Software Archives - Page 11 of 19 - Enterprise Ireland

Managing supply chain risk

April 8, 2020/0 Comments/in Insights Asia Pacific, CIS/Russia, Eurozone, Ireland, Latin America, Middle East/Gulf/Africa, North America & Canada, Rest of Europe & E.U., Rest of World, UK Aerospace & Travel, AgriTech, Communications/IoT, Construction, Consumer, Electronics, Financial Services, Food, Higher Education, LifeSciences, Manufacturing, Multi-sectoral, Software, Talent Management, Transport/by Louise Cunningham

Global supply chains have been stretched to breaking point as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Enforced closures of companies, coupled with newly imposed border controls and other issues, have had a severe impact on many Irish businesses.

There are steps that can be taken to mitigate those effects, according to Shirlee Kelly, a strategic sourcing consultant with IDDEA, a strategic procurement consulting company.

“In Ireland, many companies rely on just-in-time delivery for the supply of goods and services, and the success of this strategy is dependent on highly integrated and efficient supply chains,” Kelly points out. “The availability of labour may impact on supply chains, while government actions may lead to delays in physically moving materials from location to location as well as at ports and across borders.”

As a first step, she advises businesses to assess their supply chain risks and identify those critical suppliers that can have a detrimental impact on the business. “Businesses should conduct a health check on their critical supply chains,” she says.

Start by looking at internal data.

Who are the high-spend, high-impact suppliers?
What are the immediate risks that you need to plan for?
How will you address any lack of supply?
What are the steps you need to take to ensure that you continue to meet your contractual obligations with customers?

Contingency Planning

The next step is contingency planning. “These plans may include, finding alternatives to normal supply routes, investing time in discovering and conditioning new suppliers,” Kelly advises. “Companies may need to change their sourcing strategies to include a more local approach. If companies are dependent on one supplier, they need to put measures in place to make sure they have sufficient stock and ensure business continuance. It is important for businesses of all sizes to build resilience across their supply channels and keep their key customers informed of the work they are doing to meet demand.”

Good supplier management is essential in order to reduce the potential impacts of supply chain disruption. “You may have 500 suppliers, so it is not possible to manage every supplier in the same way,” Kelly notes. “We use the Kraljic Matrix to categorise suppliers by the value you spend with them and the risk they pose to your ongoing operations.”

This matrix reveals those suppliers who are strategically important by evaluating them against their value to the bottom line and the risks of a disruption affecting their performance. High-value, high-risk suppliers clearly need careful management, as indeed do those in the low-value, high-risk quadrant who are defined as bottlenecks.

Supplier management begins with information.

“Capture all appropriate data about your critical suppliers, and use this information to drive value for your organisation. Using tools such as Porters Five Forces and PESTEL analysis as part of your market research, will allow you to assess and evaluate the external factors which may affect your industry and business operations.” says Kelly.

The data analysed, and the knowledge gained, forms the basis of your supplier performance management. “Ensure you have a scorecard in place to allow you measure supplier performance? What metrics do you use and are they aligned with what you are trying to achieve in your overall business strategy?”

“It is important that strategic suppliers work with you on risk management strategies,” she adds.

Those risk management plans should be based on four key elements – awareness, impact, mitigation, and contingency planning.

“Awareness is about understanding the probability and potential impact of the risk,” Kelly explains. “The goal of risk management is to recognise, reduce or mitigate the likelihood of risk. The objective is to identify procedures for managing all stages of risk, this includes, disruption – interruption, response, recovery and restoration of service.

She concludes by pointing out that doing nothing is not an option. “Companies need to act now, investigate the opportunities in your data, identify your key supply partners and work together on problem resolution. Treat key suppliers as an extension of the business and find out how you can support each other. Irish businesses are very good at working together in difficult times. Government bodies such as Enterprise Ireland are a great resource for information on the various supports available to Irish businesses. The companies I am currently working with are sharing information with their supply base and this is helping to ease supply chain problems.”

Support when it’s needed most

April 8, 2020/0 Comments/in Insights Eurozone, Ireland Aerospace & Travel, AgriTech, Communications/IoT, Construction, Consumer, Electronics, Financial Services, Food, Higher Education, LifeSciences, Manufacturing, Multi-sectoral, Software, Talent Management/by Louise Cunningham

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) has launched a range of supports for employers and people who have lost work and income in order to support them during the COVID-19 crisis. These include the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment.

