Map of EU with padlock

GDPR and Data transfer to or through the UK

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on 25 May 2018 and unifies data protection law throughout the EU. It gives individuals control over their personal data and requires businesses and other organisations to put in place processes that protect and safeguard that data. The regulation also addresses the transfer of personal data outside the EU and EEA.

 

Dealing with the UK, USA and other third countries

GDPR came into sharp focus this year as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. GDPR still applies in the UK, however as it is now a third country it is subject to the GDPR rules governing the transfer of data outside the EU and EEA.

 

Data transfer to/through the UK

The first thing for firms to do is to establish exactly where their data goes. Companies may not realise that their cloud storage provider is actually located in Britain or Northern Ireland. Their pension schemes, payroll, healthcare plans may all be run out of the UK and involve the regular transfer of personal data. Workplace benefits databases could also be held in Britain or Northern Ireland. Even translation services might be covered if personal data is included in the material to be translated.

Having established that data is being transferred to the UK, the next step is to decide if that needs to continue. There may be options to look for another service provider in Ireland or another EU Member State and these should be explored.

Standard Contractual Clauses

If it is not possible or if it is too difficult to take this option, there is a ready solution to hand. There is a tool that can be used to solve this problem and it is available on the Data Protection Commission website. It is known as the standard contractual clauses (SCCs). This is a set of off-the-shelf clauses developed by the European Commission and which are recognised as an appropriate safeguard to ensure that firms remain compliant with GDPR.

The SCCs are already written and only require firms to fill in the blanks with their details. They can be appended to existing contracts and come into force when both parties sign them. Once signed, this enables firms to continue transferring data to the UK in full compliance with GDPR, and people still have their rights.

The data subject is also given certain specific rights under the SCCs even though they are not party to the relevant contract. Firms are also advised to update their privacy statements to indicate that the data is transferring to the UK under the terms of the SCCs.

The SCCs will cover most situations, but there are certain more complex cases where they may not apply. These are relatively rare, but firms in doubt should consult the Data Protection Commission or seek their own legal advice  to check out their particular situation.

There are also certain situations where the data transfer is not covered by contract. These include cases where data is being transferred from a UK Controller to an Irish processor for processing and then transferred back to the Controller. This has been a relatively routine process up until now, as the data remained within the EU at all times. The best advice for firms based in Ireland who find themselves in this situation is to look at the clauses within the SCCs and insert them into the service level agreement governing the activity. This will demonstrate an intention to be GDPR compliant in the new situation.

The same will apply to Irish shared services centres carrying out global back and middle office functions for multinational parents. They should update the terms of service to UK-based affiliates to include the SCCs.

 

Data Protection Policies

Some very large organisations use what are known as Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs). These are legally binding internal codes of conduct operating within a multinational group, which applies to transfers of personal data from the group’s EEA entities to the group’s non-EEA entities. The approval of BCRs can take a significant period of time and also, given the cost and complexity of BCRs, they are not a suitable transfer tool for most Irish companies.

The only remaining questions for Irish firms transferring data to the UK concern adequacy. Certain ‘third countries’, such as Japan, have received what is known as an ‘adequacy decision’ from the European Commission. This allows a cross-border personal data transfer from the EU to that country because it has been determined to have an adequate level of data protection safeguards compared to the EU. It could take some time before the European Commission completes its negotiations with the UK Government in order to deem the UK adequate as a jurisdiction to which data can be transferred under GDPR. Therefore, companies need to explore the options available to them when transferring data to the UK.

Irish companies banking United States

How to manage US banking, employees and legal fees

Two challenges that Irish companies sometimes experience when preparing to export to the United States for the first time involve banking and employment. The following pointers will help you to prepare.

Download the full Going Global USA: Learn your Legals guide now.

All US banks require an Employer Identification Number (EIN) confirmation letter, also known as Form SS4, before opening a business account in your company’s name.

 

How to apply for an Employer Identification Number

You can apply for an EIN online on the Internal Revenue Services website, if you already have a US social security number (SSN), or an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN).

If you don’t have an SSN, you can apply for an EIN from the IRS by fax or have a lawyer act as a ‘third-party designee’ to prepare and process an EIN application on your behalf.

 

If you have an EIN

Some banks will accept a copy of a fax from the IRS assigning your business entity with an EIN. Others will need to see the EIN verification letter sent by the IRS, which can take weeks to arrive.

Most banks will also require a copy of the company’s formation documents – US business address and annual statement of officers and directors.

To comply with mandatory anti-money laundering legislation, US banks need to verify the identity of those opening business accounts under Know Your Customer (KYC) rules. There are several ways the requirement can be met:

  • Get a visitor visa to travel to the US and personally open an account at your bank of choice
  • Use third-party services to help you set up an account
  • Some banks will set up an account without the relevant corporate officer being in the United States. If acting on a referral from a legal representative, the process can be completed via email.

 

Employment considerations

Irish companies should carefully plan their approach to hiring personnel in the US as there are a number of potential pitfalls to be aware of. For example, if you hire someone as a consultant or independent contractor, it could later be determined that they are actually an employee under US law. Improper classification risks exposing a company to penalties and liabilities, including the withholding of taxes, benefits, and the possibility of being sued by the employee.

Laws governing US employment and benefits are complicated, which makes it vital for potential exporters to seek the advice of legal professionals.

As US benefits packages vary widely and differ significantly from those in Ireland, companies should seek advice on what employees in specific roles are likely to expect when considering a job offer.

 

Legal costs

For small companies using a lawyer or legal service provider for help with company formation and setting up, fixed fee packages in the range US$3,000 to US$5,000 are available. Packages usually include general counsel, registration fees, and the creation of incorporation, confidentiality agreements and stock issuance.

