Geoscience Ireland (GI Continued Growth Despite Challenges

SEAN FINLAY, DIRECTOR GEOSCIENCE IRELAND (GI)

Geoscience Ireland (GI) is a business network of 35 companies delivering design and contracting services to the energy, infrastructure, water and minerals sectors in over 50 countries. Member companies include consulting civil, geotechnical and environmental engineers, surveyors, geoscientists, drilling and mining contractors, ESAI practitioners, and producers of building and drilling products. GI members also include two all-island research agencies.

Formally launched in late 2012 in response to the economic crisis which badly effected delivery of construction and infrastructure in Ireland, GI’s focus was job creation driven by winning business in international markets. The initiative for the project in 2011 came from Geological Survey Ireland (GSI), the national geoscience data collection agency and Enterprise Ireland (EI), the national trade promotion agency. Initially comprised of 5 companies, the cluster expanded rapidly since then. It was largely financed by GSI, with member companies contributing between 10 to 20% of the costs.

Development

An independent Review of GI by Indecon Economic Consultants in 2021 outlined the progress of the project, concluding that it was an example of a successful business cluster by having created over 1030 net new jobs in the last 5 years. Combined turnover of the network in 2020 was €1.23BN, of which €400M was generated overseas. Net direct and indirect employment by GI members was estimated at almost 8,800 persons. These results have been achieved by GI member companies. The GI project assists them by providing market intelligence, tracking tender opportunities, representation at Trade Missions, Conferences and Trade Fairs, advocacy, training and by encouraging collaboration between members.

The Indecon Review also outlines substantial non -financial benefits identified by member companies e.g. provision of useful contacts, access to national and international networks, identifying market opportunities and creating links with third level institutions.

Sean Finlay. Challenges (1)

Covid restrictions have impacted heavily on GI’s ability to deliver services to its members, especially in the area of creating networks which relies on face-to-face contacts.

Virtual seminars and meetings helped to mitigate some of these effects and GI participated in many webinars focussed on markets in the Nordics, EU, UK, Canada and the Gulf. GI continued to track tenders and to provide online Workshops for members. The lifting of restrictions is enabling GI to participate again in overseas Trade Missions (France in September last) and Conferences (the Global Energy Show and the Prospectors & Developers Association Convention in Canada this June). GI member companies, in common with the construction sector, have weathered the Covid storm. Turnover in 2021 has recovered.

Challenges (2)

In July 2022, the Department of Environment Climate and Communications (DECC) decided that its line division GSI would no longer be the main supporter of GI. A transition period of six months allowed GI to continue to support its members and to be reconfigured as a non- profit company limited by guarantee, financed in initially by (increased)

membership fees and later this year by EI support. That support is contingent on a Review of Cluster Policy currently underway by Grant Thornton on behalf of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), due for completion shortly. GI is a member of the Steering Committee of the DETE Review.

GI has two directors, Dermot Duff (TCD Business School) and Sean Finlay and two contracted staff, Joe Mongan an eminent geophysicist and Sheila Russell, and engineer who is Operations Manager.

Links to Applied Research and Training

Two GI members are deeply involved in applied research; GSI itself and the Science Foundation Ireland funded Centre for Applied Research in Geoscience (iCRAG) which has over 150 researchers in eight institutions in Ireland. Other GI members work closely with GSI and iCRAG and benefit from these linkages. GI’s offices are now located alongside iCRAG in University College Dublin. In addition, GI along with GSI and the Irish Mining & Quarrying Society (IMQS) helped in 2019 to initiate an Apprenticeship in Geo Drilling, delivered by the Institute of Technology in Carlow, now part of South West Technological University (SETU).

MPANI and Northern Ireland Links

GI enjoys close links with MPANI on matters relating to raw materials supplies across the British Isles. Sustainable building materials and minerals essential for de-carbonisation are crucial for economic development. GI members provide products and services to the sector in Northern Ireland and looks forward to the orderly and timely development of important infrastructure projects such as the A5-N3 and the Curraghinalt mining project. Northern Ireland’s exceptional capacity in conveyors and materials handling equipment remains a key part of infrastructure and construction in Ireland.

GI is part of an EU project Geo Energy Europe 2 (GEE2) which assists SMEs develop business in the Geothermal Energy Sector. Geothermal Energy has significant potential in Northern Ireland as demonstrated by research led by Geological Survey NI in recent years. This work is of universal benefit to the sector.

There are significant supply chain and inflationary challenges facing all of us. Continued connections and collaboration with MPANI will be part of the remedy for these challenges. https://www.geoscience.ie

Benefits to GI Members

Some Geoscience Ireland (GI) Clients