Pandemic Unemployment Support

The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is an emergency payment of €350 per week introduced by the Government in response to the numbers of people who have lost employment on foot of the pandemic. It is designed to quickly get thousands of people into payment.

According to the DEASP, all workers, including the self-employed, are eligible to apply for this emergency payment provided they are aged between 18 and 66 and have lost employment – or temporarily ceased trading if self-employed – due to the pandemic, and live in the Republic of Ireland.

To be eligible, workers must have been in employment or self-employment immediately before Friday 13 March and have been temporarily laid off from work, and are not in receipt of any employment income. For employees, their employer must not be in a position to retain them on the payroll.

Apply online for quick payment

The quickest and easiest way to apply for the emergency COVID-19 payment is to apply online at MyWelfare.ie All that is required is for the individual to have an email address, a bank account and a PPSN. Simply go onto the COVID-19 Services section of the website and apply for the payment. You will have to set up an account, but it is a simple and straightforward process.

The DEASP advises those with an adult dependent and one or more dependent children to apply for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and then apply Jobseeker’s Benefit instead, as this will pay more than the €350 available under the COVID-19 scheme.

Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment

The Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment is available to workers who have been told to self-isolate by a doctor or the HSE, or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 by a doctor. To be eligible for this payment, a person must be confined to their home or a medical facility. The rate for this payment is €350, as compared with the normal Illness Benefit rate of €203. It will be paid for a maximum of two weeks where a person is self-isolating and for a maximum of 10 weeks if a person has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

A doctor will complete a medical certificate on the person’s behalf and send it directly to the DEASP. Alternatively, where the person has been advised by the HSE to self-isolate, they will need to submit a copy of the HSE notification with their Illness Benefit application form.

Once again, the quickest and easiest way to apply for the payment is by applying online at MyWelfare.ie

Short Time Work Support

Another payment available to workers is Short Time Work Support. This is a form of Jobseeker’s Benefit for people temporarily placed on a shorter working week. The payment is made in respect of the person’s regular salary for the days that they are no longer working. For example, if their working week has been reduced from a five-day work pattern to three days, they can receive support for the other two days. Payment is proportionate to the €203 Jobseeker’s Benefit rate.

People can apply for Short Time Work Support by applying at their local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.

Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme

Operated by Revenue, the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme is an innovative initiative to support companies to retain employees and to re-employ employees who have been laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the terms of the scheme, employers will be refunded 70% of an employee’s wages – up to a level of €410 per week.

The subsidy scheme applies both to employers who top up employees’ wages and those who aren’t in a position to do so. Employers make the support payment to their employees through their normal payroll process and will then be reimbursed by Revenue within two working days of receipt of the payroll submission.

The scheme is available to employers from all sectors (excluding the public service and non-commercial semi-state sector) whose business activities are being adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To qualify for the scheme, employers must be experiencing significant negative economic disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic; be able to demonstrate, to the satisfaction of Revenue, a minimum of a 25% decline in turnover; be unable to pay normal wages and normal outgoings fully; and retain their employees on the payroll.

Revenue has made it clear that declarations made under the scheme are not declarations of insolvency.

Employers wishing to register for the scheme can apply to Revenue through ROS myEnquiries on the COVID-19: Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy section.

Market Watch Germany – Webinar – Covid-19 challenges and market sentiment

April 6, 2020/0 Comments/in Insights Eurozone, Ireland, Rest of Europe & E.U. Aerospace & Travel, AgriTech, Communications/IoT, Construction, Consumer, Electronics, Financial Services, Food, Higher Education, LifeSciences, Manufacturing, Multi-sectoral, Software, Talent Management, Transport/by Louise Cunningham

Enterprise Ireland’s offices in Germany have launched a series of Webinars; Market Watch Germany, to help Irish companies exporting to Germany navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by Covid 19.

The first webinar on Friday April 3 looked at overall market sentiment and the German Government support package for companies facing acute difficulties in light of Covid-19. We were joined by market, legal and tax experts from Germany Trade & Invest, SHWP Tax & Law and MHL Law.

