Sourcing the right Eurozone market for your business

Exporting to the Eurozone makes sense for Irish firms for several reasons. We share a common currency. Trade within the Eurozone benefits from the absence of tariffs and customs. A common regulatory environment means that Irish goods and services comply with EU legislation.

The Eurozone offers ease of access to 340 million people in the 19 states that share the single currency and a stable economy that, as a bloc, will continue to grow a further 1.3% through 2019.

Although the Eurozone’s population is five times that of the UK, it accounts for only 20% of all Irish exports. As such, it presents what Minister for Trade Pat Breen T.D. described as one of the greatest sources of “untapped export potential” at Enterprise Ireland’s Eurozone Summit earlier this year.

 

How to find the right Eurozone market for you

Finding the right market fit for your exports requires groundwork and an awareness that Europe is composed of different economies and markets, each with its own advantages and barriers to entry.

In order to successfully enter Eurozone markets, all elements of new market entry preparations are required: market research to select the market with the best opportunities, a value proposition that matches the new market and highlights your competitive advantage, the right route to market, and the resourcing of people, skills and funding to make it happen.

Some countries have well-known strengths and sectoral specialisms. At the Eurozone Summit, delegates heard from market experts who outlined some of the major opportunities – and some of the risks – that member state economies hold for Irish exporters.

 

Opportunities across the Eurozone

Germany is the largest Eurozone economy and the world’s fourth largest. Famed for its manufacturing sector, there are also opportunities for Irish exporters in the automotive, pharmaceuticals and medical device sectors. As one of the biggest foreign direct investors in the Irish medtech sector, German firms are familiar with Irish innovation and regard it highly.

Accessing Germany requires breaking into long-standing supply chains built on loyalty and quality, with consistency a key driver for German consumers. Decision making and order lead-in times can be protracted but the Irish reputation for flexibility stands exporters in good stead.

While many German brands are well known internationally, the domestic economy is driven by SMEs or ‘mittelstadts’, Angela Cullen, Senior Editor at Bloomberg Frankfurt, told the Eurozone Summit.

“Thousands of them form the backbone of the economy and they have honed their products to be market leaders. Partnering with a German sectoral partner may be necessary to get a market foothold.”

The nearby Benelux countries are some of the most densely populated areas of the Eurozone, allowing the rollout of a product to a large cross section within a small geographic area.

The Netherlands has long positioned itself as the number one logistics nation of the Eurozone with Rotterdam often referred to as ‘Germany’s largest port’.

As well as being the first point of entry for many physical goods, the Netherlands acts as a first point of entry for data as it is home to some of the largest data centres in Europe. Irish construction consultancy and build expertise is valued by the Dutch, with the sector continuing to show growth, and Dutch firms focused on securing their design and build supply chains post-Brexit.

“It is an extremely developed economy that is open to business and used to working with partners so it is natural for the Dutch to partner with fellow member states to bring off a project,” Willem Noë from the European Commission in Ireland said.

Belgium is often said to be one of the best test markets for products, given its population mix, and can be an ideal testbed, Ruben Hamilius, managing director of Businessgames Ireland, told the event.

“But be warned, the biggest mistake I see is exporters think ‘Build it once, sell it forever’ but that is not really the case. You need to do your research, as the product fit may not be right. Belgium is great for that.”

It certainly suited Irish parking marketplace start-up Parkpnp, who rolled out its parking app tech in Belgium first, eschewing its home market and the UK. The company has now honed its product into a franchising model already in place in the Netherlands and is rolling it out into France and Germany after learning valuable lessons in the testbed market.

In France, local language skills can be crucial, while supply chains are generally built on face-to-face contact rather than via the internet.

 

Enterprise Ireland supports can help

Enterprise Ireland’s world-class Market Research Centre has extensive resources to aid your research, while our Excel at Market Intelligence programme will advise how best to conduct market research.

Our Market Discovery fund is a key financial support for new market entry, ensuring you have funding to research, get expert advice and conduct market study visits. GradStart provides up to 70pc of two-year salaries for graduates with relevant market language skills.

Companies we support benefit from our market advisers’ near-unmatched knowledge of market dynamics, target buyers, networks and ecosystems across six Eurozone locations. When you’re ready to enter the market, we offer a key manager grant to help co-fund the salary of personnel with the right skills to work with market advisers and drive your diversification plans.

These supports will help ensure you find the right market fit and  “take advantage of the Eurozone”, as advised by the first President of the European Council, Count Herman Van Rompuy, at the Eurozone Summit.

 

 

FAITH: Improving mental health care for cancer survivors

H2020 FAITH team image and case study heading

FAITH is potentially life-changing research. To achieve the ambitious goals of the project we needed to leverage our networks in Europe and build a consortium of experts.


Philip O’ Brien, Technical Co-ordinator, FAITH Horizon 2020 project

Key Takeouts:

  • Walton, part of the Waterford Institute of Technology, is leading a project that aims to develop a model for mental health monitoring of cancer patients, to improve their quality of life.
  • The FAITH project has received €4.8m in funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
  • As well as co-ordinating FAITH, Walton is driving the development of artificial intelligence (AI) models and the deployment of a federated learning framework.

H2020 Case Study: FAITH

    Cancer remains the second leading cause of death globally and as many as one in five people living with cancer experiences depression and mood change post diagnosis. It’s a stark statistic and one that led researchers at Walton Institute, an ICT research and development centre within the Waterford Institute of Technology, to begin looking at the area of mental health in cancer patients to see if they could use their expertise to help. 

    “We believe the potential for ICT applications in health is massive. We had an initial idea about looking at markers of depression and when the Horizon 2020 call came out, which was specifically targeting improving the quality of life for cancer survivors, it was an opportunity to take the idea to the next level,” says Philip O’ Brien, technical co-ordinator of FAITH.

