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Editor: Joseph O’Connor Art Director: Alan McArthur Editorial Assistant: Elisha Collier O’Brien (Chambers Ireland) Tiernan Cannon Editorial Contributors: Tiernan Cannon Conor Forrest Sinéad Moore Design Assistant: James Moore Front Cover Photography: Jason Clarke Photography: Jason Clarke Photography iStock Photo Getty Images Infographics: www.flaticon.com Production Executive: Nicole Ennis Sales Director: Diarmaid Lennon Managing Director: Gerry Tynan Chairman: Diarmaid Lennon

Published by: Ashville Media Group, Unit 55 Park West Road, Park West Industrial Park, D12 X9F9 Tel: +353 1 432 2200 Email: info@ashville.com Web: www.ashville.com On behalf of: Chambers Ireland, 11 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, D02 FY84 Tel: +353 1 400 4300 Email: info@chambers.ie Web: www.chambers.ie All articles © Ashville Media Group 2018.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. Opinion and comments expressed herein are not necessarily those of Ashville Media or Chambers Ireland. ISSN 20093934

16

Entrepreneur

Lukas Decker, founder of travel tech start-up Coindrum, on launching fast, aiming high and favouring coins over contraband

24

Business of Sport

On the back of tremendous success at the Hockey Women’s World Cup, we look at the path ahead for Irish hockey Words: Conor Forrest

26

Industry

We talk to some of the companies helping to develop Ireland as an emerging hub for green business

COMMUNITY

SPIRIT A merican space and services provider WeWork launched in New York in 2010 with the mission to not only build innovative shared office spaces, but to build a community. Since then, WeWork has harnessed the growing trend towards co-working and hot-desking and created unique spaces across the globe for members to work and collaborate.

“We don’t consider ourselves a co-working company; we’re much more than just a workspace,” explains Andy Heath who heads up the rapidly expanding multidisciplinary design team across Europe and Australia. That team is made up of in-house architects, interior designers, construction managers, technology engineers and graphic designers, all tasked with designing and creating unique work environments and leading the vision of the workspace revolution.

The workspaces, which are open 24/7 with key-card access, offer a mixture of hot-desks, private offices and meeting rooms as well as communal facilities and services including high-speed internet, printers, private phone booths, free refreshments, bike storage and showers. “WeWork is a place where people can come together, talk, discuss new ideas, and innovate in a collaborative way,” Heath adds.

WeWork officially launched in Ireland in March this year opening its first Irish location in Dublin’s Iveagh Court, just a stone’s throw from St Stephen’s Green. The office sharing firm has big expansion plans for Ireland with four more locations already confirmed; one at 2 Dublin Landings, opening in November, another at 5 Harcourt Street which opens in December and another at George’s Quay. The company will

Martin Shanahan, Chief Executive, IDA Ireland

The Art of Business Travel

ON-SITE

SINÉAD MOORE takes a tour of WeWork’s flagship premises in Dublin to get a sense of why coworking has become such a global trend and to see how one company manages to master its art.

Snapchat

Words: Tiernan Cannon

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ON-SITE

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Ahead of the Curve

InBUSINESS meets Zurich’s Joe Creegan to hear about preparations for autoenrolment and the challenge of making pensions attractive

Words: Tiernan Cannon

Two industry professionals provide advice for the businessperson regularly on the road

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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also occupy the soon-to-be redeveloped One Central Plaza on Dame Street – due to open at the end of next year. “Dublin is a very appealing market to us for so many reasons,” Heath tells me. “It’s a hub for tech, media, transport and government and a really desirable business location. We’re excited to grow our community in this thriving city.”

A GRAND TOUR I pay a visit to the Iveagh Court offices to experience for myself this dynamic work environment. I’m met by Community Manager, Joe James who heads up a team of five people, responsible for organising weekly events – from

networking to workshops and memberhosted events – promoting collaboration and acting as a point of contact for WeWork members at Iveagh Court.

“You can digitise loads of things but having that human connection with people really helps because I get to know people’s businesses and get to help them grow,” says James of his role at WeWork. James has just wrapped up another successful TGIM (Thank God it’s Monday) breakfast where members were treated to fresh croissants from a local bakery. This weekly event is not only a networking opportunity, according to James, but also “so people feel really excited when they come to work”.

Spread across five floors with a spiral staircase at its core connecting all of the unique spaces, WeWork’s Iveagh Court office is the epitome of the modern work environment. On entering the space, 37

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

On-Site: WeWork

InBUSINESS takes a tour of WeWork’s Dublin premises to get a sense of why co-working has become such a global trend Words: Sinéad Moore

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Go to chambers.ie for the online edition [BLUE IS THE COLOUR] Our shoot with Zurich’s Joe Creegan took place at The Loft @ 4 Dame Lane in Dublin city centre where elegant blue furniture coordinated nicely with our subject’s tie. The venue, which accommodates up to 250 people in an intimate setting, is now taking bookings for Christmas parties. For more visit 4damelane.ie/the-loft.

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Mentors: Mary Robinson Ireland’s former president on tackling global warming, discovering podcasts and paying the price for something you believe in Words: Joseph O’Connor

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Small Business Waterford-based VR Education is leading the charge in bringing VR/AR into the classroom

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WORLD REPORT

Island

88 INNOVATION The latest and greatest in health and fitness tech 90 TRAVEL We explore the wonderfully colourful city of Bristol 93 BOOKS The art of letting go of past success 95 PODCASTS Maeve Higgins on forming an unlikely alliance InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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RTÉ has harnessed a hunger for truth, reliability and authenticity through its new online platform, Brainstorm Words: Sinéad Moore

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Book Extract An extract from Michael O’Leary: Turbulent Times for the Man Who Made Ryanair

by Matt Cooper

[REGULARS]

Kristfríð Tyril/Courtesy of Visit Faroe Islands

84 MOTORING Audi has launched the new A7 to quite a bit of fanfare

WORLD REPORT

INTEGRATION

Media & Marketing [LIFESTYLE]

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Mindful of the immigration lessons learned by other European countries, the Faroe Islands has been quick to act on integration measures to ensure new arrivals can settle into society. JOSEPH O’CONNOR reports.

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13 Opportunity Ireland 14 Start-Up Central

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Our Local Government InBUSINESS Supplement Partnered continues to Flooding 06 Against look at the important role played by local authorities in Irish enterprise Page

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The Faroe Islands has been quick to act on integration measures to ensure new arrivals to the country can settle into society

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LEINSTER • MUNSTER • CONNAUGHT • ULSTER

Inistioge wins European prize, funding announced for key projects in Kildare, and plans for new Tullamore Harbour

Funding cllocated for Kerry recreation projects, children’s book festival held in Tipperary, and LEO-backed jobs announced in Limerick

Flood plans adopted in Galway, LEADER funding announced for Mayo, and road repairs in Roscommon approved.

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Former post office to become art space, funding announced for west Cavan communities, and Donegal youth projects receive good news

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US-based company Black & Veatch has partnered with Irish-owned Nicolas O’ Dwyer to develop projects to alleviate the risks of flooding.

ON BRAND

The ‘We are Cork’ brand has been launched to promote Cork

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Dublin will host a range of events for Techstars’ Startup Weekbusiness event in China

57 Chambers Catch Up 96 The IB Index

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SEAN GALLAGHER MENTORS SERIES ONENTREPRENEUR HAVING A CLEAN SLATE

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CHECK OUT inbusinessireland.com

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13/11/2018 11:41

NE WS

BUSINESS NEWS

KILCULLEN COMPLETES SBP ACQUISITION Kilcullen Kapital Partners has today completed the acquisition of The Sunday Business Post. Kilcullen is led by entrepreneur Enda O’Coineen who is a former journalist and publisher. He has created, invested in and led various businesses in Central and Eastern Europe where he has been based. The transaction saw the acquisition of Post Publications Limited (PPL) from Sunrise Media. PPL owns The Sunday Business Post together with a number of ancillary operations which are included in the transfer. Siobhán Lennon will continue as chief executive of The Sunday Business Post – a role she was first appointed to in 2016.

HONG KONG AND IRELAND SIGN

GREEN FINANCE AGREEMENT

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Daniel Mackey and Peter Coppinger, founders of Teamwork

CORK DUO NAMED

EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR Daniel Mackey and Peter Coppinger, co-founders of SaaS company Teamwork, were named winners of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year for 2018. Now in their 21st year, the awards, which took place in Dublin on October 25th, attracted more than 1,500 business leaders from across Ireland to celebrate the achievements of the 24 finalists. The 2018 finalists collectively employ more than 2,700 people and last year generated revenues in excess of a150.3 million.