In general, you can expect to pay additional fees for operating and shareholder agreements, as they can be highly complex. While legal assistance with IP transfers can also be costly due to complexity, many Irish companies keep IP rights within the Irish parent, with the US entity established as a servicing company.

 

Access more insights on doing business in the US.

Electric vehicle

China’s fast-growing electric vehicle market is one to watch

The carmaker of the future wants to partner with suppliers who can provide technology solutions for automated, connected, electric and shared cars.

How to forge those partnerships was the recurring theme at Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) and Mobility, an event organised by Enterprise Ireland and facilitated by Carol Gibbons, the agency’s director of ICT Commercialisation.

High level panellists included Amer Akhtar, Founder of Foothill Ventures and advisor to Chinese electric vehicle maker NIO; Rahul Vijay, Head of Technology Deal Making at Uber; Anand Ramesh, Vice President of Cluster Computing at Renovo Auto, and Hariveer Dhingra, who heads up Global Digital Transformation, Corporate Venture Capital and New Ventures at Shell.

Participating in China’s fast-growing electric vehicle (EV) market makes sense but takes preparation, delegates heard.

Not alone does the country have the world’s largest EV market but huge government incentives are in place to ensure it stays at the forefront of innovation, and increasingly AI. “There’s a heavy component of government support in China, heavier than in any other country, and when China wants to do something, they make it happen,” said Akhtar.

 

Chinese OEMs are looking for technology partners

Increasingly, Chinese original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are seeking out technology partners, to get things done, he said. This is transforming traditional supply chain models built around Tier 1 suppliers and in-house R&D.

“The market now is very different because much of the car platform is really software, so right now 40% of the automotive R&D value is provided by partners, and that is moving in the next six or seven years to 55%,” he said.

Traditional OEMs don’t have the level of in-house resources or expertise to develop some of the mobility solutions companies such as Uber or Waymo has. That presents an enormous opportunity for partnerships with start-ups, and even large companies in tangential industries, he said.

Though people define Uber as a technology company, it defines itself as “a technology company that is into all kinds of businesses, doesn’t matter if it is food or health supply or freight or people, we like to move it,” said Rahul Vijay. “We need expertise in all these different vertical industries.”

 

Partners must be global and local

More than that, it wants partners who can be both “global and local”. That is, if Uber is launching an electric bike, it doesn’t want to put multiple modems on each bike, but one that will work with any carrier in the world, he said.

“It means that hardware vendor has to work with multiple different carriers to certify their hardware, but it has to be local too, because at the end of the day, some of these market specifications are very local.”

It isn’t just established players in China that present an opportunity for Irish suppliers. “A lot of Chinese start-ups are looking for partners that can help them expand internationally, to help them get out of the Chinese ecosystem,” said Shell’s Dhingra.

OEMs are looking to invent, partner with and buy in technology, and are doing all three at speed, delegates heard.

“Nio was founded in 2014 and has already launched and delivered two models, which is unheard of if you are a traditional automotive company. You can’t do that by inventing everything,” said Akhtar, who recommended that Irish suppliers move quickly to capture the opportunity.

“Get to market fast. Right now it’s a land grab in the EV space. There are about 200 start-ups that have filed licences for EVs in China alone, and many more around the world.”

 

Electric vehicle companies focus on UX

In the case of NIO, these companies are mostly focused on user experience and not so much on what a traditional OEM delivers – that is, getting people from Point A to Point B.

Focusing on UX means the car itself can be treated as a commodity.

“You can partner, you can buy, or you can build the user experience. It depends on the mission of the company. Ideally, you would do all three but you have a short runway and a limited amount of capital, so you have to put that to the best use,” he said.

The future is all about connectivity and autonomy, with the end result of saving lives on roads, but getting there presents different challenges, said Uber’s Vijay. “We can’t do it all by ourselves, so we need help to put these technologies on the road.”

That includes everything from mapping to leasing to trade finance partnerships, as well as connectivity solutions, such as the tablets it gives restaurants in Uber Eats, or the use of bikes to solve last mile delivery problems.

“We are looking at all modalities of transportation, and a partnership ecosystem that goes all the way from component level to hardware, software and beyond, making transportation as seamless as possible.”

EV makers such as NIO are driven by a World Economic Forum prediction that the digital transformation of the automotive industry will yield US $60 or $70 billion in value for the automotive industry, “but that’s dwarfed by the US $3 trillion societal benefit,” said Akhtar. “As companies think about innovation, it’s about how to get a piece of that multi-trillion market.”

 

Challenges and opportunities in China

Akhtar cautioned Irish suppliers looking to grow their car components market, not to make the mistake of ignoring China.

“In terms of scale it’s just massive, bigger than the US and Europe combined, so it’s a no brainer. Having said that, entry into China is not a no brainer. It’s a very challenging market to go into.”

Those trying should realise that very many Chinese OEMs have set up R&D shops in California, as have a lot of the new energy start-ups in this space, making it a good first port of call to build networks.

China is all about relationships, delegates heard. The right technology without the right contacts won’t work, said Akhtar.

“One approach I see and recommend, especially for start-ups looking to get on the radar of Chinese companies and OEMs, or even big Tier 1s, is to become a Chinese company. China is not one of those markets you dip your toe in the water for. You are either all in or stay out. The Chinese market, whether enterprise, automotive or consumer, does not take kindly to a company operating across the ocean that wants to sell into China. It’s almost a sign of disrespect, that you don’t understand the Chinese market,” he said.

“Equally, if you’ve already got funding in the US or Europe, as part of the deal, it makes it easier to sell into China if you also get Chinese funding, whether from a small corporate investment, or Chinese VC, or a Chinese government agency. When you’ve got that Chinese stamp of approval, it’s much easier to do business. It means you are now a recognised entity, and investors think you must be good. Go in blind and it’s hard for people to trust you.”