    The goal of FAITH (a Federated Artificial Intelligence solution for moniToring mental Health status after cancer treatment) is to provide an ‘AI Angel’ app that remotely analyses depression markers, such as changes in activity, outlook, sleep and appetite. When a negative trend is detected, an alert can be sent to the patient’s healthcare providers or other caregivers who can then offer support.

    The project uses the latest, secure AI and machine learning techniques within the interactive app located on patients’ phones. Key to the project is federated machine learning, which enables the patient’s personal data to stay within the AI model on each phone, guaranteeing privacy.

    “As the model collects data on a person’s phone it retrains itself to improve and personalize it for each individual.explains O’Brien

    “As the model collects data on a person’s phone it retrains itself to improve and personalize it for each individual. But we also want to learn from all that data to gain insights that are beneficial to the broader population, so when a model updates, that update, rather than the person’s data is sent back to the cloud. All the updates are processed and a new, improved model is sent back out to everyone and that cycle repeats,”

     

    Another important aspect of the project is a focus on explainable AI, which is about ensuring that healthcare professionals can understand why the machine has reached a particular decision about the person’s mental health.

    “Explainable AI is extremely important for building trust. As AI impacts more and more on our lives the implications of this are huge,” says O’Brien.

     

    Why Horizon 2020?

    “It was clear from the start that to achieve the ambitious goals of the FAITH project we would need to leverage our networks in Europe and build a consortium of clinicians and technical experts. By breaking the project concept into a number of key objectives we then built our consortium based on specific expertise to achieve each objective,” says O’Brien.

    FAITH brings together partners from Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Cyprus into a strong multi-disciplinary team. Trial sites in eminent cancer hospitals in Madrid, Waterford and Lisbon, involving both clinicians and patients, are assessing the concept and feedback is being used to refine the model.

    As with most Horizon projects there are multiple dependencies across the various work packages and co-ordinating the whole presents some challenges. At the helm of FAITH is Gary McManus, Research Project Manager at Walton.

    Different countries and organisations have different regulations and ways of operating so that’s one challenge. Also, from experience from previous projects, I knew it was important to remember that each partner, although working towards the global aim of the project, will have their own interests. Being cognisant of these sub-goals from the outset and, where possible, facilitating these in the overall planning process is essential,” says McManus.

    Different countries and organisations have different regulations and ways of operating so that’s one challenge. Also, from experience from previous projects, I knew it was important to remember that each partner, although working towards the global aim of the project, will have their own interests. Being cognisant of these sub-goals from the outset and, where possible, facilitating these in the overall planning process is essential,” says McManus.

    “But by having strong leaders for each work package, who are experts in their domain, we can be sure that delivery of each element will build towards the final offering.”

     

    Knowledge gain

    Having taken part in multiple Horizon 2020 projects, O’Brien believes that one of the great benefits is the extensive knowledge gain within a short period.

    “Being involved in a Horizon project is the opportunity to upskill rapidly and build on your underlying expertise. Through your links with other organisations across Europe you get an insight into different ways of working and you cross paths with people from many disciplines. For example, through FAITH we’ve been talking to a range of healthcare professionals and leveraging their experience.

    “The EU spends a lot of time and money with experts pinpointing the areas where we need to see technology improving to tackle specific challenges in the next five to ten years. By being involved in these projects you’re building on all of that knowledge rather than working in isolation. Then learning from the people you are working with across Europe pushes you up a level again.”

    Moreover, the end of a Horizon project is usually the beginning of something else.

    “One of our work packages is looking at what happens post project and how we take it to the next stage. We know bigger healthcare trials will be needed, for example. But from Walton’s point of view we’ve broken some new ground on explainable AI which has a lot of applications outside this project, so that’s an area we’d like to take forward. You need to be clear about how you build on the project, either in a well-defined follow-up project or by commercial exploitation of the output.”

     

    For further information about applying for support from Horizon Europe, the successor programme to Horizon 2020, please contact HorizonSupport@enterprise-ireland.com or consult www.horizoneurope.ie.

     

    AgROBOfood – stimulating the uptake of robotics in the agri-food sector

    “The Horizon 2020 & Horizon Europe funding streams give participants exposure to a large European network of relevant research organisations, business advisory services, investors and companies.”

     

    Christine O’Meara, Walton Institute, AgROBOfood, Horizon 2020 project

    Key Takeouts:

    • Walton Institute, formerly TSSG, part of the Waterford Institute of Technology, is involved in a major project to encourage and facilitate the uptake of robotics in the agri-food sector.
    • The AgROBOfood project is being funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
    • Acting as a Digital Innovation Hub, The Walton Institute, is a one-stop-shop, supporting those in the Agri-food sector in locating and accessing robotics services or expertise and is mapping out the robotics ecosystem in Ireland.

    Case Study: AgROBOfood

    By 2050, our planet will be home to almost 10 billion people and the pressure on food production will be immense. There is now an urgent need to find and develop smart ways to farm and process food, and this underlies the European Union’s huge investment in agri-food-related innovation projects.

    AgROBOfood is one such project. Focused on helping the Agri-food sector become more efficient through the use of robotics, the four-year, €16.3m Horizon 2020 project involves 39 partners and is led by Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands.

    The project team is broken into seven territorial clusters enabling more agile and effective group sizes. Ireland, represented by The Walton Institute (formerly TSSG) – an internationally recognised centre of excellence for ICT research and innovation and part of the Waterford Institute of Technology is in the North West cluster. This cluster comprises the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, United Kingdom and Ireland.

    AgROBOfood has three aims: to build a network of digital innovation hubs and competency centres; to load this network with a catalogue of services; and to showcase what robotics can do for the sector.

    “Walton Institute is the Digital Innovation Hub for Ireland. We can signpost stakeholders to competency or research centres or other hubs in Ireland or across Europe that can provide the services or expertise they need. And as an R&D centre itself, Walton can also provide services directly,” explains Christine O’Meara, Walton Institute project lead.