Headquartered in Cork city, Teamwork.com has been in business for 11 years. The company was founded by developers Peter Coppinger and Daniel Mackey and today, it has 22,000 paying customers across 183 countries, employs 200 people and has a remote workforce in 15 countries. Mackey and Coppinger will now go on to represent Ireland at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in Monte Carlo in June 2019, where they will compete with more than 60 leading entrepreneurs from around the world.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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ong Kong’s Green Finance Association (HKGFA) and Sustainable Nation Ireland (SNI) have signed an agreement which will see them collaborate closer on various green finance matters of mutual interest.

Mobilising the world’s financial centres is an important step in making progress on climate change and sustainable development. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to promote closer cooperation between Hong Kong and Ireland’s financial centres.

This year has been a breakthrough year globally with the value of green bonds exceeding $155 billion in 2017, up from $82 billion in 2016. In October, Ireland’s NTMA issued its first ever green bond, valued at a3 billion.

There is already an estimated a28 billion in green finance activities underway in Ireland.

For more on business tackling climate change go to our industry spotlight feature on page 26.

Sustainable Nation CEO Stephen Nolan, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan and Michael D’Arcy, Minster for Financial Services

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BUSINESS NEWS

DUBLIN IS FAVOURED LOCATION

FOR FINANCE FIRMS

Dublin continues to be the most popular choice for relocation, with 21 firms across financial services having committed to relocating staff or operations to the Irish capital since the Brexit referendum, according to EY’s Brexit Tracker. In second place is Frankfurt, which has attracted 15 companies, including three banks since June.

However, other cities are gaining traction; 14 companies have confirmed they will be moving staff and/or operations to Luxembourg and 10 firms remain set on Paris.

Milan and Madrid are also rising in popularity as hubs for major investment banks, with three and two banks respectively confirming these locations in the last quarter.

FAILURE TO INNOVATE SEEN AS THREAT TO IRISH BUSINESS

Irish companies are in danger of falling victim to digital disruption, regulatory requirements and economic shifts that are fundamentally changing their markets. That’s acccording to new research, commissioned by Ricoh and conducted by Coleman Parkes, which finds that 35 per cent of the 150 Irish business leaders surveyed say they will go out of business by 2020 if they fail to innovate in response to these changes. While 94 per cent recognise the impact of digital disruption in their sector, 61 per cent are not yet in a position to take advantage of its benefits.

The top benefits of innovation were cited as competitive advantage, increased productivity, improving growth and winning new customers.

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PICTURE

THIS

Man in the Mirror: Tánaiste Simon Coveney reviews a silicon wafer capable of creating thousands of microchips at Tyndall TechDays, which took place at the Aviva Stadium on October 24th. Photograph: Leon Farrell

Business

BITES VOXPRO FOUNDERS WIN CORK TECH AWARD

Caroline O’Driscoll, Chairperson of it@ cork, Dan and Linda Kiely, founders of Voxpro, Dan Mackey, co-founder of Teamwork and winner of last year’s Tech Person of the Year

EU PROBES RYANAIR DEAL The European Commission has opened an investigation into marketing and financial deals between Ryanair and Frankfurt-Hahn airport in Germany to assess whether it constituted illegal state aid.

V

oxpro founders Linda and Dan Kiely were awarded ‘Tech Person of the Year’ at the it@ cork Leaders Awards 2018, which took place at Cork’s Rochestown Park Hotel on October 19th. Now in their 12th year, the awards recognise those who have gone further than most in the use of technology in their respective organisations and businesses.

Voxpro is scaling at a rapid pace having started from humble beginnings back in 1995 when it operated above a pub in Cork with six employees. The company, which partners with innovative disruptive organisations to develop world-class customer experience currently employs around 5,000 people globally and has recently announced plans to recruit a further 400 for its Cork team.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

13/11/2018 15:12

BUSINESS NEWS

CLINTON PRAISES IRELAND’S HUMANITARIAN WORK

President Bill Clinton has praised Ireland for its overseas humanitarian work and the multicultural diversity of its capital, Dublin.

The 42nd US President was speaking at Concern Worldwide’s 50th anniversary conference, ‘Resurgence of Humanity’, which took place at Dublin Castle on September 7th.

President Clinton, who said he had witnessed Concern’s work in Haiti and on the African continent, commented: “Ireland is the only country in the world that every single day since the United Nations was formed after World War Two, has had a citizen in some country trying to help people who needed help because they were poor or repressed because of conflict. No other country in the world can say that.”

Concern Worldwide is Ireland’s largest humanitarian and development agency, and has worked with some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people in over 50 countries since its foundation in 1968.

Concern Youth Ambassador Aline Joyce Berabose along with her mother Marie Ange Berimana greeting former US President Bill Clinton and CEO of Concern Dominic MacSorley

BILLIONAIRES ARE 20 PER CENT RICHER

LIMERICK RUGBY CENTRE GETS GO AHEAD

NEW LAWS TO MAKE BANKERS ACCOUNTABLE

The world’s billionaires made more money in 2017 than in any year in recorded history, having increased their wealth by a fifth to $8.9 trillion, according to Swiss bank UBS.

JP McManus has been given planning permission for a new multi-million euro rugby-themed visitor centre in Limerick.

The International Rugby Experience will be located on O’Connell St.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe is to introduce a new law in 2019 making bank executives, senior management and middle management accountable for their decisions.

FORMER UTV PREMISES SOLD TO OLYMPIAN HOMES The former headquarters of UTV, Northern Ireland’s commercial television broadcaster, Studio 1 at UTV’s has been acquired by UK development firm former premises in Olympian Homes. UTV had been situated at Havelock House Havelock House since the broadcaster went on air in 1959 and for many years, UTV’s base was also used by television film crews around the world to process and edit film footage of the Troubles. UTV has since moved its operations to City Quays 2 in the Belfast Harbour Estate

Like to look inside state-of-the-art-premises? For this issue’s ‘On-site’ series, InBUSINESS took a tour of the new WeWork offices in Dublin. For more go to page 36.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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“We do need to make sure the pot of money that people have at retirement is sufficient enough to give them a reasonable income.”

Joe Creegan, Head of Corporate Life & Pensions, Zurich

COVER STORY

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THE BURNING QUESTION

?

What would you say is your biggest guilty pleasure, and why?

DAVID WHELAN CEO, VR Education My biggest weakness is chocolate – Willie Wonka is my Pablo Escobar! My wife has gone to such extreme lengths as hiding bars of chocolate in the oven because if I know it’s in the house I will tear the house apart to find it.

IRELAND LAGS BEHIND EUROPE

Irish organisations are falling behind their European counterparts in the advancement of AI. That’s according to new research from Microsoft and EY, which has revealed key stumbling blocks within Irish organisations that could threaten successful AI roll-out and, ultimately, digital success. Entitled ‘Artificial Intelligence in Europe’, the Microsoft report seeks to understand the AI strategies and the state of AI within 277 major companies, across seven business sectors and 15 countries in Europe.

CEO, Coindrum I enjoy the odd whisky sour. I also get carried away with little projects that carry no guilt – I built a coffee racer motorbike, renovated an old safe, made a table out of one cent coins, overspent on great speakers and recently got into archery. It’s an ever changing list!

JOSEPH O’CONNOR Editor, InBUSINESS I’m a real sucker for quality beer and love trying out obscure flavours and indie brands. If I’m travelling abroad I’ll always sample the local brews, which can often prove detrimental to my sightseeing plans!

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 Over half expect AI to have an impact on “business areas that are entirely unknown today”  Only 4 per cent consider themselves advanced in AI  AI is ramping up in Ireland with 75 per cent saying they are in planning or piloting phase

Kieran McCorry, National Technology Officer, Microsoft Ireland, Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland and Simon MacAllister, Partner, EY Ireland

CEO, County Meath Chamber

LUKAS DECKER

 65 per cent of European organisations expect AI to have a high impact on their core business

 However, investment by organisations in AI in Ireland are below their European counterparts

PAULA MCCAUL

I must confess that I have a very sweet tooth and without doubt my all-time greatest guilty pleasure is buttery, sweet, chocolatey toffee. I absolutely adore it!