Learn more on doing business in the Chinese market with our Going Global Guide to Asia.

winning contracts US

Negotiating the non-negotiables: Tips for winning contracts in the US

In a David and Goliath business encounter, David stands a better chance of success if it is obvious that he is good at what he does, said Sally Hughes, CEO of the International Association for Contract & Commercial Management (IACCM), speaking at this year’s E3 Entrepreneurship Export Exchange conference, organised by Enterprise Ireland and Global Situation Room.

 

IACCM is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to raising the value and integrity of trading relationships worldwide, working side-by-side with both buyers and suppliers and with both mega-corporations and SMEs.

In her presentation, Hughes covered three lists:

  • the most common terms included in standard US contracts
  • the most important terms included in US contracts
  • strategies that SMEs need to adopt when dealing with major corporations.

She also described an example of an unnamed SME owner who negotiated a life-changing deal with retail giant Walmart and discussed how Irish firms could follow their example.

 

Show you’re an expert in your field

“In an environment where one side has significant buying power, as a supplier you have to demonstrate great quality and value,” she says. “More importantly, you need to present yourself as an expert in your field.

“The one area where there will inevitably be negotiation is price but it’s critical not to get dragged down in those discussions early on. In fact, in the first few meetings you don’t want to be negotiating price at all. The key to meaningful negotiation, and to the effective management of risk, is to get to know the buyer well.”

In Hughes’s Walmart example, the successful SME supplier spent 18 months getting to understand the retail giant’s needs. Notably, when the supplier was offered a contract with Walmart’s non-negotiable conditions, his lawyer warned him that the terms were ‘too risky’ and could cause the collapse of his business but the supplier continued to negotiate a deal.

 

Negotiating contracts in the US

According to Hughes, the terms most commonly negotiated in standard contracts in the US include:

  • Limitations of liability
  • Indemnification
  • Price, charges and price changes
  • Termination of contract
  • Scope and specification
  • Warranty
  • Performance guarantees and undertakings
  • Payment terms
  • Data protection, security and cyber-security
  • Liquidated damages.

Indeed, the IACCM chief said that, very often in contract negotiations, the areas that partners battle over the most are not always the most important. Hughes advised that the most important contract terms to focus on are those that will contribute most to your success, largely:

  • Scope and goals
  • Responsibilities
  • Prices, charges and price changes
  • Service levels
  • Performance, guarantees, undertakings
  • Limitation of liability
  • Payment terms
  • Warranty
  • Product specification

In the Walmart case, the SME owner believed he had to be better than the competition at accepting and managing risk. As part of his deal with the retailer, he requested access to sales data so that he could assume responsibility for ensuring that his products moved off the shelf.

“Success depends on the quality of the information flow from buyer to seller,” said Hughes. “Transparency is key and is in both parties’ best interest. This is about a partnership, no matter what your relative side.”

 

Winning business in the US

If you want to win business from bigger customers than you have ever had before in the United States, Hughes advised following these strategies:

  • Be better than your competition at accepting and managing risk
  • Demonstrate your expertise and educate your buyer – before discussing price
  • Get the buyer emotionally involved in your product or service
  • Demand quality information flows between you and your customer
  • You might not be able to negotiate ‘boilerplate’ – the standard terms and conditions listed at the end of most contracts – but you can ensure you implement good governance through communication protocols and problem-solving techniques
  • Even if it seems like a David and Goliath scenario, it is about a partnership. Big buying power doesn’t have to mean big negotiation power – that is down to you.

“Selling in the US market takes planning and it takes persistence,” added Hughes. “You need to understand who you are selling to, what rules and procedures they’ll be following, how will they measure value and what weightings they’ll apply to selection criteria.

“You’ll also need to have developed a negotiation strategy, how you will convince them that you are a reliable supplier committed to the market, that you are an expert in your field, that you are passionate about your product or service and that you understand fully the nature of your competition. You need to educate your buyer.”

 

Read more on doing business in the US market.

Irish ambition winning in France

Sinead Lonergan, Enterprise Ireland’s country manager for France, looks at the opportunities allowing Irish companies like Smurfit Kappa and Grant Engineering to win in this big market.

 Opportunity comes to pass not pause and right now it’s in France. That was the message from Terry McGivern, Chief Operating Officer of Smurfit Kappa in France and keynote speaker at Ambition France.

 The event was the first in a series of Enterprise Ireland workshops for Eurozone markets and a step towards creating a peer group of Irish companies selling into France.

 Ambition France provided seminars, presentations and panel discussions based on learnings from Irish companies already succeeding in France. Attendees included a highly targeted group of businesses keen to emulate that success. 

 

Why France should be your next export focus

France is the sixth biggest market in the world, with a GDP of €2.5 trillion and a population of 66 million. Delegates at Ambition France left with a sense of the opportunity that exists in a growing market in which consumer confidence is increasingly buoyed.

Part of the reason Enterprise Ireland is building this peer group is because we know that having a network of people willing to share successful commercial tactics helps to accelerate business success. 

With France, however, there is also an additional reason. A key recurring theme at Ambition France focused on how hugely relationship-based the market is and how challenging it can be to develop these relationships. Securing a referral helps enormously, which is why I’m keen to bring first time entrants together with seasoned campaigners.

Recruitment can also be a challenge. Niall Fay of Grant Engineering told of his company’s recent success securing experienced French staff to help open up the market. It was a significant advantage in a country in which having team members with established relationships is so important.

To overcome these challenges, Irish businesses need to make their value proposition clear and really sell the company to prospective employees. It’s worth doing, when local staff with a strong network of contacts can be a huge advantage in accessing potential customers.