    “There’s definitely an appetite for digitization and automation, and Ireland has strong national players in, for example, the dairy sector where smart technologies are well advanced.” says O’Meara

    “There are a lot of exciting start-ups in Ireland working in robotics in diverse areas from pasture management to sustainable poultry production. Across Europe, great progress has been made across agri-food with areas like robotic weeding and harvesting set to advance quickly.”

    A key driver in the growth of the robotics ecosystem will be the results of three funding open calls. Two of these (Open Calls for Innovation Experiments) will involve a technology provider and a technology user coming together to advance and demonstrate their solution. The third open call will be targeted at a range of specific industrial challenges, for example, asking if robots can improve working conditions in the food industry.

    “From a TSSG perspective, the opportunity to reach out to, and build relationships with, start-ups and SMEs in the agri-food space through these open calls is really important,” says O’Meara.

     

    The Horizon advantage

    One of the advantages of the Horizon 2020 approach, says O’Meara, is that it presents a means of looking at broader impacts, beyond the local and across disciplines.

    “The Horizon 2020 funding stream gives participants exposure to a large European network of relevant research organisations, business advisory services, investors, technology companies, agri-food start-ups and large enterprises,” says O’Meara.

    “Although in this project each cluster is working somewhat independently, we’re collaborating through a shared technology platform to ensure best practices are replicated and everyone has full visibility of progress and developments.”

    O’Meara is involved in several Horizon 2020-funded projects, including Demeter and NIVA, and is keen to encourage others to explore the opportunities such projects present.

    “As well as giving access to a breadth of expertise, Horizon projects provide a way of broadening your network and extending your skills,” confirms O’Meara

     

    Don’t be daunted

    For some, however, the Horizon process remains an intimidating prospect.

    “Don’t be daunted by the proposal process. It’s quite structured and it’s clear what the EU wants to see. But you need to give yourself plenty of time. As soon as a call comes out you need to start thinking about what topics you’re interested in, what partners you’ll need and get the right team on board. Remember that there’s a lot of support available,” O’Meara advises.

    Most research institutes have in-house support for Horizon 2020 applicants but another excellent source of support is Enterprise Ireland’s National Contact Points These provide information and guidance on all aspects of Horizon 2020 from signposting to webinars about areas of interest, to helping identify partners and reviewing proposals.

    “Begin by identifying what supports are available to you and speak to someone who’s been involved in the process before. If you or your organization need help in writing the proposal, Enterprise Ireland can also provide consultancy support,” adds O’Meara.

    “If you’re successful in getting Horizon 2020 funding, you will have a  very well defined plan of action set out in your implementation description and detailed work packages and you’ll have specific deliverables. So you’ll know exactly what to do from day one.”

    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

     

    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.

    Digital Health icon

    Data is the road to digital health

    Drive on any major road in Ireland and sooner or later you will pass a sign bearing the mark of the EU flag. Such signs mark Europe’s commitment to helping Ireland build a world-class road infrastructure.

    As the turn of the millennium saw the fulfilment of road projects deliver people and goods around the country, a new strategic infrastructure is now underway to deliver what is arguably the single most market-disrupting change to how we work, live and do business – the movement of data.

    Data, once housed in paper files or offline digital silos contained within organisations, now has the power to connect as never before and, with the advent of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), there is a protocol that enables for the first time the free, and safe, movement of data throughout Europe.

    For businesses, the implications are too important to ignore. The figures are truly astonishing and show the transformative nature of the growth of big data. It is estimated by the Dutch Datacenter Association that 90% of the world’s data was created in just the last two years alone. The total addressable market for the digital economy could be worth in the region of €415 billion a year, according to European Commission forecasts.

     

    Data is central to digital health

    It is no less than utterly transformative, and one of the biggest areas to see massive change is healthcare and patient data. Connected devices, wearables and the Internet of Things, together with cloud computing and pooled data is putting patients at the centre of their healthcare journey.

    “Ten years ago, digital health in those days was an option,” says Brian O’Connor, chair of the Irish-based European Connected Health Alliance (ECHA). “Today digital health is a must. The world has moved on tremendously in the past five years and we need to embrace this revolution.”

    This revolution, says O’Connor, is redefining how states interact with citizens and their personal data, not least in health. Consumers regularly hand over personal and financial details and there appears to be a growing acceptance for doing so with confidential medical data, he says.

     

    Countries leading by example

    He cites Estonia, which fully embraced digital citizenship and eHealth after 95% of the populace said they approved of digitised medical information. “The only thing you cannot do online in Estonia is get married or divorced,” says O’Connor. “Getting your blood results, booking a GP appointment or seeing which consultant at which hospital is available can all be done by citizens online. It’s as simple as booking a cinema ticket.”

    But the power of joined-up connected data sharing becomes apparent when O’Connor explains that it works across national borders, most notably with Finland. Many Finns commute to Estonia and their digital records move with them, allowing them to see their GP in their home country but pick up the prescription at work in Estonia.

    Similar cross-border data-sharing is already underway on the island of Ireland. Ambulance crews on both sides of the border are able to pick-up a patient and check out bed space and resources in hospitals either side of the border before transfer, with benefits for both patient and healthcare provider.

     

    Ireland’s journey to a digital health system

    Just over two years ago, Ireland unveiled the first national electronic patient chart for maternity anywhere in the world with the birth of daughter Emily to Ellen Shine and Aidan Cotter at Cork University Hospital. The scheme is now being rolled out nationally.

    It is in an early stage but Health Minister Simon Harris called it the first step in a ‘national journey’ towards a digital health system. The Government has committed to implementing its vision of a digital health system, as outlined in its 2017 Slaintecare strategy and, much like the road infrastructure, Ireland has availed of a €225 million loan from the European Investment Bank to aid some of the implementation, while the State itself has earmarked some €85 million for 2019 for eHealth, €100 million for 2020 rising to €120 million by 2021.