Market Watch – A view from the UK, Central & Northern Europe

April 6, 2020/0 Comments/in Insights CIS/Russia, Ireland, Rest of Europe & E.U., UK Aerospace & Travel, AgriTech, Communications/IoT, Construction, Consumer, Electronics, Financial Services, Food, Higher Education, LifeSciences, Manufacturing, Multi-sectoral, Software, Talent Management, Transport/by Louise Cunningham

There is no doubt that COVID-19 is making its presence felt with businesses across the globe feeling its impact and Marina Donohoe, Regional Director, UK, Central and Northern Europe, says Enterprise Ireland clients in the region are no different.

Key Takeaways:

Great uncertainty on how deep the recession might be and its length makes it a particularly challenging time for Irish industry.
Restriction of movement is causing further issues for Irish exporters.
Prepare for the upturn – invest in client and partner relationships to secure existing business and research potential new opportunities to emerge now and post the crisis.

“Restrictions on movement of people is impacting on clients’ ability to respond to customer and partner needs,” says Donohoe. “Market confidence and demand has been eroded, and deals are being lost while fund raising plans have been curtailed or stalled. There is great uncertainty on how deep the recession will be and how long it will last, and this makes for a particularly challenging time for Irish industry.

“Enterprise Ireland has eight offices across the region which are working closely with clients on a one-to-one basis to support them throughout this difficult period focusing on sustaining existing and securing new business where possible.” says Donohoe.

Strengthening partnerships

Donohoe says it’s vital for companies to stay connected by keeping abreast of what is going on, exploring the possibilities of virtual business and continuing to invest in client/partner relationships.

“It’s a time to listen and learn about the problems your clients are experiencing and how together you may find potential solutions which strengthen your partnership,” she says. “But also, it’s important to exercise caution when extending credit, especially when your business partners are relatively new, and you’re not familiar with their current liquidity position.

“So, I would encourage companies to actively research the marketing issues their clients are facing, seek out information on the current situation from trusted sources like the WHO or local government departments. And continue to invest in marketing because while industries globally are in crisis mode, they are still seeking solutions to trade so with heavy restrictions on travel, focus on virtual meetings and as a means of engaging prospective new customers.”

Global supports for business

While it is undoubtedly a difficult time in business, the regional director says there have been many supports put in place across UK, Central & Northern Europe and Russia.

“A variety of measures have been adopted by the British and other European governments,” she says. “Each country is offering a range of specific supports including loans, wage subsidies or guarantees and these may be relevant for Irish companies with a presence overseas. OECD provides a regularly updated Country Policy Tracker to help navigate the global policy response and provides information on travel, border crossings and general health advice.

Key sectors facing challenges

“Many sectors are severely impacted such as the tourism and hospitality trade, personal and professional services and certain areas of the financial and manufacturing sectors.

“Transport is also a major concern and although some countries (e.g. UK and Sweden) have not closed their borders, many others have created temporary regimes which are causing problems for road deliveries – logistics details can be found here.

With all these added complications, doing business can be difficult for Irish exporters and Enterprise Ireland is currently preparing sectoral market insights which will be shared with clients and updated weekly to provide view on market conditions, government supports etc. Details on public sector contracts and offers can be seen on this platform and also on the GOV.UK site.

Opportunities for growth

Donohoe also says there are still opportunities for growth but in a few core sectors:

“The healthcare, pharma, digital services and medical device sectors are still experiencing growth and Enterprise Ireland has been fielding requests for solutions in this area,” she says. “Similarly, solution providers for retail, BPOs, food production and office solutions may also see some growth.”

“As markets and sectors emerge from this crisis with expected fundamental shifts in consumer/business needs it is a time to also prepare for these changes. Ireland’s SMEs have demonstrated resilience and flexibility by adapting to Brexit challenges and a global recession so remaining agile will be an advantage”.

No-one knows when the crisis will be over, but Donohoe says it’s vital for Irish exporters to stay connected and prepare for the reopening of markets.

“Utilise all digital tools to deepen relationships and promote your business,” she advises. “Prepare for the upturn to secure existing business and research potential new opportunities to emerge now and post the crisis.