We at Enterprise Ireland help too – opening doors, fostering links, and ensuring French buyers are aware that Ireland is a dynamic country with which to do business. We prepare the ground so that the companies we support are not met by outdated, but sometimes lingering, perceptions that Ireland is primarily agricultural.

 

Understanding French business culture

The best way to assess the market is to get out there, advised Shane Lyons of Ei Electronics, “Meet the customer, find out how they buy, and what they are interested in. Then develop a solution that suits them. Use Enterprise Ireland, use their contacts, get to exhibitions, and get a sense of where the market is going.”

It is more important than ever to do this. Brexit presents a huge opportunity for Irish companies to position themselves as alternative English-speaking suppliers.

To capitalise on this opportunity, however, you must be fully au fait with French business culture – or rather cultures. It is a country of huge regional variations, so acquaint yourself with local nuances.

Invest in linguistic skills. Andrew Fleury, CEO of Transpoco, told how his staff takes French lessons via Skype. “It makes it easier to do business and clients are very appreciative of it,” he said.

That’s for sure. I have seen very many deals scuppered by ignoring basic business etiquette. For example, Irish people almost by default go into a meeting shaking hands and chatting about the weather and their trip over. But if you are dealing with a large French company, that’s a faux pas.

Meetings here are much more formal.  Focus on the business, plan your presentation to the nth degree and demonstrate – with evidence – why you are the best supplier with the best product. Keep the chat for later.

It’s the kind of thing a peer would tell you and you’ll be glad they did, because right now, in France, opportunity is here for the taking.

This article was originally published in the Sunday Independent.

For more information on doing business in France download our Going Global Guide to France

NIVA – simplifying the Common Agricultural Policy claims process

Horizon 2020 is an ideal funding stream as it enables cross-border collaboration and ensures that technology developed will be fit for purpose on a pan European basis.

David Hearne, Walton Institute, NIVA Horizon 2020 project

Key Takeouts:

  • Walton Institute (formerly TSSG), part of the Waterford Institute of Technology, is involved in a project that aims to develop and implement a range of digital innovations to improve the administration of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
  • The NIVA project has received €10.5m in funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
  • Walton Institute is focused on developing a geo-tagged photo app to help simplify the CAP claims process for farmers and paying agencies.

H2020 Case Study: NIVA

    The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) supports farmers, safeguards agri-food supplies and encourages sustainable management of land resources. Administering and controlling payments to farmers under CAP is done through the integrated administration and control system (IACS), which is the subject of the Horizon 2020 project, NIVA (New IACS Vision in Action).

    The three-year project, led by The Netherlands’ Wageningen University & Research and involving 27 partners, aims to modernise IACS by delivering a suite of digital solutions, e-tools and good practices for e-governance. These will ultimately produce more transparent, simpler processes that will reduce the administrative burden on farmers, paying agencies and other stakeholders.

    In Ireland, a multi-disciplinary team made up of The Walton Institute (formerly TSSG) – a centre of excellence for ICT research and innovation – the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), Teagasc – the Agriculture and Food Development Authority – and led by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is tasked with developing a geo-tagged photo app.

    The app will be used to resolve claim queries by enabling farmers to send digital photos of their land parcels directly to the paying agency, which will reduce the need for inspections and accelerate claim processing.

    “Our app is one of nine innovations in this project with different countries working on each,” explains David Hearne of Walton Institute’s Creative Design Unit. “Other areas include decision support systems, machine data and a solution for simplifying payments, but in the end they will all come together in one ecosystem, which will be used by paying agencies across Europe.”

    Although it won’t be the first geo-tagged photo app on the market, Hearne explains that what sets this one apart is the user-centric, multi-actor design.

    “We take the approach that we don’t know what the users want; we can’t decide what’s best for a farmer in the west of Ireland who needs to send a photo to the Dept of Agriculture. So the project started by gathering data about the needs of all stakeholders, not just in Ireland but across Europe. It’s an iterative process, so when we’d developed the first version of the app, it was tested by users across Europe and their feedback informed the next iteration and so on.

    “The fact that farmers and other stakeholders have been involved from the beginning gives them a sense of ownership, and that should result in a higher adoption rate at the end,” adds Hearne.

     

    Horizon benefits  

    Horizon 2020 has provided €10.5m in funding for the project, but beyond the financial investment the programme offers multiple other benefits.

    Horizon 2020 is an ideal funding stream as it enables cross-border collaboration and ensures that technology developed will be fit for purpose on a pan European basis,” says Hearne

    “Currently, our app is being tested across nine EU countries with over 200 users, and other solutions being developed under NIVA will likewise be tested across different countries, so there’s a lot of interaction, integration and learning across the project.”

    Monthly work package meetings and bi-monthly project meetings, all virtual at the minute, keep the project on course and ensure that innovation is shared across the partners.

    On a personal and professional level, Hearne believes his involvement in Horizon 2020 projects has been highly advantageous.

    “It’s great to focus on these large projects with so many moving parts. You learn so much, for example, the various technologies used in different countries, how they are implemented and what the issues are.

    Hearne confirms “The opportunity to collaborate with researchers in other countries is also invaluable. You build up a huge contact base, which gives you the opportunity to collaborate on more projects.”

    To others who have not yet dipped their toe in the Horizon water, Hearne simply says “Do it”.

    “It’s a great opportunity to be involved in projects that can actually change people’s lives. With NIVA we’re reducing the burden on farmers, so we’re making a difference. My advice would be to focus on something that you’re really passionate about.”

    His other advice is to seek out the right partners at the start and use the supports that are available to help with putting the proposal together.

    “I was involved in writing sections of the NIVA proposal. It was a new experience for me because I come from a very technical background, but I had the support of people in WIT to guide me in how to approach it. And the more you do it the easier it gets.