IN AI

HERE’S A GLANCE AT THE FINDINGS:

GAELTACHT AREAS AND SCOTLAND FORM NEW BUSINESS ALLIANCE Ireland’s Gaeltacht areas and Scotland have announced the establishment of dedicated reciprocal trade offices to provide support services to companies and facilitate investment and trade opportunities. Led by West Lothian Chamber of Commerce and facilitated by Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) and Údarás na Gaeltachta, the reciprocal arrangement is the first of its kind for Scotland and the Gaeltacht and will act as a valuable resource for SMEs looking to expand their international B2B partnerships.

SKILLED PROFESSIONALS

BEING DRAWN TO THE WEST A new survey has found SOME OF THE KEY that the west FINDINGS ARE: of Ireland is  The west of Ireland attracts attracting highly skilled professionals highly skilled with 51 per cent holding professionals a master’s degree or postgraduate diploma with its promise  83 per cent have of a better bought property or are quality of considering it life, career  43 per cent said their opportunities, commute time is now less than 20 minutes lower property prices and more  40 per cent have seen up to a 20 per cent increase disposable in their disposable income. income. The Galway-Mayo Relocation Survey, released on October 23rd, was carried out by recruitment and HR company Collins McNicholas in conjunction with IDA Ireland. Collins McNicholas surveyed almost 200 people who have recently relocated to Galway or Mayo.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

13/11/2018 15:21

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13/11/2018 08/11/2018 11:29 16:15

MOVERS & SHAKERS

M vers

NEW APPOINTMENTS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY NATIONWIDE

SHAKERS

MARY-JANE HALPIN

DARREN O’SULLIVAN

DAWN O’DWYER

COLM MANNING

NEW TITLE: Director of Human Resources & Business Change EMPLOYER: Cornmarket Group Financial Services PREVIOUS ROLE: Head of Human Resources, Cornmarket Group

NEW TITLE: Sales Director EMPLOYER: Logicalis Ireland PREVIOUS ROLE: GM, Outsource and Managed Services, eir

NEW TITLE: Finance Director EMPLOYER: Envisage Cloud PREVIOUS ROLE: Independent financial consultant

NEW TITLE: Commercial Partner EMPLOYER: BDM Boylan PREVIOUS ROLE: Solicitor, Ronan Daly Jermyn

Cornmarket Group Financial Services has announced the appointment of Mary-Jane Halpin as Director of Human Resources & Business Change. A key responsibility for Halpin in her new role will be to drive the digital and people strategy for the business whilst leading and influencing change management programmes throughout the company.

IT solutions company Logicalis Ireland has appointed Darren O’Sullivan as its Sales Director. In his new role, O’Sullivan will lead the sales and marketing team, which will involve driving profitable growth for the company. O’Sullivan joined Logicalis Ireland earlier this year, following 11 years with eir Business where he spent four years as General Manager/Director of eir’s Outsource and Managed Services business.

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Software company Envisage Cloud has appointed Dawn O’Dwyer to the position of Finance Director. In her role, O’Dwyer is responsible for contributing to the growth of the company and day-today financial management.

Before joining Envisage Cloud, O’Dwyer provided financial and accounting advice to the company on an outsourced basis.

Law firm BDM Boylan has announced the appointment of Colm Manning as Partner to head up its commercial team.

A specialist commercial lawyer, Manning previously worked with and gained extensive experience in two other leading commercial firms. This was after studying Law at UCD and doing a Masters in Corporate and Commercial Law.

Helen Raftery is CEO of Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI), which was established in 1996. By facilitating JA activities, 3,000 business volunteers complement the work of educators and families in inspiring and motivating students to realise their potential and gaining an understanding of how to succeed in the world of work. In 2018/19, more than 61,000 students will participate due to the support of over 170 organisations.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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CONSULTANT SLOT

EXPERIENCE MATTERS IN THIS ISSUE’S COLUMN, FIONA DONNELLY LOOKS AT THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE.

B

RACHEL STEENSON

WILLIAM SCANLON

NEW TITLE: Market Engagement Manager for NI EMPLOYER: Esri Ireland PREVIOUS ROLE: Customer Success Manager, Esri Ireland

NEW TITLE: Chief Executive EMPLOYER: Tyndall National Institute PREVIOUS ROLE: School Head, Queen’s University Belfast

Digital mapping company Esri Ireland has announced the appointment of Rachel Steenson as Market Engagement Manager for Northern Ireland. Steenson will be responsible for overall market development in Northern Ireland and will also manage a portfolio of customer accounts.

Prior to this role, Steenson joined Esri Ireland in 2016 as Customer Success Manager.

usinesses are faced with so many pressures today and finding and retaining the right talent is a top concern. Gone are the days that companies rely solely on their business reputation to attract candidates; gone too is the notion that salary is the most potent enticer of talent. Today’s candidates and employees are strongly swayed by ‘employee experience’ (EX). To compete, companies need to possess top-class impressions across all touch-points, from pre-hire to retire.

Employee experience simply put is ‘seeing the workplace as the employee perceives it’. In many ways, it is similar to customer experience (CX). Both are inextricably linked consumers of experience. As organisational consultant Simon Sinek has stated: “Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” At Nexus Consulting, we believe employee experience equates to four pillars:

Technology research organisation Tyndall National Institute has appointed Professor William Scanlon to the role of Chief Executive. Acknowledged as a pioneer in wearables and medical device communications, a technology entrepreneur and an accomplished academic, Prof Scanlon will lead a team of more than 500 researchers, engineers and support staff.

1. The Culture – the people; the collective vibe; the internal processes; the values and the vision; the recognition and rewards 2. The Work – the purpose; the engagement; the challenges; and growth opportunities 3. The Tech – the relevancy, the reliability and scope of the systems; the ease of use; the accessibility 4. The Surroundings – the location; the on-site amenities; the layout; the sensory environment Companies that purport to offer excellent customer or client experience are missing a trick by not offering a similar experience to their employees – because ultimately it does matter, and customer experience will blossom with engaged and motivated employees.

Fiona Donnelly is an employer brand strategist and CEO of www.nexusconsulting.ie.

1.

Circumstances alter cases.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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2.

Trust the process.

3.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.

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13/11/2018 15:24

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What’s on your

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13/11/2018 13:10

JOB CREATION COMPANY: Citrix SECTOR: Technology LOCATION: Dublin ANNOUNCEMENT: Software multinational Citrix has invested almost a7 million in expanding its north Dublin office, creating 30 jobs in the process.

The company’s upgraded 49,500 sq ft facility at East Point Business Park is now the largest Citrix European centre within EMEA.

COMPANY: ILC Dover

SECTOR: Logistics

LOCATION: Cork

ANNOUNCEMENT: ILC Dover, a global company specialising in flexible containment solutions for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry, has announced it is expanding its Irish production footprint by opening a location in Blarney, Co Cork, creating up to 70 jobs over two years.

COMPANY: MSD Ireland SECTOR: Pharmaceutical LOCATION: Various ANNOUNCEMENT: MSD Ireland has announced the creation of 330 jobs in Ireland as it expands two of its manufacturing sites.

The jobs will be split between Cork (210) and Carlow (120) and the company will invest a280 million over the next three years at both locations.

OpportunityIRELAND InBUSINESS highlights some of the companies that are expanding operations and generating new employment opportunities around the country.

COMPANY: eir SECTOR: Telecommunications LOCATION: Various ANNOUNCEMENT: Telecommunications giant eir has announced the creation of 750 new jobs across Ireland. The new positions are primarily in customer service and will come on stream across the firm’s regional locations in Sligo, Cork and Limerick.

COMPANY: Overstock.com SECTOR: E-commerce LOCATION: Sligo

COMPANY: SECTOR: LOCATION: Logicalis IT Dublin Ireland ANNOUNCEMENT: IT company Logicalis Ireland has announced that it has invested a1 million in digital transformation, which will see the creation of 25 new jobs over the next two years. The company has refreshed its technologies, including a highly advanced IT service management platform.

ANNOUNCEMENT: E-commerce and technology company Overstock.com has announced plans to expand its European base in Sligo, creating 100 new research and development roles and more than tripling the office’s current headcount.

Trade Mission Aims to Increase Irish Exports to China On October 31st, Minister for Business, Enterprise & Innovation Heather Humphreys led a trade mission to China of 45 Enterprise Ireland clients with the aim of highlighting the strong trade and investment links between Ireland and Greater China. Focused on promoting the innovative capabilities and competitive offers of Irish companies to international buyers, in sectors including fintech, consumer goods, healthcare, international services and digital technologies, the trade mission is seen as critical in helping Irish companies to diversify into the Chinese market in the context of Brexit.