    “The EU funded bridges, roads and tunnels in the last century. Now it is funding infrastructure for the free movement of data,” adds O’Connor.

    One of the key planks for this medical data sharing is the approval within the last six months of a European Patient Summary Record, a digital record that stores standard information

    “Ireland is in the lead in my opinion in this area. The ECHA has linked that digital maternity programme with other countries such as Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Estonia, France and Denmark. There is huge interest in our system.”

    Now there exists a real opportunity for the private sector to introduce its innovation into the HSE and beyond, says O’Connor.

     

    Sourcing innovative solutions

    Enterprise Ireland has also been supporting the ecosystem at its grass roots.

    “We have to acknowledge the role of Enterprise Ireland here,” adds O’Connor. “It is working directly with the HSE to find out their needs in relation to Slaintecare. Then they work closely to introduce indigenous Irish companies who might have a solution.”

    This builds on work by ECHA, which also reaches out to healthcare providers across its 78 member countries to link innovative eHealth products and solutions to clinical teams that need a solution.

    Introducing innovation and enterprise into the supply chain is exactly where we want to be, added O’Connor.

    The knock-on effect, he says, is that the healthcare procurement process is vastly improved as it builds in previously unknown innovation, innovation which may never have crossed the desk in any other event.

    It remains to be seen if a GP waiting room or a hospital cloud server will carry the ubiquitous EU flag sign but one thing is certain, data infrastructure is as important for this century as roads were to the last.

     

    Learn more about the innovation supports available from Enterprise Ireland.

    Trevor Bishop UK Water

    Senior water industry executive Trevor Bishop outlines opportunities as UK enters five-year plan

    Following a keynote speech at the Enterprise Ireland and Wet Networks (an Arup and WRC initiative) Water Innovation Seminar in February, Trevor Bishop spoke to Enterprise Ireland to discuss key issues explored at the event. Bishop is Organisational Development Director with Water Resources South East in the UK.

     

    Water companies in England and Wales face demanding requirements for Asset Management Planning Period 7 (AMP7), with the next five-year plan for the sector covering the period 2020-2025. The economic water regulator Ofwat has said that issues to be addressed include population growth, climate change and water scarcity. Companies must also deliver on a need for fairer pricing, water supply resilience, and environmental protection.

     

    Bishop stresses that requirements present a major opportunity for innovators to connect with water companies. One of the biggest problems faced is leakage, with many companies committing to reducing leaks by around 15% during AMP7. Bishop said, “It’s a very significant challenge. The boards [of water companies] have shown high levels of ambition following challenges set down by regulators. However, these ambitions will require companies to go beyond what they know they can do and will rely on real innovation to deliver.”

    “It isn’t always easy for an SME to work directly with a big water company. We need to make sure we can find the right partnerships, so that innovation can be used where it’s appropriate and we can share and learn better between us”.

     

    Bishop outlines what lies beneath

    Much of a water company’s asset base is below ground, the network of pipes. A significant challenge is that knowledge about these assets is often limited: “It’s very difficult to understand their condition. We all too often tend to only know that there is a problem when something starts to go wrong,” Bishop explained.

    One area in which innovators can assist water companies include the need for technology to monitor performance, condition, bursts and damage: “We’re starting to see some breakthrough technologies that could actually be quite disruptive, with regard to these aspects, particularly the shift from performance to condition monitoring.”

    Bishop mentioned the potential to adapt ideas from other sectors. As we know, modern cars now use an electric current that flows through the windscreen, allowing it to detect water drops, so that wipers activate when it starts to rain. We are starting to see people thinking about similar application in the pipe network to alert companies to condition and leaks.

    As its name suggests, Water Resources South East is an alliance between six water companies from the south east of England. It faces some major challenges arising with AMP7 and will need to increase capacity by roughly one third through to 2050 while needing to reduce its traditional reliance on mainly rivers and groundwater.

    Bishop commented, “Most catchments are effectively fully licensed in terms of abstraction, so we need to look for innovations, new and different ways to use water more effectively by conservation, demand management and leakage, but also by moving water from areas of service to areas of deficit, looking at desalination, looking at more reservoirs, looking at effluent reuse and recycling of water within basins, etc.”

     

    AMPing up the pressure

    Irish innovators should be alert to the opportunities arising from challenges created by AMP7. Bishop noted that, “Ofwat is going to be putting some pretty serious efficiency challenges on base operation expenditure for water companies and that’s going to drive a strong need for really good innovations. A lot of companies were very interested in what they were seeing and hearing from some of the innovators [at the Water Innovation Seminar]”.

    He added that he was not just impressed by the Irish companies alone: “I was really impressed with the system in Ireland to nurture those innovations and to help drive them through to commercial organisations.”

     

    Adaptive planning

    Trevor believes that resilience is about thinking about things in combination: “You can’t plan for every single extreme that might happen but what you can do is take a much broader overview of what those risks look like and what best value interventions you can make to actually help mitigate a range of threats.”

    One issue of concern for Bishop is the ability to source appropriately skilled people, as multiple large infrastructural projects are underway in the UK: “Some companies are starting their own skills academies. We’ve got an organisation called Energy Utility Skills, which includes water, looking at future trends in skills and capacity”.

    Water companies have traditionally been seen as risk averse. Is now the time for a change in attitude? Bishop concluded, “If you’re thinking about drinking water quality, absolutely not. They need to be risk averse. The legislation is set that way and so they should be. With regard to some of the other challenges we face, you’re looking at genuine opportunities for innovation. You’re looking at taking risks, and companies are starting to show they can do that by making their commitment on leakage above what they probably know how to deliver.”

     

    Insights from the UK water sector

    Steve Quarmby, United Utilities:

    United Utilities, in common with all water companies, has got to save something in the order of 8-10% of our capital spend. And that is expected to be delivered by innovative ways of working – the pathway to do that isn’t quite clear. The areas where we need to explore are defined but the means and the mechanisms are actually quite vague. Now, that’s quite inspiring and gives room for creativity but it’s also slightly scary because we don’t know what the answer is. However, I am optimistic because we do have a proven track record of having risen to all the previous challenges.”