“Business and consumer demand will change so investment in research, new idea validation, competitor analysis and the development of strong market development plans will all position Enterprise Ireland clients for the next global economic growth cycle. Enterprise Ireland’s executives across the 8 offices in UK, Central & Northern Europe are on hand to support you through this exceptionally difficult and unprecedented period.”

Marina Donohoe is Enterprise Ireland’s Regional Director for the UK, Central and Northern Europe. To learn more about the steps companies can take to address the impact of Covid-19 visit our business supports page.

Sing happy birthday to stay safe with SureWash

April 1, 2020/0 Comments/in Insights Asia Pacific, Eurozone, Ireland, North America & Canada, Rest of Europe & E.U., UK LifeSciences, Software/by Louise Cunningham

Irish app SureWash provides us with a safe pair of hands

All over Ireland people are singing happy birthday while they wash their hands. Then they sing it again. It’s because Irish healthcare technology company SureWash has provided people with a quick rule of thumb – and finger. If you want to make sure you wash your hands properly, spend as long doing it as it takes to sing the birthday song.

It’s a fun way to deliver a serious message, which perfectly reflects the healthcare technology company’s overall approach.

Stopping the spread of Covid-19

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

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

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

Developed by health professionals, the app ensures compliance in hand hygiene to World Health Organisation protocol. It delivers training in an engaging manner that encourages participation. It uses gamefication to generate enthusiasm and provides real-time feedback, to help users improve their technique.

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

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic SureWash has launched its app to the general public, so that everyone can play their part in stemming community transmission.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), everyone should regularly and thoroughly clean their hands with soap and water, or if that is not available, an alcohol-based hand rub, in order to kill viruses that may be on your hands and protect against infection.

In consideration of the number of shared surfaces that we touch on a daily basis, our hands although not visibly dirty, can still be contaminated.

A large number of people are unaware that they are not washing their hands correctly however, missing key surfaces such as thumbs and finger tips.

Cleaning your hands is vital, not least because not touching your face, the other main piece of advice we receive in relation to Covid-19, is hard to do. Studies show the average human touches their face around 23 times per hour.

The chance of infection substantially increases if we are touching our faces with contaminated hands.

SureWash’s 6-step technique helps users to develop a life-long skill. The consumer version of the SureWash Hand Hygiene APP is available to download on both the Apple and is a replica of the SureWash kiosks that are already in use in hundreds of hospitals around the world. Altogether now…..

9 innovations in the era of remote working

March 31, 2020/0 Comments/in Insights Asia Pacific, Eurozone, Ireland, North America & Canada, Rest of Europe & E.U., Rest of World, UK Communications/IoT, Consumer, Software, Talent Management/by Louise Cunningham

While the way we work has been evolving significantly in recent years, the Covid-19 crisis has accelerated the need for many people to work remotely. And during this seismic global shift, Irish talent technology is helping thousands of employees and employers to transition from working at their office desks to their kitchen tables.

Ireland’s progressive, globalised tech sector has cultivated a particularly innovative group of talent technology companies. Their smart, disruptive products and services are enabling companies around the world to attract, engage, manage, and retain their workforce in these uncertain times.

Supporting employees

While remote working had become common in certain sectors, especially those in which skilled talent is in high demand, it’s new for many companies. They need to quickly implement new technology to ensure their employees can adapt and continue to be productive while working from home.

Talent tech is enabling home-based employees to engage with colleagues, maintain their wellbeing while in a new routine, and upskill at home through online courses.

Benefitting employers

Meanwhile, employers can use Irish-built tech stay in operation, keep their workforce engaged, and manage, schedule, and pay their employees while the latter work remotely.

While some industries will see temporary workforce reductions, those such as health, retail and other frontline industries will need to hire more people fast. Talent tech can provide them with remote technology for sourcing and interviewing potential employees.

How Irish talent tech firms can help

These nine Irish companies offer disruptive technologies businesses can use to manage how employees work as they navigate these turbulent times.

1. Wellola

With healthcare systems under huge pressure due to coronavirus, optimising care capacity is crucial. Wellola has collaborated with the Irish public health services provider, the Health Service Executive (HSE), to launch a new online portal that enables GP and healthcare providers to treat people remotely so as to protect themselves from Covid-19.