Trade with China in Numbers InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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EI client exports to the Asia Pacific region grew by 9% to €1.97b in 2017

China accounts for 52% of EI client exports to the Asia Pacific region

EI targets export growth of 40% to Greater China by 2020

13

13/11/2018 15:25

START-UPS

Start-Up Central

NEWS,VIEWS AND PROFILES ON THE LATEST START-UPS IN IRELAND

The number of Irish and European start-ups selected for the autumn phase of the Google Adopt a Startup programme in Dublin, with $240,000 in Google Cloud credit up for grabs.

NEW SEED FUND FOR TECH ENTREPRENEURS Mullingar-based Zoosh Ventures has announced a new seed fund for experienced business people with ambitions to start a Software as a Service (SaaS) or B2B cloud technology company. Co-founded in 2014 by Zoosh Ventures CEO Bert Farrell – formerly a manager of Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers programme – the company focuses on funding and working closely with early stage technology startups, concentrating on commercialisation, product build, entrepreneurial development and future growth strategy. Some of the successful start-ups to have been backed by Zoosh include Tixserve, Profile 90 and Kyzentree Technologies.

For more details on the fund go to zooshventures.com.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

ELENA & MALINDI DEMERY Co-founders of MALENA Group

How did you fund your business initially?

With difficulty to be honest. We had a small amount of personal savings and an investment from our non-executive director Danny Hughes to purchase our first round of stock.

We managed our cashflow very carefully from season to season to make the most of the increasing revenues we were receiving.

What’s the best advice you were given?

Your time is the most valuable resource within the business (particularly at the beginning). Hiring staff and outsourcing work can be tricky but they enable you to focus your time and energy on the important things.

What was the most important lesson you learned starting out?

Buy what you know you can sell, and use a formula to calculate your risk on new products/styles and lines.

Your biggest make or break moment?

Launching our own e-commerce site and social media platforms was a genuine make or break decision that has ultimately paid off.

Would you change anything in hindsight?

Plan as accurately as possible for growth. Whilst it’s easy to get lost in wishful forecasts you need to be realistic about the trends and what the figures tell you.

Company: MALENA Group Location: Unit 12, Fashion City, Ballymount, Dublin Product: Freddy Jeans, Quay Australia, Rosemunde, Svea, Sparkz Team: 8 Website: www.malena.ie

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Elena & Malindi Demery

FINTECH START-UP LAUNCHES RECRUITMENT DRIVE Fintech start-up PiP iT Global has announced the recruitment of eight new staff in its Galway offices in 2018, with plans to hire a further 17 people in the next 12 to 18 months. The expansion follows a successful fundraising exercise earlier this year when the company secured over a1 million from private investors and Enterprise Ireland. PiP iT is a secure and private online payment platform that helps customers spend cash digitally.

It allows migrants living and working around the world to pay bills and transfer money overseas at a fraction of the cost charged by more traditional international payment providers.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

14/11/2018 10:44

START-UPS

NEW INNOVATION HUB’S GOT TALENT A new digital innovation hub, called Talent Garden Dublin, has opened at DCU’s Innovation Campus, DCU Alpha. The strategic partnership between Talent Garden and Dublin City University will provide members with access and opportunity to collaborate across a growing global network of 3,500 tech professionals, allowing them to scale up and internationalise rapidly. Talent Garden has 23 campuses in eight countries across Europe, and has plans for a new facility in San Francisco. Pictured at the launch of Talent Garden’s innovation school in October are Innovation School Director Ruth Kearney; Phuong Uyen Trân who was launching her new book Competing with Giants; and Country Manager Mark Bennett.

Kellie Adamson, founder, SepTec

HBAN AIMS TO RAISE 10M FROM 50 FEMALE ANGELS

For more information visit www.hban.org.

NE TO WATCH: SEPTEC

John Phelan, National Director, HBAN

Halo Business Angel Network (HBAN) has announced plans to recruit 50 new female business angel investors over the next three years. The organisation, which is an initiative of Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland and Invest Northern Ireland, will run a series of events to encourage more female investors to invest in ambitious start-ups based on the island of Ireland seeking to expand internationally.

The new female investors will bring a combined a10 million of new business angel funds.

Since 2007, HBAN angels have invested a91 million in 436 separate deals. It is now seeking angels interested in joining its syndicates.

This quarter’s start-up of choice is health tech company SepTec, which came to prominence after winning the One to Watch Award at Enterprise Ireland’s Big Ideas 2018. Founded by Kellie Adamson, SepTec has developed a new solution for rapid, sensitive and costeffective sepsis diagnosis.

Sepsis is the body’s lifethreatening immune response to the presence of bacteria in the blood or other infection and can claim lives within hours. SepTec’s approach is designed to achieve more rapid and automated pathogen identification in minutes, not hours. The technology can detect sepsis associated pathogens in whole blood within 15 minutes.

SepTec was one of 12 investor-ready start-up companies to pitch their new technology solutions to investors at Enterprise Ireland’s annual showcase of start-up innovation emerging from higher education institutes at the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin. Each start-up had just three minutes to promote their innovations and business propositions to an invited audience made up of the Irish research and business communities. www.septec.ie

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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13/11/2018 15:27

ENTREPRENEUR

Travel tech start-up Coindrum, which puts self-service currency exchange machines in airports and retailers, is the brainchild of German-born and Dublin-based Lukas Decker.

He talks to InBUSINESS about launching fast, aiming high and favouring coins over contraband.

Q: How is life and how is business at present?

A: Life is great – I love living in Dublin and there is plenty of opportunity for Coindrum. We have a new office in Donnybrook and are in expansion mode, growing our service both in duty free but now also in partnership with grocery and other high street retail chains. There is over a100 million in coin jars stashed away in Irish homes alone, our coin for cash machines unlock this opportunity.

Q: Would you say you have always had a business head on your shoulders?

A: My entire family are all lawyers, so I am the black sheep and always had the entrepreneurship bug. I’ve always had some type of project on the side. One that comes to mind – and in the hope that the statute of limitations has passed – is when I was in boarding school in the UK I used to buy suitcases full of cigarettes in Germany and resell them at school, where prices were drastically higher. A lucrative business that quickly 16

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attracted competition from another student who brought a suitcase full of even cheaper supply from Asia. My customer base was delighted and rather disloyal; at which point I invested all my profits, bought my competitors entire stock and raised prices back to heyday levels.

I ended up meeting an inspirational teacher at the time who, after high-fiving me on the above story, ended up teaching me business studies for the following years. Business remains my favourite sport and I get to do it all day.

Q: What are your thoughts on entrepreneurship in Ireland at present and the types of start-ups emerging here in recent years?

A: Ireland is a good place to start a business – there are plenty of investment funds looking for a home, support systems such as Enterprise Ireland available, and the economy is booming. The market is small and should only be a starting point, but people are accessible and, certainly in the duty free space, the Irish network reaches far. I see cool companies such as Pointy or Fleet emerge all the time. There is no shortage of entrepreneurial talent here.

On the other hand, there are issues. Wage inflation can be a burden for cash-strapped projects and the capital gains tax environment is not competitive – you can start in the UK and the tax incentives are far superior.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

13/11/2018 15:29

ENTREPRENEUR

Jason Clarke

“Do everything much faster and aim high – If no one is laughing at you, you are not thinking big enough.”

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Q: Could you tell us about starting a business as such a young age and some of the pitfalls of not having industry experience?

A: Industry experience can be valuable of course, but there is also real benefit to a certain extent of naivety.

If you knew every hurdle and headwind on day one of your start-up, there would be a good chance you wouldn’t take the leap.

The disrupted are often blind to opportunity, following the welltrodden path of how things have always worked.

I came into the airport retail sector essentially as an annoyed customer that came up with a solution, a good starting point. Being a student at the time, my life was also running on a low-cost model, so it was easy to keep that going a bit longer in the cashstrapped starting period. I am 30 now and think I recently lost the ‘young’ from my ‘young entrepreneur’ title!

Q: Do you have any advice for budding entrepreneurs hoping to get a business off the ground?

A: Launch fast, learn, alter and repeat. Surround yourself with people who are where you want to be for advice and to lend credibility to your project. Seek the hard truths quickly – will people use this product and pay for it? Supportive friends or family are not the same as market validation.

Play to win, not to avoid losing.