     

    Jon Brigg, Yorkshire Water:

    “We’ve got a real challenge with phosphorus removal in the next five years under the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) challenge for 2020-2025. OxyMem technology [an Irish company who presented at the Water Innovation Seminar] doesn’t recover phosphorus but what it does is it creates capacity within a standing activator solution plan, which allows us to adapt half of the channel to phosphorus removal and a more concise footprint for nitrogen removal, the ammonia removal. It’s thinking about things slightly differently and with the NVP technology [another Irish company that presented at the seminar], again we’re looking differently at how we deal with small sewerage treatment works, and remote sewerage treatment works.”

     

    Darragh Cotter, Cleantech Market Advisor based in Enterprise Ireland’s London office, commented, “It’s so important to have key UK water industry figures such as Trevor, Steve and Jon to Ireland to discuss the innovation challenges facing the sector.

    “It gives Enterprise Ireland water and wastewater cluster members a clearer picture of the challenges and requirements facing UK water utilities. It’s also an important opportunity for Irish companies to showcase how they can collaborate with UK industry to help meet the stringent objectives set by Ofwat, the regulator. Exchanges like this are crucial for utility and supply chain engagement and are necessary to ensure that excellent Irish technology and innovation is at the forefront of sustainable water provision and management in the UK.”

    FlowPhotoChem helping to green the chemical industry

    “Innovation activities in the area of solar energy conversion technology, including solar chemicals, are key to achieving the decarbonisation targets set by the EU.”

    Dr Pau Farràs, coordinator of the FlowPhotoChem project

    Key Takeouts:

    • NUI Galway is leading a major project that is developing innovative, sustainable ways to manufacture ethylene using artificial photosynthesis.
    • The four-year project has received €6.99m from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
    • The FlowPhotoChem project will pave the way for a range of other green chemicals to be produced solely from sunlight, water and CO2.

    Case Study: FlowPhotoChem

    If the European Union is to achieve its target of a climate neutral economy by 2050, which will involve reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 80–95%, new and disruptive approaches and technologies is needed across all sectors. Reducing emissions is a challenge, in particular, for the chemical industry, one of Europe’s largest manufacturing sectors but also one of the most polluting, emitting over 145 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents each year.

    The Horizon 2020-funded FlowPhotoChem project is one of many innovative projects currently developing technology that will help to reduce the chemical sector’s CO2 emissions. The project aims to develop an integrated system of modular reactors that consumes CO2 and uses concentrated sunlight to form ethylene.

    Involving 14 partners from eight countries, €6.99 million in EU funding and led by Dr Pau Farràs from the Ryan Institute, NUI Galway, FlowPhotoChem will produce ethylene as a proof-of-concept and will pave the way for a range of other green chemicals to be produced solely from sunlight, water and CO2.

    Innovation activities in the area of solar energy conversion technology, including solar chemicals, are key to achieving the decarbonisation targets set by the EU,” says Dr Farràs.

    Combining the expertise of research teams from Ireland, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Uganda and the UK, FlowPhotoChem’s technology is innovative and so too is the overall aim of the project. “Our new technologies will enable the production of chemicals using solar energy to be carried out in small-scale installations and not just in large-scale infrastructures as at present,” says Dr Farràs. For example, this technology can be used to create small devices that could produce hydrogen peroxide to purify water, responding to the needs of rural, isolated areas in sun-rich countries.”

     

    Unique platform for collaboration

    Alongside FlowPhotoChem, Dr Farràs is involved in a number of other EU-funded projects related to green energy and chemicals, including Solar2C­­­­­­hem, SeaFuel and HUGE, and recognises that funding mechanisms such as Horizon 2020 offer a unique platform.

    “A wide range of skills is needed on an ambitious project like this, beyond what an individual organisation would have, so collaboration with different partners is compulsory to achieving our goals,” says Dr Farràs

    As coordinator of the project, Dr Farràs is tasked not only with keeping on top of the development of the technology but also with managing the integration of academics and industry with different skills.

    “Our approach is to manage the individual work packages through monthly conference calls to keep everyone engaged and make sure we are on track with the work. This means that when we have larger meetings with all partners, we can talk about the bigger picture because the technical details have already been covered. This kind of management structure is working well. I feel it’s important to have face-to-face interactions; at the moment it’s all virtual meetings but we’re planning for physical workshops next year.”

     

    Advice for Horizon 2020 applicants

    Horizon 2020 had a budget of over €80 billion over seven years and its successor, Horizon Europe, will have a significantly bigger budget offering immense opportunities for individuals and consortia to secure funding for cutting-edge research.

    However, some potential applicants are wary of the paperwork involved in securing funding.

    “It’s true that there is a lot of work involved in putting together projects like this,” admits Dr Farràs. “But my advice would be to use the help that’s available. The support from Enterprise Ireland is fantastic. For both the FlowPhotoChem and the Solar2Chem projects, I applied for and received the Enterprise Ireland Coordinator Grant.

    “I needed someone not only to review the proposals but also to help write them. Thanks to the Coordinator Grant I was able to work with a consultant who had a lot of experience in this area, and who also helped with the administrative side of things,” says Dr Farràs

    “It was also good that FlowPhotoChem was a two-stage call so the shorter document that we had written for the first stage helped with the longer second stage proposal.”

     

    Personal and professional benefits

    Helping to create world-changing technologies brings its own rewards but beyond that the Horizon experience offers personal and professional benefits.

    “First of all, when you undertake research with other groups the impact of your research is improved. We’re also seeing that the Horizon proposals increasingly ask for information on the social aspects of the project as well as technical content, so it’s a great way to meet people from both your own discipline and from others,” says Dr Farràs.