2. Abodoo

As the world turns to remote working, Abodoo is there to connect global citizens with remote jobs. With 23,000 members across more than 60 countries, Abodoo’s SaaS platform uses smart matching technology powered by data analytics to match people to roles. This means companies can build highly scalable distributed teams quickly and cost-effectively.

3. Sonru

With in-person interviews on hold for now, recruiters must turn to virtual solutions. Sonru is an award-winning global leader in asynchronous video interviewing, which gives both candidates and interviewers flexibility. Importantly, it also removes pain points such as interview scheduling, time zone restrictions, dispersed hiring teams, and time lost on no shows.

4. Peptalk

To thrive and survive, companies need to promote a high performance culture. PepTalk is a workplace wellbeing platform that drives team engagement, productivity and connection across organisations in a fun way. Peptalk’s ‘whole person performance’ approach unlocks employee potential, helps companies to reimagine their work cultures and delivers bottom-line results.

5. Workvivo

During times of crisis, internal communications are critical for engaging and reassuring employees. With the Workvivo internal comms platform, employees can read and post content to an activity feed, and like, share and comment as they would on non-work social media. They can also recognise others through shoutouts, link posts to company goals and values, create community spaces, and publish articles and events.

6. FlexTime

Especially now, employers need to be able to manage flexible working arrangements and the changing needs of their employees. FlexTime offers flexible working, time and attendance, and scheduling solutions. Its products, which eliminate the need for manual tracking, are used by over 400 customers, in more than 5,000 implementations for over 200,000 users.

7. PulseLearning

Now more than ever, it’s vital to protect employee mental health and wellbeing, and promote self-care. PulseLearning, an award-winning, global top 10 learning company founded in 1999, developed the I Am Here programme to facilitate a cultural change within organisations so team members know it’s absolutely OK to ask for help and how they can.

8. Flexiwage

Managing finances can be challenging at the best of times. Flexiwage, which integrates with existing payroll packages, empowers employees and employers to make smarter financial decisions. Employees gain a fully flexible pay schedule, getting paid when it’s best for them, while employers can consolidate payroll, reduce costs and promote financial responsibility.

9. LearnUpon

It’s still vital for employees to learn and train while they work remotely. LearnUpon is a powerful learning management system (LMS) platform with a practical approach. Organisations can use it to manage, track, and achieve their learning goals. Trusted by over 1,000 customers worldwide, LearnUpon is one of the fastest growing LMSs in the world.

Market Watch – A view from the Eurozone

March 30, 2020/0 Comments/in Insights Eurozone, Ireland, Rest of Europe & E.U. Aerospace & Travel, AgriTech, Communications/IoT, Construction, Consumer, Electronics, Financial Services, Food, Higher Education, LifeSciences, Manufacturing, Multi-sectoral, Software, Talent Management, Transport/by Louise Cunningham

There is no doubt that the impact of COVID-19 on mainland Europe has been profound with most countries operating on a skeleton crew of essential businesses and services. However, Anne Lanigan, Regional Director, Eurozone, for Enterprise Ireland, says goods are still moving and it is possible to do business.

Key Takeaways:

The situation is evolving daily and the 45 strong Enterprise Ireland team on the ground in the Eurozone are working and available as normal, albeit remotely to be of assistance.
Business is still moving although slower, particularly in the Medtech, Pharma, Construction, Food, eCommerce and other services sectors.
The innovation, flexibility and commitment of Irish companies will help them survive this crisis.

“A lot of sectors have been very badly hit, particularly in the hospitality, aerospace and automotive sectors,” she says. “High tech construction of pharma facilities and data centres is still continuing, with some challenges in Germany and the Netherlands. Pharma, Medtech and Food still continue as best they can, and we have good examples of clients in the technology, eCommerce and employee engagement sectors who are experiencing growth. However, for many sectors things are likely to get worse before they get better.”

“I would encourage Irish exporters to make contact with customers, partners and distributors. Communication is crucial at this point. Getting an understanding of the situation your customers are in will help you in forward planning and may help you to deliver an immediate or different solution. In addition, the contact you make now will be appreciated and remembered once we are over this crisis.”

Speaking to customers over the telephone or in a virtual meeting, rather than by email, will offer a much better opportunity to engage and get insights into their situation, what their future plans are and how you might feature in those future plans.

