong sense of where it is going.

      Reflecting on the journey so far, Fitzgerald says: “My experience of spinning out AudioSourceRE has been overwhelmingly positive, so my advice to other academics would be, be brave and go for it. Start off with the objective of creating something that can be sold in the real world, not just completing an academic project.”

      O’ Connell adds: “Getting a business person on board as early as possible on the journey will really help with guiding the direction of the project, deciding where the funding should be spent, and where the research should be focused to find out if it’s really suitable for commercialisation.

      “Enterprise Ireland’s support was invaluable. We were able to ask for advice and get introductions to other people who have done something in a similar field. They give you the opportunity to take something and with a little bit of investment see what the commercial potential is.”

      For more information about applying for Enterprise Ireland’s Commercialisation Fund, contact your Technology Transfer Office.

      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.”

      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.

       

      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.

      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.”

      Horizon 2020: Supporting transformation in the agri-food sector

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      “There were multiple challenges, including a substantial amount of EU politics at the start with many partners wanting to take the lead, but we were determined to keep DEMETER rooted in Ireland.”

      Kevin Doolin, Co-ordinator of the DEMETER project and Director of Innovation at Telecommunications Software & Systems Group

      Overview:

      • TSSG, part of the Waterford Institute of Technology, is leading a project that aims to transform Europe’s agri-food sector through the rapid adoption of advanced Internet of Things technologies, data science and smart farming.
      • The DEMETER project is being significantly funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
      • With 60 partners, 18 countries and 20 pilots, DEMETER is one of the largest Horizon 2020 projects coordinated by an Irish entity and is expected to have significant impact across the agri-tech sector in Europe, and beyond.

      The European Union has identified smart farming as a key component in supporting sustainable agriculture and food production, protecting natural resources and boosting food safety. At the heart of this is the need for new technology and standards to achieve full supply chain interoperability.

      This is the subject of DEMETER, a large-scale, €17.7m Horizon 2020 project involving 60 partners across 18 countries, 6,000 farmers and 38,000 devices.

      At the helm of DEMETER is Kevin Doolin, Director of Innovation at Telecommunications Software & Systems Group (TSSG), an internationally recognised centre of excellence for ICT research and innovation and part of the Waterford Institute of Technology.

      “The situation now is that you have various different elements in the agri supply chain – machinery, warehouses, trucks, sensors and so on – but none of these systems talk to each other so it’s impossible to get a holistic view from farm to fork,” explains Doolin.

      “With DEMETER we’re trying to connect those elements, so we’re developing new industry standards, writing software for platforms and building interfaces.”

      DEMETER’s goal is nothing less than the digital transformation of Europe’s agri-food sector and it includes a series of 20 pilot programmes that aim to demonstrate the impact of the technology.

      A key deliverable is the DEMETER Dashboard. “This will give farmers an instant update on the status of their farm. It’s a precision support system that provides information to assist decision making, and increase productivity and efficiency,” says Doolin.

       

       

      The Horizon 2020 process

      The first step in the Horizon 2020 process is building the consortium, which Doolin did using his extensive network of contacts and the opportunities afforded by networking events run by the Commission.

      “It’s important to identify a core set of partners that you can rely on to help write the proposal. Within DEMETER there are about 10 partners that did most of the heavy lifting on that, and then we drew on expertise from the other partners when required.

      “We also engaged quite heavily with Enterprise Ireland’s National Contact Points who were able to introduce us to additional partners. And the EI financial support we got to write the proposal was really important.”

      As a highly experienced Horizon 2020 co-ordinator, Doolin was aware of the challenges a project of this size, one of the largest ever coordinated by an Irish entity, presents.

      “There were multiple challenges, including a substantial amount of EU politics at the start with many partners wanting to take the lead, but we were determined to keep DEMETER rooted in Ireland,” says Doolin.

      Co-ordinating 60 partners is an ongoing challenge but one that is mitigated, says Doolin, by having good work package leaders.

      “Each Horizon 2020 project is structured into a number of work packages with specific roles. If you have a good team of work package leaders you can leverage them very heavily to co-ordinate the overall effort.”

      Moreover, the challenges are offset by the benefits.

      “Horizon 2020 enables us to engage in large-scale work, with a substantial group of partners from across the agri supply chain. We have access to technology providers, research and academic experts, real works users and policy makers,” says Doolin.

       

      Walk before you run 

      Involvement in a Horizon 2020 project can be as a partner organisation or as co-ordinator. Doolin strongly recommends starting as a partner.

      “I estimate the level of work involved in being a participant versus co-ordinating to be about 1:10, so I think the best place for institutions to start is by partnering on a proposal and maybe taking a work package leader role where you’re involved in writing the proposal. After you’ve done a few projects you can go down the route of co-ordination, starting with a small project.”