    “No matter what stage you are at in your career there are benefits to being involved in these projects. For example, there are eight PhD students involved in the FlowPhotoChem research. It’s a great opportunity for them as they will see their individual tasks converge at the end into the final system contributing to a specific and significant application.”

    For advice or further information about applying for Horizon 2020 support please contact h2020support@enterprise-ireland.com or consult www.horizon2020.ie

    H2020 success stories banner link

     

    Digital Health

    A bright future for Ireland’s digital health ecosystem

    The future of healthcare is a connected one. Digital technology and cloud computing have made technological strides that mean integrated individually tailored healthcare is now a reality.

    Apps can feed back data to primary caregivers in real time, digital medical records provide accurate and timely information, while machine learning crunches big data and blockchain technology protects it.

    But to get to this point requires intervention and a road map that fosters innovation and investment. Strategic investment in the knowledge economy and sowing the seeds of a digital healthcare evolution requires the creation of policy and frameworks within which the research and start-up sector can grow.

    Ireland’s world-leading position in the medtech sector has been carefully nurtured through a combination of state planning and partnership with multinationals, that now positions the healthcare and life sciences sector as one of Ireland’s strongest and most important business industries. It employs some 38,000 people in around 350 companies. That makes Ireland the largest employer of medtech professionals in Europe per capita. Ireland is also the second largest exporter of medtech products in Europe, with annual exports of €12.6 billion to over 100 countries globally.

     

    Government policy supports Ireland’s digital health ecosystem

    Ongoing digital transformation is supported at the highest level, according to Barry Lowry, Chief Information Officer at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

    “Of course, when investors are looking at where to go, one of the key things they’re looking at is, well what is the digital ecosystem like in that country that we’re going to? Because that suggests there’s a market there, it suggests there’s a workforce there.

    “We obviously want that European digital capability to be dominated disproportionately by Ireland and we’ve got a lot of the skill sets to make a really good contribution in that area. The key thing is national government policies are aligned with this.”

    In its 2017 Sláintecare strategy, the Irish government outlined its healthcare vision for the next 10 years, including the implementation of connected digital health, stating: “Digital health solutions can support more efficient processes, empowering patients in managing their care and accessing their own medical records, as well as facilitating the provision of services in more appropriate care settings closer to the patient’s home.

    “In the future, a coherent suite of eHealth solutions will underpin and support our overall vision for integrated, patient-centred care, population health planning and more effective and safe delivery of health services. Patients and health professionals will have ready access to clinical records and administrative information, which will enable better decisions to be made.”

    It may seem to be easier said than done, when according to the Health and Information Quality Authority (HIQA) information is spread over 120 datasets across Irish healthcare.

    But the government has set out a clear funding pathway for eHealth, Muiris O’Connor, the Department of Health’s assistant secretary at R&D and Health Analytics Division told a recent Enterprise Ireland-hosted conference on the eHealth Ireland EcoSystem.

    Some €85 million is earmarked for 2019, €100 million for 2020 rising to €120 million by 2021, delegates were told.

     

    Enterprise Ireland support for digital health

    Enterprise Ireland has been supporting the ecosystem at its grass roots.

    Procurement of innovation by State bodies has been boosted by Enterprise Ireland’s Small Business Innovation Research programme (SBIR), which aims to meet unmet needs across the public sector, including areas such as health and community engagement, by funding up-to-date trialling of new concepts and tech at an earlier point in the supply chain.

    This allows innovation to be baked into the supply chain at a much earlier point in a product development cycle. In its five-year lifespan, it has funded 20 projects including the development of smart sensors by Danalto, Carra and mSemicon that are being deployed in gullies across Dublin City to measure and monitor flood levels.

    Perhaps crucially for SBIR, IP is retained by the business, meaning a successful solution can be scaled and rolled out quickly.

    Enterprise Ireland provides further sector-specific supports, such as Health Innovation Hubs Ireland (HIHI) scheme, Technology Transfer Offices (TTO), and the Technology Gateway Programme.

    HIHI facilitates and accelerates the commercialisation of innovative healthcare solutions by offering companies the opportunity for pilot and clinical validation studies and the health service access to innovative products, services and devices that they may not otherwise be exposed to.

    TTOs, which are embedded in university and college research institutes throughout Ireland, provide an invaluable resource in relation to research, development and innovation.

    And the Technology Gateway Programme fosters greater cooperation between business and Institutes of Technology by offering funding rounds for capital expenditure for R&D.

    But the ecosystem would be nothing without the skill sets to grow it, which is why this emerging sector is a national priority. The Irish Medtech Association, a key industry stakeholder in the Irish ecosystem, has reinvented its offering. It has a Connected Health Skillnet that offers learning, development and networking opportunities and is run in partnership with Biopharmachem Ireland and Technology Ireland.

    The sector is also supported by a strong networking and collaborative culture, with Ireland being home to the European Connected Health Alliance, which actively promotes and supports the connected health agenda through its presence in more than 40 countries. ECH Alliance events are the perfect forum for investors, partners and start-ups to engage with leading experts from government, education, multinationals and the indigenous sectors.

     

    Read more on the Irish companies succeeding in the Healthcare and MedTech sectors.

    Consumer in Asia

    Commitment is vital to maximising business opportunities in Asia

    Breaking into a new market can seem daunting. Exploring new territories may present challenges but is worth it to maximise new business opportunities.

    Researching market opportunities and how to capitalise on them; identifying potential customers and partners; understanding local regulations, legal and geopolitical issues, as well as the unique business culture of the country or countries you are targeting, are the main challenges businesses face. But with challenge comes opportunity of a scale that Irish businesses can’t afford to ignore.

    Irish companies have often looked west when in search of markets beyond the Eurozone. Expanding to the United States can seem relatively easy. They speak the same language and our traditional ties to the Irish diaspora creates a ready-made network for business opportunities. Asian markets have been perceived as more difficult, with greater language and cultural barriers to overcome.