Companies fail, people don’t necessarily.

Do everything much faster and aim high – If no one is laughing at you, you are not thinking big enough.

Q: What has been your own mantra in business?

A: I haven’t had any real mantra – it has just been about aiming high

Jason Clarke

ENTREPRENEUR

UP IN THE AIR Due to the nature of Coindrum, Decker travels a lot seeking to expand into new markets. It made us wonder what his favourite airport was to pass through. “Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar was a pretty flawless experience,” he says. “Airports mostly just need to get the basics right: No lengthy or confusing treks, speedy security checks, friendly staff, sufficient seating, free and no sign-up Wifi, clean bathrooms and retail offering that caters to the average traveller.

If you tick those boxes you are already leading the pack!

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Q: Any company news or expansion plans Coindrum can share with us right now?

A: We launched in Dubai International airport, which was our seventh country. We also had great success in partnering with SuperValu for a trial on the high street, something we are now looking to expand in the coming months.

Q: How do you define success?

A: It’s a moving target but generally I am healthy, have an amazing girlfriend and Coindrum is at an exciting stage at the cusp of an enormous opportunity, so life is good right now. Building a coin empire is next on the list!

Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar

“SEEK THE HARD TRUTHS QUICKLY – WILL PEOPLE USE THIS PRODUCT AND PAY FOR IT? SUPPORTIVE FRIENDS OR FAMILY ARE NOT THE SAME AS MARKET VALIDATION.” 18

and taking the steps to get there.

I am surrounded by a great team and people who have built great companies before. I pick up their advice and traits as I go along.

Q: Where would you like to be with Coindrum in five years’ time?

A: We are doing very well for both customers and retail partners right now, however at a very small scale compared to the unmet market need. We will now partner and grow with the big retail chains across Europe and beyond.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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13/11/2018 11:44

COVER STORY

Jason Clarke

IT'S ALL ABOUT TRYING TO IMPROVE THE MEMBER EXPERIENCE AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE, WHEN THEY GET TO RETIREMENT, HAVE ADEQUATE COVERAGE.”

Joe Creegan, Head of Corporate Life & Pensions, Zurich pictured at The Loft @ Four Dame Lane

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InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

15/11/2018 11:02

Ahead of the

From 2022, employees without private pensions will be automatically enrolled in a retirement savings scheme – a move by the Government to address the massive pensions deficit. InBUSINESS meets Joe Creegan, Head of Corporate Life & Pensions at Zurich, to talk preparing for auto-enrolment (AE), industry reform and the challenge of making pensions attractive.

Curve How has 2018 been for Zurich Life?

It's been a really positive year for us. In fact, when we look at the last number of years, they've been very strong. Last year was our best year ever and 2018 is projecting to surpass that. It's looking like it will be another strong year, both for the corporate side and the retail side of our business.

Zurich Life is made up of two components – the retail business and the corporate business.

The corporate business focuses on companies and their employees – in terms of retirement provision and providing protection in the event of their death and disability. Over the last number of years, we’ve grown our market

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share in the corporate market to close to 25 per cent and we are now the second largest life company in the corporate market. We’ve built that on the back of our consistently strong investment performance, market leading products and our service offering.

Who would your typical client be?

We have everything from SMEs right up to large multinationals. On the risk side, certainly, we have some very large multinational employers. On the pension side, we are very strong on the mid-size market, with some penetration in the large multinational space as well. But we don't 21

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specifically target one area, rather we provide bespoke products to the different markets.

One key differentiator about our business compared to our main competitors is that we operate exclusively through employee benefit consultants and brokers. That means we don't tend to go directly to the market. Instead, we focus on the areas where we believe we can deliver best, which are on the products and administration side. We rely on employee benefit consultants for the advice space. From a customer point of view, we see that as important because we strongly believe that partnership delivers the best outcomes for the end customer.

How many staff do you have in Ireland?

Are there any industry trends that are shaping your business right now?

What you're seeing now is an improvement in employment levels.

The unemployment rate is down to its lowest level since before the crisis so that's feeding into our business.

We're seeing a lot more employees joining the staff pension scheme, and we're seeing more employees being included in group protection schemes, be it for death, accident or ill health.

There's quite rightly a significant focus at the moment around pensions adequacy for employees, particularly in the defined contribution(DC) space. At Zurich, we're focusing on that to ensure that the people who are already in a pension scheme are contributing a sufficient amount.

You're also seeing how a lot of traditional defined benefit (DB) schemes are closing and they're being replaced by DC schemes, effectively moving the investment risk away from the employer onto the employee.

That's quite a dramatic trend.

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Joe Creegan, Head of Corporate Life & Pensions, Zurich pictured at The Loft @ Four Dame Lane

Jason Clarke

If you take Zurich Life as a whole, there are around 550 staff.

However, if you look at Zurich as an organisation, there are about 1,100 people in Ireland. They are located between Wexford, Blackrock, Ballsbridge and the IFSC.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE WORKFORCE NOW WHO WILL NEVER SEE THE BENEFITS OF AUTO-ENROLMENT AND SO OUR MESSAGE TO COMPANIES IS NOT TO WAIT UNTIL AUTO-ENROLMENT COMES IN." Why is that shift happening?

The main factor is volatility in the cost, because typically with a DB scheme – as it suggests – the benefits are defined at retirement. What's happening is that companies guaranteeing their employees a pension based on their salary are discovering that when their employee retires the interest rates are so low that the costs of providing that guaranteed pension has increased. In addition to that, people are living longer, so that's putting pressure on the price as well. It's making the cost of guaranteed benefits very, very expensive, and also accounting rules mean that companies have to account for any deficits they have in their pension funds.

The shift from DB to DC

introduces more uncertainty for the employee and more certainty for the employer, because now they know how much they have to pay.

It is a big shift. Accounting rules, together with the interest rate and longevity, are the factors that have influenced that, and it's unlikely to be reversed.

How are Government moves to introduce mandatory pension schemes likely to impact Zurich's business?

We are the second largest provider in the corporate pensions market.

Mandatory pensions are going to ensure that everybody – of which there are about two-thirds of the population outside the public sector not included in a pension scheme – is brought under a supplementary InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

13/11/2018 15:34

MAKING

arrangement. We will certainly be putting in a submission shortly, but also we are looking to be one of the providers chosen to run the auto-enrolment and investment management process. We're very keen to participate in that and we expect that we will.

How will that process work?

Will the Government put it out there to a number of providers?

Yes, there is a Strawman proposal that was issued earlier this year that states there would be four providers appointed as autoenrolment-registered providers.

We are examining the proposals very carefully and at this stage we take the view that it shouldn't be limited to four, because it's better to give the market more choice. We feel that providers should have to meet certain criteria and, if they do, they should be able to operate as a registered provider.

Before that comes to pass, what measures are needed to improve pension coverage and adequacy levels?

This is one of the challenges in the system at the moment. We've got two issues: one is that not enough people are participating in supplementary pensions. They're relying on the State pension, which they might find becomes a challenge when they reach retirement age. We need to get all those people into some form of supplementary pension.

However, the bigger challenge will be addressing adequacy. We've lost a decade already, because coverage has been falling. It's effectively going to be ten years from now before we get it back to sufficient levels, so that's a 20-year period that has been lost. There are a lot of people in the workforce now who will never see the benefits of auto-enrolment and so our message to companies is not to wait until auto-enrolment comes in, but to set up the scheme for staff now, but also to go to those higher levels of contribution sooner, rather than later. That's the InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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only way we're going to deal with the adequacy position.

Sure, we can deal with the coverage issue, but that's only part of the story. We do need to make sure the pot of money that people have at retirement is sufficient enough to give them a reasonable income. It's good that we now have a proposal out there, but it's long overdue and it looks like it's taking too long to implement.

Aside from the mandatory scheme, is there anything more the Government could be doing?

The current tax reliefs which are available to pension savers need to be retained. Experience has shown that people need to be incentivised to put away money for their future.

The Government should not seek to in any way diminish the incentive that the current levels of tax relief provide. Instead, the Government needs to ensure that the current tax regime is applied to the auto-enrolment model that is being developed. At the present moment there is a significant flaw in the design of auto-enrolment as the approach to tax relief looks set to be inferior to that which is available for other pension savers.

The most important thing the Government can do is to develop something that's mandatory, but also make sure that the tax relief is appropriate and consistent with what's currently available.

As for Zurich, it's all about trying to improve the member experience and making sure that people, when they get to retirement, have adequate coverage.