    “We’re also in close contact with Enterprise Ireland, who have a real interest in the project, and we know that they’re there to help us if we need it.”

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

    H2020 success stories banner link

     

    CEO 4site

    How 4site engineers innovate

    “We are design-led. It’s a unique selling point. We bring innovation to every project we do.”

    Ian Duggan, CEO 4site

    Key Takeouts:

    • 4site is a leader in the design, survey and installation of fibre networks.

    • The company has fostered a culture of innovation, learning and knowledge-transfer.

    • Success is driven by cost-efficiencies and speed made possible by innovative design.

    • Enterprise Ireland’s Grad Start funding supported the employment of graduate engineers to meet the challenges of a quickly changing sector.

    Case Study: 4site

    4site is a leader in the design and roll out of large-scale fibre network systems, the gold standard for digital connectivity. Founded in 2003, the company is based in Limerick, with offices in Dublin and the UK, and has approximately 80 employees. 

    Starting out as an engineering firm, run by and employing engineers, 4site is committed to a culture of innovation with new, imaginative design solutions that give the company a competitive edge.

    “If I were to offer advice to start-ups in the sector it would be to diversify – don’t be too dependent on a particular capability.” 

     

    Innovation at 4site

    This is reflected in the recruiting and training of graduate engineers, supported by Enterprise Ireland’s Graduate Business Growth (Grad Start) and Job Expansion Funds.

    Enterprise Ireland’s support helped expand the number of employees and establish an in-house Fibre Planning Programme tailored to the skills 4site requires. Employees are mentored, attend weekly training sessions and are encouraged to contribute new ideas through an Innovation Forum. In 2018, Engineers Ireland acknowledged 4site’s excellence in CPD through its Accredited Employer Scheme.

     

    “One of the most successful parts of our business is getting young, enthusiastic graduates who contribute a wealth of new ideas. They always have a faster, better way of doing things and within six months, they are really fantastic additions to the organisation.” 

     

    The ‘4Survey’ app, introduced in 2017 and developed in partnership with Esri, the international supplier of geographic information software, was a product of the Innovation Forum. No more marking maps by hand, taking photos on a handheld device and filling in spreadsheets, which are then taken separately to a central office. The app does it all, transferring complex survey data straight to the design team via the internet. The survey process is now 50% faster, more accurate and more cost effective.

    A further innovation is the use of the latest drone technology. Drones highlight solutions not readily available from ground level – for example, carrying out an asset inventory check on a 40m tower, gauging the safety of a rooftop before accessing it, or eliminating the need for permits and mobile platforms at the roadside. Cost and disruption are kept to a minimum, while health and safety risks are minimised by reducing the need for working at height.

    This approach has garnered impressive results. A leading provider of fibre network in the UK is blue chip firm CityFibre. 4site recently won the contract to design CityFibre’s new networks in the UK cities of Huddersfield and Coventry. This contract is 4site’s biggest yet and is worth in excess of one million sterling. CityFibre has ambitious plans to provide fibre to five million homes across 12 UK cities.

    In 2017, 4site provided survey and design services to develop a 5G-ready network for the Scottish city of Aberdeen. 4site also fitted a network of ‘small cell’ sites connected to existing fibre and power services. Small cells are unobtrusive and cost-effective installations, ensuring excellent wireless and mobile phone coverage particularly suited to the densely populated urban environment.

    With over a decade’s experience of major network infrastructure projects, 4site has acquired a reputation for excellence. This year, they were only the second Irish company accepted to the FTTH Council of Europe. They have also achieved ISO certification in environmental management, quality management, and health and safety, as well as acquiring a list of major clients including Vodafone, Cignal, Huawei, Three, Nokia, Ericsson, O2, Eir and Siro.

    Duggan recognises that quality and reliability are also important factors in their success, “I think it’s trust that builds strong relationships with our customers, and the fact that we can do things faster and cheaper than our competitors.”

     

    How support from Enterprise Ireland helped 4site to succeed

    Advice from Enterprise Ireland resulted in a greater emphasis on sales and marketing, and a restructuring of the management team, Duggan explains, “Enterprise Ireland encouraged us to rebrand and invest in full time sales and marketing managers.  We have built a strong leadership team in the organisation – that has been key.”

    “Enterprise Ireland’s advice and support were transformative for the business.” 

    4site also made use of Enterprise Ireland’s Business Accelerator Funding scheme to expand into the UK market with offices established in Reading in 2012.

     

    The future for 4site

    Europe is only just beginning to promote fibre networks with countries such as the UK, Ireland, Italy and Germany trailing behind. According to the 2017 FTTH Ultrafast Broadband Country Ranking the UK has approximately 3% coverage. The market potential therefore is vast.

     

    Learn how Enterprise Ireland can support your Innovation project here.

    RD&I support takes SeaQuest Systems around the world

    Investment in research, development and innovation opened up a valuable new market for second generation marine equipment specialist SeaQuest Systems.

    Based in Killybegs in County Donegal, SeaQuest Systems was founded by Bert Leslie, current managing director in 1986, serving local and national fishing fleet. Brian Leslie joined the company twenty years ago, after graduating from Dublin Institute of Technology with a degree in mechanical engineering.

    Since then, the company has become a leader in the design and manufacture of pumps and hydraulic systems for fishing and offshore vessels. Its products are prized for the excellence of their design, sturdy construction and superior performance.

    The company’s strong reputation in the fishing sector led to an unexpected call from a company in an entirely new industry for SeaQuest Systems – aquaculture.

    “One day we got a call out of the blue from an aquaculture company in Norway, to ask if we could design and build a pump to move salmon,” explains Brian.

    The Norwegian company was searching for a solution to a recurring problem with farmed salmon – sea lice. With lice a naturally occurring parasite in wild salmon, nature’s remedy is simple – when salmon swim back upstream to their spawning grounds, the freshwater kills salt-loving lice.