     

    Irish companies increasingly secure business opportunities in Asia

    That perception has been blown away in recent years, as increasing numbers of Irish companies discover the incredible opportunities that exist in the world’s most populous and diverse continent. Exports to Asia by companies backed by Enterprise Ireland were valued at €1.97 billion last year, a 9% increase on 2016 results. We are dedicated to helping Irish exporters across all sectors overcome challenges to maximise business opportunities in Asia.

    Speaking at an event focused on the market last year, Julie Sinnamon, chief executive of Enterprise Ireland said: “Probably the biggest common issue or challenge that people face getting into any of the Asian markets is the time it takes. Typically it takes quite a while for people to go and build the trust, to develop a position, to commit to the market. 

    Many companies think that they can go in maybe a couple of visits, get a massive order and come back out again. It doesn’t work like that. Being a big, established company doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to work in China or India or Japan, or elsewhere in Asia. It is vital that there is commitment from the senior team of a company to work things out when they don’t go to plan, which is not unusual in Asian markets that you haven’t been in before.”

     

    Asian business partners value innovation

    Robert Schoellhammer, chief Europe representative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), says that an innovative approach to applying technology is a key quality Asian companies look for in business partners.

    He says: “Applying innovation and technology might be second nature in Ireland, but it doesn’t mean it is elsewhere. Innovation can be country specific, so what might be innovative in Mongolia is very commonplace in Germany. Technology and innovation is really critical, and above all it is what our own clients across Asia Pacific are saying that they want to have.

    In South-East Asia, the 10 countries which form ASEAN have started to follow the EU model of multilateralism and breaking down economic barriers. David Daly, the European External Action Service’s head of division for South East Asia, says this will create long-term business opportunities for Irish companies.

    “The EU has very close engagement with ASEAN at the very highest level,” he said. “We have experience – we have done things which have worked well and we’ve done things which have worked less well. We offer that experience freely to our ASEAN partners and I think they appreciate it.

    “Working with ASEAN is a commitment to the long term – it’s not an issue of jumping in and out for a quick fix, we have established structures that enable us to have an engagement over the very long term.” 

    More immediately, many young and innovative companies are already building Ireland’s reputation in these fast-growing markets.

    “You don’t necessarily need to be a big, long-established company,” Sinnamon said. “One of the most exciting company meetings I was at recently in China involved a young tech start-up called Coroflo, which has created a monitor that measures the amount of breast milk a baby is getting.

    “We visited the largest maternity hospital in Shanghai, where 100 babies are born every day. They were absolutely bowled over with this technology to make sure that a baby is being fed enough – they couldn’t believe the medtech technology available in Ireland.

    “Another time, we were in the most iconic new building in Singapore and the owner brought us into what he called the brain of the building, where all the control happens, and he said, ‘Of course, the brain of the building is Irish’. He was talking about Cylon Controls from Dublin.

    Taoglas, a telecommunications equipment supplier, recently opened an office in Shenzhen, and the Chinese distributor who has worked with them said they have only one supplier globally with zero defects and it was Taoglas.

    “It’s fantastic when you have companies on the other side of the world providing this sort of endorsement.”

    There is more support and advice available than ever before to help Irish companies overcome challenges and build partnerships in Asia. Contact Enterprise Ireland for more information.

     

    German life sciences market

    Unlock the German market for your business

    Unlocking the German market requires a focus on demonstrating that your company adheres to the values the country is famous for – reliability and trustworthiness – almost as much as a keen price point. To expand in this key Eurozone market, you should also be able to challenge established supply chains.

    The attractiveness of the German market to Irish business is evident in the numbers. It is the world’s fourth-largest economy and bilateral trade between the countries is worth around €39 billion annually. Germany is our third-largest tourist sector, and thanks to links in life sciences, medtech and biopharmaceuticals, Germany is our second-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment.

    With a GDP growth rate of 1.6% in 2018, Germany has experienced nine years of continuous expansion of its economy and remains a stable option for companies planning to diversify markets.

    Irish companies have a strong reputation in the German market

    With historic trade and cultural links, breaking into the German market should not be seen as daunting, according to Deike Potzel, the German Ambassador to Ireland.

    “Germany is very open to business to our friends in the European Union,” Her Excellency Ms. Potzel told delegates at Enterprise Ireland’s Ambition Germany conference. “Ireland has a really good reputation in Germany and the German market and I think Irish companies are in a very good position to take advantage of doing business in Germany.”

     

    What should be your first steps, and how can you prepare for market entry?

    Reliable market research is key, and Enterprise Ireland’s Market Discovery Fund has up to €150,000 available for companies to defray internal and external costs incurred when researching new markets for new or existing products and services.

    As a mature market with well-established domestic and international suppliers, you will need to research it thoroughly to identify a niche. You will also need to assess competitors, both local and international.

    If the German market is right for you, establishing the best route to market and understanding German business culture will help to avoid wasted sales efforts.

    Working with a German distributor will get your product on the ground. But because the market is mature, your product may be competing with several similar offerings, and the largest distributors may have competing priorities for promotion.

    While the price point of your product or service is important, in the German business landscape Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis – value for money – includes demanding expectations for quality, certification and after-sales support.

    “Once you have a German partner they are very loyal,” says Robert Byrne, director of Burnside Eurocyl, the Carlow-based hydraulic cylinder manufacturer, which has been supplying Germany for decades.

    “But they expect you to deliver and to do what you say. Do that and you will have a customer for life.”

     

    Calculate the cost of setting up in Germany

    Personal contact is valued highly. While it is possible to sell online or have a virtual office, establishing an independent branch office, permanent establishment or fully fleshed-out GmbH (or limited company) will build the trust required by German partners. You can expect set-up costs to range between €1,000 to €4,000.

    Germany is the world’s number one location for trade shows, and attending fairs for your sector demonstrates that you are serious about entering the market. Remaining highly visible at these events for 12-18 months is advisable.