We won an award last year for Best Innovation in Financial Services for an investment strategy that we put together. People get very confused by investment decisions, so we introduced a flexible lifetime investment strategy that moved people from higher risk funds into lower risk funds without them having to do anything. It's not often that life assurance companies are regarded as being innovative, so that was a particularly exciting one – to be seen as innovative.

PENSIONS ATTRACTIVE

Pensions are not always an easy sell, which is why having strong communications channels is vital to providers. Keen to address the adequacy question, ensuring that people are putting away sufficient amounts to retire comfortably, Zurich has invested heavily in its marketing material.

“It's a challenge sometimes, trying to make something like pensions, the benefits from which arise so far into the future, attractive to younger people,” says Creegan. “It requires a lot of effort and a lot of thought, using different ways to get your message across, be that through webinars, face-to-face contact, lunch and learns or marketing material online. We are constantly trying different things.

“We’ve created a wide range of tools, calculators and helpful videos to help people better understand their retirement plans and these are all readily available at zuirch.ie. For members of a DC pension scheme we can also offer our Connect employer website – this is a fully employer branded pensions hub that can sit on an internal intranet site. Connect has proved to be incredibly popular with our corporate customers and it continues to be our most popular employee engagement solution.”

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13/11/2018 15:34

World Sport Pics

BUSINESS OF SPORT

ON THE BACK OF TREMENDOUS SUCCESS AT THE HOCKEY WOMEN’S WORLD CUP, CONOR FORREST TAKES A LOOK AT THE PATH AHEAD FOR IRISH HOCKEY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SPONSORSHIP FOR THE SPORT.

Above: The Irish Hockey Women’s semi-final triumph was described as “preposterous brilliance”

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B

efore the Hockey Women’s World Cup in London kicked off in July, it looked unlikely that the Irish side would go far, ranked 16th out of the 16 teams that took part in the tournament.

Fast forward to August 5th and, despite a disappointing 6-0 loss to The Netherlands in the final, the women in green had claimed their first ever World Cup medal.

It was the culmination of what had been a truly fantastic run, and the team returned home to a heroes welcome with their silver medals in tow.

“Netherlands are an outstanding side with world class players, we can be so proud to stand here and say we came second in the world,” head coach Graham Shaw remarked after the final. “It’s an incredible

achievement, and I think when the girls reflect back they will see what a remarkable achievement this is.”

Beyond the dejection at having lost in the final, the response was overwhelming joy peppered with disbelief – an Irish Times piece reporting from the team’s semi-final triumph described events as “preposterous brilliance”.

Two months after those events, with the dust having firmly settled, I ask Adam Grainger – Hockey Ireland’s Director of Performance who works alongside men’s national coach Craig Fulton and women’s national coach Graham Shaw – whether there was any inkling as to how far these women could and would go.

“Good question – no, I don’t think anyone anticipated getting a silver medal, that’s fairly obvious. We all knew that group would do well, because they’ve got a collective purpose about them,” he says. “By that I mean this group were very close to qualifying for the Rio Olympics and didn’t based on hitting InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

13/11/2018 15:36

BUSINESS OF SPORT

the post and then losing a shoot-out... But I would be lying if I said we knew we would get a silver medal.”

There’s no doubt that hard work in the weeks, months and years leading up to the World Cup played an enormous role in the team’s success. That’s in addition to the strong structures in place that have helped propel them forward, including support from Sport Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland and key figures in the likes of Graham Shaw and assistant coach Arlene Boyles.

But funding also plays a major role and, as recently as May, the women’s team was without a sponsor, without the investment to help fine-tune its tournament preparations. Then, in stepped SoftCo in early June to inject “vital” funds into the organisation, as Hockey Ireland CEO Jerome Pels described it.

SoftCo, a global finance automation software company with bases in Dublin and Cork, has built up a burgeoning sponsorship family that includes the likes of rugby legends Ronan O’Gara and Dan Carter and PGA Tour stars Chesson Hadley and Troy Merritt.

The partnership with Hockey Ireland runs until the end of 2018 – writing in The Irish Times following the tournament’s end, Charlie Taylor quoted “industry sources” who provided an estimate of a20,000 to have the company’s name displayed on the team’s shirts, “a figure that jumps to a40,000 when performance bonuses are included”.

So why did SoftCo choose to come onboard? Part of the reason may well have been its links with the sport. The company is the main sponsor of Monkstown Hockey Club, a club where co-founder Susan Spence previously played; CEO Anton Scott once lined out for the national men’s side.

“We had supported the U21 team in the past with some measure of backing but that opened our eyes to the difference in how teams playing at this level are supported in Ireland as opposed to by other nations,” Spence said in an interview with Sport For Business. “We felt that by backing the Irish team at the World Cup that we could bring them just a little closer to the level of backing that their rivals would be enjoying.

Being allowed to display the SoftCo logo on the shirts is a big plus given the amount of coverage the tournament will attract.”

The chance to help bring its brand to a global audience must have proven persuasive.

The International Hockey Federation, as InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

024 InBusiness Q3 2018_Business of Sport.indd 25

Chloe Watkins, Monkstown; Peter Caruth, Annadale; Sam Grace, UCC and Ruth Maguire, Pegasus pictured at the launch of the EY Hockey League 2018/2019 Season

part of its bid to attract sponsors for the World Cup, highlighted a slew of benefits including global TV exposure to more than one billion people across over 160 countries and footfall of up to 150,000 at the event.

The sport is one of the world’s most popular – a global fanbase of around two billion is regularly cited. I ask Grainger whether he believes the exploits of the women’s team this summer will make a difference to the value of potential partnerships for Hockey Ireland.

“Yes, definitely, both women’s and men’s.

It’s great that SoftCo has been in the limelight. They have supported the girls and they were great during the tournament, before the tournament and they will be afterwards. It’s great to see an Irish company actually benefiting from [that] success,” he explains. “We are very grateful [for] the finances we get from Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland, but it’s not enough... That’s why sponsorship is key.”

The plan now is to capitalise on this and other success, to continue to grow and develop hockey as a sport across the country.

There’s plenty of opportunity for success on the horizon – next up are the qualifying stages for the World Series and the 2020 Olympics.

“We can’t see any tangible changes yet, but we have had discussions on increased funding from Sport Ireland et cetera. Sponsors are obviously wanting to engage with us more now – it’s really about bringing that forward,” says Grainger. “This is a long process – we’re not going to be silver medaling at the junior age grade or the next senior men’s if we don’t continue to move forward.”

EY BIG ON HOCKEY Professional services firm EY has been official sponsor of the Irish Hockey League since 2015. Speaking in September at the launch of the 2018/2019 season, which includes the introduction of a second division, Frank O’Keeffe, Managing Partner, EY Ireland, said: “This investment in hockey at grassroots level will give players and clubs all over the island an opportunity to excel at their passion and to compete with the highestperforming teams in the sport.”

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INDUSTRY FEATURE

As the Climate Innovation Summit takes place in Dublin, TIERNAN CANNON speaks with some of the companies helping to develop Ireland as an emerging hub for green business.

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INDUSTRY FEATURE

B

etween November 6th and 8th, decision-makers from across Europe convened at the 2018 Climate Innovation Summit, which this year was held at Dublin Castle.

This fifth edition of the Summit focused predominately around innovative finance solutions intended to accelerate the decarbonisation of transport, buildings and food production. Organised by EIT Climate-KIC, Europe’s climate innovation body, the summit coincided with Ireland’s 2018 Year of Sustainable Business.

This event, as well as the broader activities of EIT Climate-KIC, illustrate that sustainable and ecofriendly businesses are of increasing interest in today’s world. Consumers nowadays are more mindful of the environmental impact that they leave, be it on a personal level or indirectly through the companies with which they do business. They want to be sure that the companies whose products or services they avail of are undertaking green practices. Indeed, they might look to companies to assist them in reducing their own personal impact on the environment – meaning that there is a specific niche which start-ups can attempt to fill.

“We know that people are looking for ways to save energy, for environmental and economic reasons,” says Graham Merriman, who is the Head of Sales and Marketing at Irish tech start-up Hub Controls. “This is a big part of our message.”