Depending on staff availability and the level of slowdown, Lanigan says some businesses may be able to use this time to build their export capability.

“This could be an opportunity to do market research, a very important element of successful exporting” she advises. “This crisis is temporary so fundamentally it’s still important to validate markets and sectors for your products and services, carry out competitive analysis, build a pricing and communication strategy and develop a strong market development plan.

Doing an online language course for an hour every day might also be a welcome break away from home working while also building up a necessary skillset for exporting to Europe.”

The Eurozone director says there are many supports available to Enterprise Ireland clients as well as government supports available to all companies. These can be found on the Enterprise Ireland Covid-19 business response pages and new supports will be added as soon as they become available. Specific market supports such as the Market Discovery Fund are of course still all available. And Eurozone Market Advisors can provide specific information on supports available locally in their markets.

“Alongside the obvious market challenges, we are seeing a number of other challenges. Our clients are in some cases finding it difficult to engage with customers who are busy trying to resolve their own internal problems,” she says. “Movement of product is also more complicated as extra paperwork is required in some locations. It’s also difficult to get clarity regarding the movement of people as the situation is evolving. However, we continue to assist client companies in meeting buyers (virtually), and we are seeing business deals– it’s not anything close to normal but it is still moving.”

“In addition, in every crisis there are opportunities. Irish companies are typically highly innovative and are quick to pivot. Our clients are known for their flexibility and can change focus quite quickly so there is the possibility to adapt products and services to win business in new markets and new sectors.

Lanigan says the key to surviving this crisis is to stay close to customers, demonstrate flexibility, and be innovative:

“Markets will start to open again so we need to ensure that we are ready to get going when we come out of this crisis.”

“Enterprise Ireland Market Advisers are available to help. Our team across the Eurozone are working remotely and contactable by phone or email for one-to-one support. Our priorities are to respond to particular requests from clients and to proactively support clients to continue to do business. In addition to supporting contact with customers, distributors and partners, Market Advisors can also provide advice and help with local market knowledge on the evolving situation and help deal with particular issues as they arise. If you haven’t had recent contact with your Enterprise Ireland Market Advisers please get in touch with your Development Adviser who will make the introduction.”

“Irish companies are known across Europe for being innovative, flexible, easy to work with and committed. These characteristics will stand to us and help us through this difficult period.” says Lanigan.

Private Healthcare – UK webinar

March 25, 2020/0 Comments/in Insights Ireland, Rest of Europe & E.U., UK Communications/IoT, LifeSciences, Manufacturing, Software/by Louise Cunningham

This webinar gives an in-depth analysis of the UK private healthcare market, providing Irish businesses with insights into the opportunities and challenges that exist for companies aspiring to target the market.

Topics discussed in this webinar include:

– Market size and scope.

– Private Healthcare landscape and sectors.

– Digital health usage across the private sector.

The webinar is hosted by Martin Bell, Independent Healthcare IT Consultant.

Martin is joined by James Maunder, Chief Information Officer at The London Clinic for an interactive question and answer session.

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

March 18, 2020/0 Comments/in Insights Eurozone, Ireland Electronics, Manufacturing, Software/by Louise Cunningham

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

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

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

iLife project

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

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

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

New laser technology

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

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

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

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

DTIF: Government funding for innovation

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

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

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

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

Commercial potential for Pilot Photonics

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

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

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

Other projects in the pipeline

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

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

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

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

Irish photonics cluster emerges

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

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

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

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

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

Portwest – targeting new markets with GradStart

March 10, 2020/0 Comments/in Case Study Eurozone, Ireland, Latin America, Rest of Europe & E.U., UK Aerospace & Travel, AgriTech, Construction, Consumer, LifeSciences, Manufacturing, Multi-sectoral, Software, Talent Management, Transport/by Louise Cunningham

“Bringing linguistic graduates onboard allowed us to bring in talent that could research Spanish and French speaking territories, and open opportunities for our sales teams, which contributed to our target of 20% growth.”

Deirdre Clarke, HR Manager, Portwest

Overview:

Portwest is a market leader in the design and manufacture of stylish, comfortable, high-quality workwear that meets recognised international standards.