    Enterprise Ireland has supported companies to attend the world’s largest medical trade fair, Medica, last hosted in Düsseldorf and attracting 120,000 visitors, and EuroTier in Hannover, at which the theme for 2018 was digital animal farming, attracting 160,000 visitors.

    “You may be surprised by how well thought of we are,” says Liam Ryan, managing director of SAP Labs Ireland, and a seasoned veteran of the German boardroom. “Germans admire our ability to get things done, our ability to recover and to pull together. This goes a long way with them.”

    The German focus on attention to detail and delivery on promise can be serviced by thinking outside the box. As Byrne noted: “We don’t sell by sending a sales rep to a German customer. We sell by sending an engineer or a designer.”

    Do this and you could find that, for your business, ‘Alles’ will be ‘in Ordnung.’

     

    Learn more on doing business in Germany with our Going Global Germany guide.

    Meet the Irish companies adding value to North American health systems

    Enterprise Ireland’s North America Healthcare Forum offered a wealth of advice for companies with plans to sell into the continent’s top health systems.

    Innovative healthcare solutions providers shared insights at the initiative, which brought together leadership from the US and Canada’s healthcare sectors.

    These included RelateCare, a healthcare communications consultancy and outsourcing organisation that began nine years ago as joint venture between the Cleveland Clinic and call centre specialist Rigney Dolphin. Today RelateCare works with a number of US hospital groups to ensure people get into hospital efficiently.

     

    Resources needed to conquer North American health systems

    For chairman and founder Frank Dolphin, the key to entering the US market is to ensure you have enough resources. “If you want to build a business, it’s going to take time, a lot of commitment, and a lot of investment,” he said. “It’s long haul, not short. You have to put down roots there.”

    Don’t be put off by the perceived level of differences between North America and other markets, advised Mark McCloskey, president and founder of healthcare company Oneview, which sells its patient engagement and clinical engagement software globally. “Health systems around the world are similar. There are different nuances but the main role is to get patients in, make sure you treat them well and don’t readmit them,” he said.

    Oneview specialises in products such as ‘room ready’ applications that speed up turnaround times when hospital rooms are vacated, as well as mobile apps for procedures such as patient discharge or appointment scheduling.

    Aerogen, a medtech company that delivers liquid drugs into aerosols, followed the same market entry strategy in Canada as it does everywhere. “We make sure we fully understand the opportunities, what the customer needs and how the hospitals are reimbursed or paid. Then we choose our distributors very carefully, agree targets and a business plan, and work hand in hand with them. For us that has been a recipe that has worked really well,” said Eileen Duffy, the company’s senior vice president of global sales and marketing.  “We only enter a market where we have full regulatory approval across all of the segments.”

    Her advice is to “make sure you put investment on the ground. Don’t launch until you are ready and can afford to launch, and stay very close to both your customers and distributors.”

     

    Get to grips with reimbursement models

    Getting to grips with payment and or reimbursement models is vital, agreed Aoife Ni Mhuiri, founder of Salaso, a provider of digital solutions for online care management of patients.

    “Understand, too, where the hospitals are in relation to value based care versus fee per service journey,” she said.

    With the move towards value payments, or a bundled payment type model, you can successfully sell once you demonstrate that your technology can increase the capacity, or efficiency, of the service that is being delivered by your customer’s clinic.

    Genesis Automation is a Cork company headquartered in St Petersburg, Florida, whose enterprise traceability and analytics platform empowers hospitals and suppliers to improve patient safety and optimise their inventory.

    It is quickly growing its staff numbers in the US. Finding talent is an important challenge to get right, particularly as hiring the wrong sales people can be expensive both in terms of real cost and opportunity cost.

    “We’ve made mistakes on that front, and as a result have got a lot more scientific in our approach to hiring people,” he said.

    Candidates at the company are now interviewed by three people, with a HR person providing a final check.

     

    Differences between states

    Don’t underestimate the differences between states, said Frank Dolphin, particularly as they relate to state taxes and regulations. “It’s like operating in the EU. Just as the next country has a different set of rules, so too does the next State in the US. When you come here, you can make the mistake of thinking it’s like the difference between counties at home, it’s not.”

    US candidates are particularly good at writing impressive CVs, or resumes. Learning how to read and interpret them is a skill, which adds to the hire cycle, said Dolphin,

    Oneview takes a particularly innovative approach. “We get our customers to interview some of our hires,” he said. “They’ll give you very honest feedback and will tell you if the resume isn’t what the person is saying.

    Aim to enter a health system and grow within it, said Aoife Ni Mhuiri of Salaso. “We were very fortunate to be one of the companies involved with Northwell Health through their partnership with Enterprise Ireland. Northwell is now also one of our investor companies. One of the reasons we wanted to work with them is because they span every single sector of health care. We started in one area, neurology, and are slowly spreading through their system.”

     

    Building partnerships

    Such partnerships are invaluable. “Our original relationship with Cleveland Clinic was marvellous, which was facilitated by Enterprise Ireland,” said Frank Dolphin. “Partnering with an organisation like the Cleveland Clinic means others will give you a second look.”

    Learn to navigate within the hospitals and the health systems, identifying the decision makers “and helping them to navigate their way through the system too, so they can sell it for you across the service. It’s not as simple as getting the right person and Bingo, you’re in. You might get part of the contract, but then you’ve got to grow within the system,” said Frank Dolphin.

    Before embarking on any pilot, agree the key performance indicators that will move you into implementation in advance, warned Mark McCloskey.

    “Be wary, make sure you get a firm commitment.” Get a champion too.  “We’ve been to final stage meetings in hospitals that have had 20 people around the table, every one with a different opinion. Make sure you have a champion from the C Suite with a very strong voice at the table.”

     

    Before you take your business stateside visit Enterprise Ireland’s dedicated US Market page.