      Doolin also advises engaging early with Enterprise Ireland to find out the project topics that are coming up in the next Horizon round of funding, and starting to build the consortium before the Commission launches the call for proposals.

      “After the call you’ve only three months to write the proposal, which isn’t a lot of time,” he says.

      “It’s also important to tell Enterprise Ireland what proposals you’re writing or you can end up in a situation where different entities in Ireland are writing competing proposals when in fact we should be collaborating. Enterprise Ireland is the mechanism for bridging that gap.”

      Within the DEMETER project €1m of funding has been reserved to be given out to new partners who want to join the programme.

      “We’ll be issuing our own mini-calls for proposals starting on September 16, inviting SMEs and farmers and so on to come up with a small project idea that will test elements of DEMETER in different scenarios.

      “These open call projects are something that I think industry in Ireland needs to take advantage of. It’s a really good way for companies to get into Horizon 2020 and get quite a bit of funding to do just one trial of the technology.”

      For advice or further information about applying for Horizon 2020 support please contact HorizonSupport@enterprise-ireland.com or consult www.horizoneurope.ie

       

      Enterprise Ireland’s top tips for entering the Singaporean market

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      Singapore, the gateway to SE Asia, is the regional business hub for ASEAN and the wider Asia Pacific region, providing stability and highly educated workforce, making it the perfect location to create a base.

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

      • Singapore’s English dominated business environment and business-friendly legal and tax systems give Irish companies at every stage of development the opportunity to establish a business presence in Singapore at relatively low risk.
      • Singapore’s highly-educated workforce, political stability, excellent air transport links, developed infrastructure, transparency in business operations and Western business practices mean that many companies adopt a “hub and spoke” approach, using Singapore as a base from which to access opportunities in neighbouring markets.
      • Singapore’s business language is English and it is spoken throughout the island among all ethnic groups.
      • Singapore has the highest per capita spend on healthcare in ASEAN, which averages 4% of GDP, and this is expected to increase annually as the Government seeks to invest in quality healthcare infrastructure and services making it an attractive market for medical device and life science companies.
      • Singapore is seeing increased activity in the Life science sector. There are opportunities for client companies currently selling into the pharma and medical device supply chain in Ireland as many of the same global multinationals also have strong presences in Singapore e.g. Roche, Pfizer, GSK.
      • Singapore is a top-three global financial centre and therefore a key market for companies involved in financial services and fintech. Key activities include FX, wealth management, commodities trading, hedge funds & treasury.
      • There are over 210 banks and approx 1200 Financial Institutions registered in Singapore. Notable changes in the financial sector include the liberalisation of the banking market with the awarding of five digital banking licences in December 2020; the launch of the Variable Capital Company as an entity for new investment funds in Singapore, and the embrace of fintech and automation by the sector in enhancing competitiveness and innovation.
      • Punctuality is a sign of respect in Singapore. It is best to inform your Singaporean counterpart if you will be late.
      • Modesty and humility are key values in Singapore, therefore it is important not to “oversell” during initial meetings with Singaporean counterparts.
      • The decision-making process in Singapore is done collectively and up through the hierarchy, and therefore it may take more time than you are used to.
      • Over 200 Irish firms are already active in this market thanks to EI assistance, contact the local MA here.

      For more be sure to check out our Going Global Guide 

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

      Evolve UK  Report – Local Authority Investment Areas and the impact of Covid-19

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      The UK remains the largest export market for indigenous Irish companies. A new focus for Enterprise Ireland in the UK is to support Irish companies looking to enter the UK Local Authorities space.

      This report, commissioned by Enterprise Ireland provides an overview of UK Local Authorities to help inform Irish companies of their structure and procurement processes.

      Click the below image to view or download the complete report.

       

      Key questions to ask at your Dutch Market Advisor meeting

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      This is an open discussion between you and one of our trusted Market Advisers, to discuss your business and the export opportunities that lie for you in the region. Below are some suggestions of questions to ask your MA, to learn more about the Dutch market, and the supports we can offer you.

      • What resources do you need? Enterprise Ireland can help entrepreneurs and businesses to scale and reach their potential, let it be from funding support, market insights, or finding the right contacts through international networks. Ask your MA what they can do to help you scale your business and enter the market prepared, confident and supported.
      • What are the opportunities in the market for your business? Ask your MA which opportunities lie within your sector, and how best to leverage these growth opportunities for your business.
      • What should the next steps be? Discuss forming a plan towards global exporting – have an open discussion and together plan objectives, goals and discuss what time frames to expect. Next steps may include further market research and discovery, funding applications or buyer introductions.

      Set up a call with our team in Amsterdam and be sure to check out our Going Global Guide.

      Enterprise Ireland’s top tips for entering the Dutch market can be viewed by clicking the graphic below.