    As farmed salmon don’t make that trip, sea lice numbers proliferate in the confines of seawater cages.

     

    Innovating a sustainable solution

    “Freshwater kills off sea lice but, in this instance, it’s not a sustainable solution,” says Leslie.  “Similarly, the traditional way to manage the problem, through the use of antibiotics, is not a long-term solution because anything treated that way becomes resistant to it. Of course, consumers don’t want to think about antibiotics ending up in their food either, so there has been a move away from that approach for a number of years.”

    With transferring salmon into slightly warmer seawater being shown to work, the Norwegian company wanted to know if SeaQuest could engineer a pump to do just that. “I told them I didn’t see why it wouldn’t work,” says Leslie.

    “My feeling was that we’d give it a good go. Either way, it would be the cheapest R&D we’d ever do. If it worked we’d have a new customer and it was a good way to check out a whole new market.”

    Aquaculture, or farmed fish, is a growth industry. “Ultimately it is going to be bigger than fishing as a sustainable way of feeding people,” says Leslie.

    But only if it solves the problem of sea lice.

    SeaQuest set to work designing, manufacturing and testing a pump that could safely transport the salmon from cold to warmer water and back. Getting the solution right was painstaking.

    “Our earliest attempts didn’t work but it was only when we installed windows into the test pump that we could see why. What was happening was that the smaller fish would go with the flow but the bigger ones would swim against the current. It comes naturally to a salmon to do that but they were getting bruised and stressed, and in some cases dying. In the end, we could see that rather than adapt one of our own pumps, we needed to design an entirely new solution, something that would be completely stress-free for the salmon.”

    SeaQuest was already renowned as one of the best makers in the world of pumps for pelagic fishing. “That’s why the Norwegian company came to us with its problem. Their problem piqued our interest, ultimately opening the door to an entirely new sector for us.

    “Once we got a feel for the potential opportunity – given the size of the aquaculture market – we reckoned we needed to invest around €360,000 to take advantage of it.”

     

    Using R&D funding to target commercial opportunities

    The company made a successful application to Enterprise Ireland for R&D project funding. “One of the things we stressed in our application was the time-sensitive nature of the R&D project. We needed it to be ready in time for Aqua Nor in August 2017. That is the world’s biggest aqua culture trade fair and takes place biennially, but we also needed the pump to be fully tested before the show.”

    Not alone did they achieve both goals but such was the pump’s success in use that it sparked enormous interest at Aqua Nor. So satisfied was the Norwegian customer that it acquired worldwide distribution rights for the pump from SeaQuest.

    “It’s an arrangement that suits us perfectly, as it will bring our brand around the world, without requiring a major sales input for us.”

    The success of the R&D project has helped grow the business, which employs 60 people. “We are now expanding our facilities again, just three years after having already extended. It’s happening sooner than we had expected to due to demand driven by that R&D project, we will be investing approximately €3.5 million in this new expansion and will expand our workforce.

    “Focusing on Norway was hugely helpful because Norway is the biggest aquaculture country in the world. What it does in aquaculture, the rest of the world follows.”

     

    The importance of innovation

    The Enterprise Ireland RD&I grant application process was straightforward. SeaQuest is also applying for a patent for the pump, and hopes to avail of the lower tax rate applicable under the Revenue’s Knowledge Development Box initiative. Much of the content used in its Enterprise Ireland application will be suitable for Revenue, streamlining the process, Leslie comments.

    The timing of the new intellectual property couldn’t be better either, as a patent currently of value to SeaQuest heads towards its end of life.

     “Innovation is key for us because we don’t want to compete on price,” he says.

    But while Brian has been an innovator ever since he designed and built his first fish pump while still at college, until now he never viewed SeaQuest’s innovations as research and development.

    “We never thought of that work as R&D. We are all about innovating, in so far as clients have a need, we build a solution. We’re always trying to make our clients’ job easier, that’s just what we do. To me, R&D was always something I associated with paperwork.”

    The impact of the innovation support SeaQuest received from Enterprise Ireland rectified this misperception. RD&I is now something that Leslie expects SeaQuest to do a lot more of.

    “Because Ireland is never going to be the cheapest place to do something, we have to do it better, we have to innovate.”

    For more information on how Enterprise Ireland supports R&D visit our innovation supports.

    Languages Connect logo

    The importance of multilingualism

    The drive for new markets shines a light on the importance of multilingualism. Julie Sinnamon, CEO Enterprise Ireland outlines why language matters.

    Ireland’s small, open economy depends heavily on being able to trade internationally. The global dominance of the English language has worked to our advantage but with Irish companies looking to export into even more diverse markets, the need to acquire more languages has never been more important.

    Recognising the cultural value of communicating in the buyer’s local language and developing a workforce with foreign language expertise can improve relationships and increase efficiency when entering new markets.

    Learn how Enterprise Ireland can support your business with the Market Discovery Fund

     

    T.E. Laboratories maximising commercial benefit of IP

    “Enterprise Ireland’s IP Strategy programme has made a fantastic impact. It’s going to change the landscape of how we handle IP.”

    Breda Moore, Technical Director, T. E. Laboratories

    Key Takeouts:

    • T.E. Laboratories is evolving from primarily providing environmental and oil analysis services in the Irish market to developing novel, game-changing analytical sensors and instruments for customers worldwide.
    • Enterprise Ireland’s IP Plus Strategy programme and Lean Plus programme have had a dramatic impact on the company’s approach to product development and IP protection.
    • T.E. Laboratories is now moving to commercialise a range of new environmental analysis products, initially targeting the US market.