Established in 2014 by Ollie Hynes, Hub Controls produces a smart thermostat called the Hub Controller, which allows customers to control their heating from their mobile phone. The Hub Controls device is installed within a premises, in place of an existing heating timer, clock or thermostat, and using the same wiring that has already been set up. It is then connected to the WiFi and begins to learn the heating behaviour of its users. It gathers and analyses this data, from which it sets about reducing the time with which the boiler is on unnecessarily. According to Merriman, heating makes up roughly 50 per cent of household energy usage, and so this is an obvious place people should seek to reduce their energy usage.

Technologies such as Hub Controller are desirable for consumers, in that they reduce bills and also lessen the environmental impact of heating by reducing unnecessary waste. Yet, as Merriman points out, Ireland is on course to miss its 2020 carbon reduction target by quite a distance, and so more needs to be done.

Companies like Hub Controls are a start, but Merriman ultimately believes that additional Government support is necessary to help these firms to develop. “I think that there is a lot more that the

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INDUSTRY FEATURE

Ollie Hynes, CEO, Hub Controls

Government can do, especially as this is an area which has very high visibility in Europe and our fellow EU member states are heavily funding it,” he says. “Clean tech is one of the hot areas for investors, and yet in Ireland, this sector is relatively underdeveloped.

Hub Controls has been backed

by Enterprise Ireland, who have invested in our business, and we are getting ongoing support from them, but in comparison to the state initiatives in other countries and the attention given to other sectors, clean tech seems to be undervalued.”

THE GREEN LIGHT Start-ups working within the area of climate innovation certainly have great potential to grow, yet a lack of Government support can hold them back. This is a sentiment shared by Dublin-based UrbanVolt, which supplies light as a service to industrial and commercial premises. This is a concept that sees UrbanVolt upgrading the lighting within a customer’s facility, managing the entire project from start to finish, but with no upfront investment on the part of the customer. Rather, the customer pays UrbanVolt a monthly fee for five years, which is simply a proportion of the savings generated 28

026 InBusiness Q3 2018_Industry Feature_REV.indd 28

from the new lighting installation.

UrbanVolt, throughout the course of the subscription, also takes care of any maintenance.

“The Irish energy management sector is going to become more and more important thanks to climate change,” says Edel Kennedy, Head of Marketing at the company. “Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our generation and unfortunately the Irish Government is not showing any leadership in this area. Bureaucracy is getting in the way of getting things done, so we’re not waiting on the Government anymore. We are removing all the barriers for companies to move towards energy efficiency and we are demonstrating that it can be done.”

Just as Graham Merriman at Hub Controls suggests, Kennedy says that the Irish Government does offer certain initiatives and schemes to companies offering environmentally friendly services and products, “THE IRISH ENERGY MANAGEMENT SECTOR IS GOING TO BECOME MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT THANK TO CLIMATE CHANGE.”

Edel Kennedy, Head of Marketing, UrbanVolt

but that it is not enough. “The Government provides energy credits via the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), which reduces some of the cost of carrying out an energy efficiency project,” she says. “They also provide oneoff grants, but the only result we have seen from these grants is that they stall the market, as companies suffer paralysis by analysis. They fear missing out on the grant, but because of the level of paperwork and time involved, they typically miss the deadline and a project isn’t carried out.”

Despite a perceived lack of Government support, an increasing number of companies themselves are acting. “Without a long-term plan and vision, with a clear roadmap of the supports that will be in place and a timeline for same, there is little financial incentive for businesses to do the right thing,” says Kennedy. “Fortunately, we are engaging with a lot of companies that want to do the right thing for the planet and future generations, and they’re not waiting for the Government or EU to catch up.”

ON THE FARM There are multiple ways in which people and businesses negatively impact the environment, but according to the Environmental Protection Agency, agriculture is the single largest contributor to Ireland’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for over 30 per cent of the total. Yet agriculture is a pivotal sector within the Irish economy, and so it is necessary that measures be taken to ensure it does its part to combat climate change. Deciding on and implementing these measures, however, can prove tricky.

“I think sustainable agriculture is a complex topic, and the sector needs more assistance in understanding it,” says Ken McGrath, Managing Director of Ashleigh Environmental, a cleantech company focused on developing innovative environmental and bioenergy InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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INDUSTRY FEATURE

Ken McGrath, Managing Director, Ashleigh Environmental

“IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT THESE COUNTRIES ARE NOW THE TECHNOLOGY LEADERS, BECAUSE THE INDUSTRY WAS GIVEN THE NECESSARY SCOPE TO DEVELOP ITSELF.”

ABOUT THE CLIMATE INNOVATION SUMMIT The 2018 Climate Innovation Summit was held in Dublin in November, with a focus on the finance needed to accelerate climate action. The Summit has taken place annually since 2016 and connects policymakers, businesses, entrepreneurs, scientists and academics to share best practice and create the opportunities to scale-up the solutions that accelerate climate action.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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solutions for the agriculture industry. “Many farmers I talk to are trying to future-proof themselves, but are unsure what to invest in or, on the flip side, worried if they don’t do anything they will ultimately be told to reduce their output. Both scenarios create massive uncertainty.”

McGrath and his company, Ashleigh Environmental, work on solutions to help decarbonise the farming and agri-food sector. The company’s core product is called Biowave, which is a microwave treatment system to improve biogas production from agri by-products.

The technology is currently being scaled up for the on-farm biogas market, and the company is also looking at other applications across the agri-foods sector.

Given the nature of his work, McGrath is well placed to comment on the current state of sustainable practices within agriculture. He points to other European countries such as Germany, Denmark and

the UK as being world leaders in the field, given that they supported renewable energy in agriculture a decade or more ago through appropriate subsidisation.

“It’s no surprise that these countries are now the technology leaders, because the industry was given the necessary scope to develop itself,” he says. “I think we need to apply this in Ireland because we have excellent third level research capabilities, a growing technology base and, as an EU-commissioned report recently uncovered, we have the highest potential per capita for renewable gas production in Europe. This opportunity has to be taken.”

Ireland has not traditionally taken advantage of its resources in developing its climate innovation, though there are initiatives now to suggest that things are changing. The Dublin ClimateKIC Accelerator, for example, supports promising start-ups by providing the tools and networking opportunities to develop business ideas in climate innovation and finance. It is an 18-month programme which allows companies access to a European ecosystem of climate innovation, and it provides a grant of up to a60,000. By the end of 2018, the initiative is expected to have invested a total of a1.6 million into Ireland through Sustainable Nation Ireland, which promotes Ireland as a hub for sustainable finance, business and innovation. A total of 88 firms have been supported as a result of the partnership between the two organisations.

Companies working to develop sustainable technologies need support and investment if Ireland is to emerge as a green hub. The sector has developed slowly throughout the country, but as consumers increasingly wake up to the challenges brought about by climate change and new businesses seek to respond, Ireland is now faced with the opportunity to live up to its national colour.

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Artificial Intelligence?

96%

Irish CEO Outlook 2018

of Irish CEOs believe artificial intelligence will create more jobs than it destroys. Š 2018 KPMG, an Irish partnership

Learn more at kpmg.ie #CEOoutlook

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20/06/2018 09:48 12:14 14/11/2018

my gift to the world Together, we can continue to create a future that is fair for everyone. And make a world without poverty our legacy.

For more information contact OXFAM Ireland Tel: (01) 672 7662 Email: friends@oxfamireland.org Oxfam Ireland is a member of Oxfam International, a world-wide development organisation that mobilises the power of people against poverty. Charitable co. limited by guarantee. Reg. No. 284292, CHY5988

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12/03/2018 12:03

14/11/2018 10:48

FEATURE

SNAP

CHAT Our market diversification strategy is working. In 2017, 67 per cent of investment

Martin Shanahan, Chief Executive, IDA Ireland

came from the US compared to 72 per cent in 2016.

Europe accounted for 24 per cent in 2017, up from 20 per cent. Growth markets moved from 8 per cent in 2016 to 9 per cent in 2017.”

“All foreign investment is hard won and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Before Ireland opened up to trade and investment in the 1950s, it was inward-looking, protectionist and poor,” says IDA chief Martin Shanahan.

InBUSINESS caught up with the man tasked with bringing FDI to Ireland.

While the US remains the largest source market for FDI, I am particularly encouraged by our progress in China, South Korea and India in recent months.

There are a lot of things happening in the world that are outside of Ireland’s control, what we can control is our own competitiveness.

Not only does FDI create direct and indirect employment it also greatly enhances the talent pool in Ireland which feeds into the vibrant and innovative Irish start-up sector.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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Growth markets moved from 8 per cent in 2016 to 9 per cent in 2017.