With customer support staff in over 120 countries, the company used Enterprise Ireland’s GradStart initiative to attract fresh graduate talent with French and Spanish language skills to research new markets and drive business activity.

The GradStart programme offers salary support of up to 70% for the employment of graduate talent to assist companies when expanding into new markets.

1. What attracted you to get involved in GradStart?

We are very fortunate to have a great Development Advisor (DA), who consistently keeps us informed of programs which may be of benefit to our specific business. As we had already taken part in the similar G4IG program, we felt that GradStart would be another fantastic initiative from Enterprise Ireland to help with the development and international growth of our business. At that time we were also in the process of developing a formal Portwest Graduate Program. The timing was ideal for us as GradStart gave us the additional option of introducing a linguistic element to this program.

2. What did GradStart allow you to do that you wouldn’t have done otherwise?

GradStart allowed us to provide opportunities to newly qualified graduates at our headquarters here in the West of Ireland, and to include a linguistic dimension to our commercial team which up to now was 100% English speaking. We now have two talented graduates with French and Spanish capabilities who are able to help us explore new market opportunities In particularly across South America and Mexico.

3. What challenges and/or opportunities did GradStart help you address?

We had struggled with the exploration of non-English speaking markets. Bringing linguistic graduates onboard allowed us to bring in talent that could research Spanish and French speaking territories, and open opportunities for our sales teams, which contributed to our target of 20% growth. In turn, this allowed us to provide further job opportunities in these regions as we were able to justify the recruitment of sales staff to follow through on the opportunities identified by our graduates.

4. Which areas of the business did the graduate contribute to?

Market research and explorative work in heretofore unexplored territories. This is ongoing and while GradStart partially funds the salaries for such graduates for a two year period, we would envisage the continuation of such due to the success of these roles and how the program helps contribute to Portwest’s growth.

5. Were there any learnings from your participation in GradStart that you have taken forward into your business.

We have learned that only hiring experienced staff with x years’ experience in x industry can be limiting. Hiring graduates with their fresh approach and up to date knowledge of their areas of expertise can truly contribute in a meaningful way to our corporate goals. Furthermore, the satisfaction of being able to bring these graduates straight from college to management roles within such a short space of time is highly rewarding for any employer. We currently have graduates in managerial positions in our sites in Australia, USA and HQ and will look to add Europe and the UK to this as part of our 2020 Graduate program.

6. Would you recommend GradStart to your business peers? If so, why?

This is a fantastic way to introduce a graduate program to your company if you do not already have one. We had previously brought in graduates on an ad hoc basis, but between G4IG and now GradStart, this meant that we were able to formalise a program and become confident in our offering. This is a fantastic opportunity for any graduate looking to kick-start their career and with Enterprise Ireland funding, it is wonderful that businesses can get involved in such a great initiative.

7. Which languages were the graduates skilled in?

French and Spanish.

8. Have you stayed in touch with the graduate?

Yes – our graduates are still with us as they joined us in September 2019 for a two year period. One graduate will remain on site here at Portwest HQ while the other, following an initial training period at Portwest headquarters, has now relocated to our Kentucky office where they will continue to work with our Sales, Commercial and Marketing teams on exploring new markets. We see this as an ongoing project now, and a model which we would hope to continue after our current GradStart program is complete.

Learn more about GradStart and how it can support your business growth.

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

February 25, 2020/0 Comments/in Insights Ireland, UK Aerospace & Travel, AgriTech, Communications/IoT, Construction, Consumer, Electronics, LifeSciences, Manufacturing, Multi-sectoral, Software/by Louise Cunningham

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

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

– Deirdre McPartlin, UK Manager at Enterprise Ireland

– Margaret Whitby, Head of Stakeholder Engagement at BPDG

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

– Ruth Potter, Partner at Ecovis

– Gerry Collins, Managing Partner at Ecovis

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

How Payslip filled a gap in the multinational payroll market

February 22, 2020/0 Comments/in Case Study Asia Pacific, Eurozone, Ireland, Latin America, North America & Canada, Rest of Europe & E.U., Rest of World, UK Consumer, Financial Services, Higher Education, Multi-sectoral, Software, Transport/by Louise Cunningham

“Enterprise Ireland provided great support through its fintech network. They enabled us to leverage international channels and acquire clients.”