    Case Study: T.E. Laboratories

    T.E. Laboratories Ltd, based in Tullow, Co Carlow, started life in 1991 carrying out fuel analysis. It still does; but the company is now entering new territories, with future growth set to be driven by hi-tech product launches, based on novel intellectual property (IP) developed in-house or via technology transfer from international partners.

    “We have enjoyed iterative growth from the start, becoming an accredited environmental laboratory and a chemical manufacturer as well as Ireland’s only specialised oil analysis laboratory,” explains Technical Director, Breda Moore. Clients include multinational pharmaceutical and other manufacturers as well as local authorities, utilities and fleet operators.

    “Specialist analytical and chemical manufacturing services are set to remain important pillars of our business. But our future growth projections are based on the company evolving as a leader in developing advanced sensors and analysers for environmental and oil applications.

    “Moving into a purpose-built building, in 2010, with a dedicated R&D laboratory for new product development, was a key milestone. Our focus changed from doing more of the same to being quite expansive about product development, looking at things that we might have previously considered too big a challenge, either financially or knowledge wise, with the aim of producing a significant number of new products in a relatively short time.”

    T.E. Laboratories now employs 50 people, including seven full-time researchers in the R&D lab, which is the engine room for new product development. The lab is 75% funded through EU collaborative research projects (such as Horizon 2020 and Framework programmes), allowing this relatively small company to punch above its weight in innovation terms.

    Protecting intellectual property

    Now, with R&D projects delivering tangible results, the challenge of maximising the return from this output has come sharply into focus.  

    “We are starting to generate significant levels of IP both internally and in collaborative projects. As these products get closer to market, thinking strategically about their commercialisation becomes important, making us realise that, up to now, we hadn’t given IP enough attention,” explains Moore. 

    For T.E. Laboratories, then, the recent launch of Enterprise Ireland’s new IP Strategy programme was perfectly timed. The pilot programme provides companies with financial support towards the cost of engaging an external IP advisor to help them develop an IP strategy to secure the maximum return from their RD&I activities, and, in the process, strengthen their in-house IP management capabilities.

    “Through the IP Plus Strategy programme, we’re putting in place a formal process to cover the IP that we’ve already generated so that we can leverage maximum benefit from it, and we’re also looking at the IP we’re starting to produce to identify the best strategy for protecting that,” says Moore.

    “For example, we’ve reviewed all the default agreements in our European projects to see how they can be improved, and we’ve examined how we can capture IP in our labs and where we can derive a commercial advantage. It’s all about putting procedures in place to handle IP in a consistent way; whereas before it was very reactive.

    “The advice we’ve received from the IP attorney has made a fantastic impact in a short space of time. We can see that we have an awful lot more to do, but the IP Plus Strategy programme is going to change the landscape of how we handle IP.”

    New product development

    Among TelLab’s developing IP portfolio are a new breed of environmental sensors, which Moore describes as “game changers”.

    “We believe we are leading the field in low-cost environmental sensors with our Aqua Monitrix device, which offers real-time, remote monitoring of water quality,” she explains. “We see massive potential in the US market.”

    One of TelLab’s Aqua Monitrix prototypes is currently competing in a nitrogen sensor challenge, coordinated by the US Environmental Protection Agency.  If it can meet performance goals during onsite testing, the prize for TelLab will include an order of 200 units and a performance verification report.

    “It’s an exciting time for us,” Moore says. “I believe this product range will change the company by an order of magnitude.”

    Intertwining a focus on Lean and IP

    Dovetailing with the focus on IP protection, T.E. Laboratories recently completed Enterprise Ireland’s Lean Start programme and is now working through Lean Plus to achieve increased competitiveness and productivity across operations.

    “We’re particularly interested in applying Lean to our new product development activities. This will enable us to bring products that are successful at the research phase to the market as efficiently as possible. We will cut out unnecessary steps, concentrating on features that add actual value to the end user, and designing with Lean manufacturing in mind,” explains Moore.

    “For us, the Lean and IP Strategy programmes are going to cross over significantly in some areas, and we see that as having a hugely beneficial impact,” she adds.

    “As we bring these products to international markets, we will continue to use Enterprise Ireland’s global network of offices, and we anticipate significant benefits arising from the IP Plus Strategy and the Lean Plus programmes.”

    Learn more about Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation supports here.

    How R&D helps Reamda to protect the Irish Defence Forces

    The next time you see TV footage of the Irish Defence Forces dealing with a suspicious device at home in Ireland or in the Golan Heights, they will most likely be using equipment designed and manufactured in Tralee, by Irish company Reamda.

    Reamda, which is an acronym for Robotic Electronic And Mechanical Development Agency’, was established by Padraig O’Connor in 2001, and since then has specialised in supplying military and engineering products to customers in both domestic and international markets. In particular, the company addresses the highly specialised field of robots for use in extremely hazardous situations, such as dealing with improvised explosive devices (IED) or evidence-gathering following a suspected chemical weapons attack.

    “Padraig O’Connor had worked with a robotics company in Cork during the 1990s and when that company left Ireland he decided to set up Reamda,” explains R&D director, Julie Behan. “Our main customer is the Irish Defence Forces. When we started working with them, they were using HOBO robots to deal with suspicious devices. These were originally built in the 1970s and we got the contract to upgrade them to digital electronics.”

    In 2012, the company won the contract to upgrade the mechanical aspects of the Defence Forces robots and this resulted in the development of the Reacher, Reamda’s latest robot. This highly versatile robot features a sliding turret and a low-profile arm, which can be manipulated into numerous positions, including over obstacles, below ground, and under vehicles.