Payslip Founder & CEO Fidelma McGuirk

Overview:

Founded in 2015, Payslip empowers multinational companies to standardise global payroll processes and manage international data, resources and vendors on a single platform.

Began its seed funding process and applied for High Potential Start-Up support in February 2018.

Since then, Payslip has acquired 23 clients across Europe and the US, including LogMeIn, GetYourGuide and Airbus, and the company has plans to increase sales by 400% in 2020.

Case Study: Payslip

As CEO and Director of Operations for an international tax company, Fidelma McGuirk was in charge of company growth and management across 21 countries. At the time, her company was using a variety of payroll service vendors. Frustratingly, she found no existing technology that could automate, integrate, and streamline their global payroll operations. So, she decided to create a platform to deliver this.

Payslip provides automation and integration technology to multi-national employers to standardise their global payroll management. Payslip technology integrates with human capital management and accounting/ERP systems, automating payroll processes and standardising global payroll data and reporting. With Payslip, multinational clients can centrally manage their global payroll operations with visibility, control and governance as they expand operations across borders.

Pre-launch, McGuirk and her team conducted robust market testing. They spoke to over 470 multinational employers, payroll providers, and international payroll associations, including the Global Payroll Management Institute in the US and the Global Payroll Association in the UK. McGuirk’s instincts were correct: there was a strong need for a new global payroll model with a focus on automation and standardisation.

In February 2018, Payslip began its seed funding process and applied for HPSU support. The start-up found solid support in its Enterprise Ireland Development Advisor (DA), who helped to guide Payslip through the application process. Once HPSU status was gained, the goal was to seek a strong investor partnership that would help grow the business and open international channels to multinational companies.

“HPSU offered us established, structured support,” says McGuirk. “As an organisation, they have international market experience—they’ve been through this journey before. They were able to arrange the specific introductions needed in foreign markets.”

Over the past two years, Payslip has acquired 23 clients headquartered across Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark, and the US. Clients like Airbus, Teamwork, AMCS Group, Argon Medical Devices, LogMeIn, Phorest and others use the Payslip platform to manage and control global payroll for employees in over 60 countries. Sales increased 500% after the first year and McGuirk says the company has plans to increase by another 400% in 2020.

Educating the marketplace on the need for payroll innovation

Initially, the greatest challenge was helping potential investors and clients to understand how Payslip technology could disrupt and transform the market.

“What we were doing was different than what was done before, Payslip is a technology solution for global payroll, not a service for payroll calculations,” McGuirk says. “We had to educate the market and help people understand that we don’t compete with payroll service providers—we collaborate with them.”

Payslip brought something entirely new to the table: a technology solution to automate and standardise the global payroll process in a way that delivers central governance, while accommodating local country payroll nuances . Previously, the established industry players were traditional global payroll service offerings like ADP, Ceridian, and CloudPay. These service firms focus on delivering in-country payroll calculation and compliance expertise. According to McGuirk, there is no other platform that provides a single, end-to-end global payroll management solution like Payslip.

Payslip began acquiring early-adopter clients and interest was high among high-growth, technology-based companies. McGuirk says the first client was naturally the hardest to land. After that, things took off quickly. Thanks to the growing number of multinational companies who are going digital to achieve central governance, Payslip is now the leader in the new Gartner industry category of digital payroll services.

More markets, more clients

Payslip closed its Series A fundraising in February 2020 and, so far, all its initial investors have followed their investment in Payslip. McGuirk says that being a HPSU company will help it achieve its goal of continued international growth pointing out that Enterprise Ireland has resources in the right foreign markets. Their international teams have a good understanding of what is happening locally, which is crucial for market penetration.

“We intend to extend our reach into more markets and acquire more clients,” McGuirk says. “Our single focus is to continue growing our client base internationally from our headquarters in Westport, Co. Mayo. Enterprise Ireland is very supportive of this objective.”

Part of Payslip’s growth plan includes the expansion of its sales and engineering teams here in Ireland to support those global aspirations. Working together with Enterprise Ireland and the HPSU team, McGuirk is confident that her company can optimise its commercial capabilities to capitalise on growth opportunities and gain market share.