    Enterprise Ireland support derisked Reamda innovation project

    Enterprise Ireland support was instrumental to the company’s success in winning that contract, according to Behan. “Over the years, we have received support from Enterprise Ireland in the form of Innovation Vouchers and an R&D grant,” she says. “The Innovation Vouchers allowed us to work on some small projects with the Institute of Technology Tralee. This resulted in us developing a relationship and we are now working with them in partnership on larger projects. We hadn’t made bigger platforms ourselves before winning this latest contract and the Enterprise Ireland support derisked the project. It allowed us to engage in the mechanical side of the robot and to spend the time and effort on its design and development.”

    The new Reacher robot can be remote-controlled from up to 1 kilometre, with human operators shielded from harm. It also comes with a number of accessories and special features, one of which is a two-way drawer which can be used to house another Reamda device – the Remote Disruptor Robot (RDP).

    “The Reacher has a payload bay which can carry a marsupial RDP robot and other tools and equipment,” says Behan. “The RDP was originally developed as an accessory to Hobo. It can go under vehicles to look for and disarm suspicious devices. It has a disruptor weapon on board which destroys the electronics in the device without detonating it.”

    The Reacher is also armed with a disruptor and can carry sensors and forensic evidence-gathering tools into the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack. “We have been involved in a Horizon 2020 research project on forensic evidence-gathering using a robot platform,” Behan adds.

    The company currently employs 20 staff, split roughly evenly between manufacturing and mechanical, electrical and software engineers involved in R&D. “Our main market has been the Irish Defence Forces up until now and we have been exporting through a channel partner in the UK who sells products around the world. We have also been exporting control systems to other robot manufacturers for the past 10 years. We will start looking in earnest for export markets for the Reacher once the Irish Defence Forces order has been delivered.”

    Ceramicx Electronics

    Invention, innovation, invoice: How Ceramicx uses Knowledge Transfer to win

    The Herschel machine test instrument, developed in a collaboration between Irish company Ceramicx and Trinity College Dublin won Ireland’s Collaborative Research Impact Award under the Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) initiative.

    Ceramicx won in a tough field, competing against Intel Ireland, Microsoft Ireland, Croke Park, C&F Group, DCU, and Dublin Institute of Technology. The win was testament to the company’s groundbreaking technology and its practical applications, as Ceramicx uses specialist knowledge to directly benefit customers.

    In 2016, Ceramicx founders Frank and Grainne Wilson were finalists in the annual Plastics Industry Awards for their work in a capital equipment upgrade at international giant, Linpac Packaging. Ceramicx was also one of four winners selected by InterTradeIreland for a Project Exemplar award, only the latest in a series of its productive knowledge transfer liaisons.

     

    Translating knowledge transfer into tangible results

    This consistent success demonstrates how seemingly rarefied initiatives like knowledge transfer can translate into the most tangible results. It is no coincidence that in 2016, Ceramicx also signed its fifth Innovation Partnership with Enterprise Ireland, when Trinity College Dublin was selected as its academic partner.

    Ceramicx Ltd has been established for over 25 years in West Cork and has been providing Infrared (IR) energy efficient solutions from 1994 – mainly for industrial users but also for consumers in the form of IR heating.

    In the last 18 months, Ceramicx has been pursuing similar gains and benefits for the international composites industries, where double digit demand for lightweight materials and structures is helping drive aerospace, automotive, construction and many more sectors.

    In short, the Ceramicx view is IR based energy futures are essential and inevitable. Ceramicx is playing its part in IR energy strategies of the future; and also creating a series of popular video presentations that will educate and inform all about the benefits of IR heating.

     

    Knowledge transfer as ‘advanced common sense’

    Frank Wilson, Founder and Managing Director of Ceramicx, describes the approach, “For me, knowledge transfer works best when treated as advanced common sense. Organisations like Knowledge Transfer Ireland help SMEs like us to connect with a world of academic expertise and institutions they might otherwise find difficult to access. KTI can help your company to focus clearly on what your specific project needs. You might want to implement a product process that no other company is using yet. The expertise and fresh perspective of academic specialists can be invaluable to helping realize those plans.”

    Ceramicx follows several preliminary steps before embarking on innovation work, and before any third party, including academic institutions, is involved.

     

    Do not try to reinvent the wheel

    “The first question to answer is extremely practical,” says Wilson, “What is already out there? No one should try to reinvent the wheel. Do your research. Find out if someone is already supplying something, be it machinery or solutions, that already meets the need you identified. Then work from that.”

    If no such service or solution exists, “the next best thing is to find the machine or solution that appears closest. Interrogate the technology and determine whether and how it could be adapted, modified, or changed to suit your purpose.”

    In the third scenario, one in which Ceramicx regularly engages, “there is no existing machine or solution on the market – just your ideas. The task, then, is to engage with those ideas, plans and visions. It is also the scenario most likely to benefit from the involvement of academia. After all, who better to involve in ideas than ideas people who can argue a number of options from theoretical positions? And who, thanks to their fresh perspective, can think outside the box.”

    This third scenario is also very high risk, Frank warns, “Although the rewards can be great, very few want to risk company time, money and energy on completely new, untested projects.

    It is, therefore, essential to work and rework ideas to the point of near exhaustion and to attempt several theoretical dry runs on any project before cutting any metal or committing resources.

    Collaborative thinking in this way, the Irish Meitheal approach if you will, is particularly good at airing and articulating ideas and avoiding expensive assumptions.”

     

    Invention, innovation, invoice

    The cross-functional team, the Meitheal within companies, is also essential for new projects. Any new manufacturing venture needs not only the expertise of engineers and scientist (To answer, “Can it be made?”) but also purchasing and cost mangers (“How much will it cost?”) and sales and marketing (“How and where will it sell?”).

    “Ultimately”, Frank advises, “The knowledge transfer process should help sustain and encourage your vision. Always paint your own picture and have a simple end game in mind – invention – innovation – invoice.”

     

    Read more about Enterprise Ireland’s innovation supports.