There are 210,443 people going to work in foreign direct investment firms every day in Ireland and MNCs spend a11bn on payroll annually.

To date in excess of 40 companies have announced that they have chosen Ireland as a result of the planned exit by the UK from the European Union.

IDA Ireland operates in an extraordinarily competitive environment with all countries fighting for the same investment.

As one of the most globalised economies in the world, any policies that slow trade or impede investment are not good for Ireland.

Companies will go elsewhere unless we maintain an environment that is conducive to doing business.

The global facing nature of IDA’s activities requires us to reflect the diversity of both Irish society and the wider world in which our staff work on a daily basis.

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13/11/2018 15:45

“If you save the sight of a child, you can change their life”

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12/11/2018 13:03 13/11/2018 13:09

FEATURE

ART THE

OF

TRAVEL

BUSINESS TIERNAN CANNON speaks with two travel industry professionals to seek their advice on making life easier for the businessperson regularly on the road.

T

ravelling for business purposes can be a fun and exciting experience, and moreover can lead to building strong client relationships which otherwise would be difficult to achieve through email or over the phone.

However, trips of this nature can prove to be stressful and can take a toll on a person’s wellbeing and mental health. If business travellers approach each trip without much thought or preparation, they can be left exhausted, groggy and unhappy.

Research published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has suggested a correlation between high rates of business travel and negative health outcomes.

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According to the study, frequent business travellers are more likely to smoke, drink excessively and exhibit symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Yet business travel is a reality in the modern workplace, and oftentimes cannot be avoided. It is important then to adopt a positive attitude towards business travel and to take advantage of any methods available that can help make it a smooth process.

New technologies have emerged in recent years that have transformed the face of the global travel industry. The rise of cloud technology, the sharing economy and a plethora of travel applications have meant that today, business travellers have more options at their disposal than ever before.

“Technology has had a huge impact on travel for the better,” says Stephen McKenna, CEO

of Irish-owned and managed travel company Atlas Travel. “[There are] a plethora of apps that make travel logistics easier, from itinerary management, expense management, logistical tools around planning a trip, and so much more.”

McKenna’s company has been working within the travel industry for over 50 years, and so is in a

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INDUSTRY FEATURE TOP TRIP TIPS

InBUSINESS shares eight top tips to make your business trip an enjoyable and rewarding one.

Do your research

Work ahead

Be aware of the various travel policies, processes and supports available to you. Ensure that you remain within the appropriate budget.

Before a trip, try to get ahead of your work.

Better to work in advance than scrambling when you get back.

Prepare for delays

Stay hydrated

Delays are inevitable, so it’s best to plan for them. Bring a good novel or download a good tv show onto your device to help pass the time.

To combat symptoms like headache and dry eyes from flying, make sure to drink lots of water. Stay away from coffee, tea and alcohol.

Reviews aren’t scripture Try ignoring the top and bottom reviews and see what the people in the middle have to say. Often it’s the middleof-the-road reviewers that have the right idea.

Make time to explore If possible, take some time to soak in the culture around you.

This can provide you with the energy or inspiration you need to do some great work.

Pack smart Make sure you pack the night before your take off.

Get yourself a carry-on bag with different compartments to ensure you slip through security as quickly and easily as possible.

Stay connected Avoid using business travel occasions as an opportunity to completely check out.

Keep in touch with the office to ensure there are no surprises upon your return.

“THERE IS ONLY ONE CONSTANT IN A TRAVEL EVENT NOWADAYS – THE

TRAVELLER

AND THEIR SMARTPHONE.”

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INDUSTRY FEATURE

strong position to offer insight. Atlas Travel’s function is to help companies reduce the cost and complexity of travel management through its service and technology solutions, serving clients who are typically mid to large market companies that, McKenna claims, spend between a250,000 and a2,500,000 in business travel each year.

McKenna himself has worked in the travel business since 1992, meaning he has seen the sector evolve firsthand.

He advises business travellers and their companies to take advantage of the technologies that have emerged and become readily available. “Stay wired,” he says. “Use travel apps to stay informed, manage itineraries or communicate with the travel company while travelling.”

WORKING THROUGH RED TAPE McKenna’s enthusiasm for the manner with which technology has altered the reality of business travel is a sentiment shared by fellow entrepreneur, Liam Brennan, whose tech start-up Relodata helps companies to deal with the administrative burden of managing global expatriates and business travellers.

“Think back to the days of paper tickets and compare that now to the smartphone-holding queue at Dublin or Heathrow airports as they board with a bar code,” says Brennan. “Flight tracking apps help you keep ahead of delays and better plan your trips, while loyalty programmes keep travellers up to the minute on their check-in or upgrade status – a previously laborious task.”

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“TECHNOLOGY HAS HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON TRAVEL FOR THE BETTER.” In spite of the benefits that technology has brought to business travel, however, red tape within a given country can still act as a barrier to a smooth trip. Complying with a destination’s rules and regulations is essential, yet can sometimes prove difficult and laborious. Non-compliance can lead to an individual being served a barring order from a country, or a company being landed with a hefty tax bill. Therefore, it is crucial that travelling businesses ensure that this does not happen. This is precisely what Brennan set up Relodata to do.

The company has developed software called GT Global Tracker which specialises in duty of care, as Brennan explains. “The GT Global Tracker is a software platform designed to help companies keep track of the compliance obligations of their frequent business travellers,” he says. “Central to the platform is a rules engine comprising over three million algorithms running checks on tax residency, tax treaties and

visa status of travellers while on international or domestic business.

Alerts are issued when a specific threshold is reached for a piece of tax or immigration legislation. Companies and individuals can then ensure the correct filings are made to keep within the legislation.”

Brennan suggests that while companies usually provide their travellers with the necessary travel and supporting communication product, they oftentimes don’t manage the data from such trips in order to better manage compliance risks. Doing so, he suggests, supports a company’s compliance objectives.

“Travel compliance can have different meanings for different teams in a company,” says Brennan.

“Travel managers are concerned with travellers using the right tools and suppliers, while tax and immigration are concerned with legal compliance.

Yet there is only one constant in a travel event nowadays – the traveller and their smartphone. Harness that relationship to feed data to all of the relevant stakeholders in an organisation that need to monitor the downstream impacts of business travel.”

There are various means of ensuring a company approaches business travel the right way, and it is certainly not a process that should be ignored until the last minute. Many external travel companies can help businesses to handle the numerous considerations and, with the right approach, there is no reason why business trips should not prove a fruitful and positive experience.

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ON-SITE

SINÉAD MOORE takes a tour of WeWork’s flagship premises in Dublin to get a sense of why coworking has become such a global trend and to see how one company manages to master its art.

COMMUNITY

SPIRIT A merican space and services provider WeWork launched in New York in 2010 with the mission to not only build innovative shared office spaces, but to build a community. Since then, WeWork has harnessed the growing trend towards co-working and hot-desking and created unique spaces across the globe for members to work and collaborate.

“We don’t consider ourselves a co-working company; we’re much more than just a workspace,” explains Andy Heath who heads up the rapidly expanding multidisciplinary design team across Europe and Australia. That team is made up of in-house architects, interior designers, construction managers, technology engineers and graphic designers, all tasked with designing and creating unique work environments and leading the vision of the workspace revolution.

The workspaces, which are open 24/7 with key-card access, offer a mixture of hot-desks, private offices and meeting rooms as well as communal facilities and services including high-speed internet, printers, private phone booths, free refreshments, bike storage and showers. “WeWork is a place where people can come together, talk, discuss new ideas, and innovate in a collaborative way,” Heath adds.

WeWork officially launched in Ireland in March this year opening its first Irish location in Dublin’s Iveagh Court, just a stone’s throw from St Stephen’s Green. The office sharing firm has big expansion plans for Ireland with four more locations already confirmed; one at 2 Dublin Landings, opening in November, another at 5 Harcourt Street which opens in December and another at George’s Quay. The company will

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13/11/2018 15:57

ON-SITE

also occupy the soon-to-be redeveloped One Central Plaza on Dame Street – due to open at the end of next year. “Dublin is a very appealing market to us for so many reasons,” Heath tells me. “It’s a hub for tech, media, transport and government and a really desirable business location. We’re excited to grow our community in this thriving city.”

A GRAND TOUR I pay a visit to the Iveagh Court offices to experience for myself this dynamic work environment. I’m met by Community Manager, Joe James who heads up a team of five people, responsible for organising weekly events – from InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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networking to workshops and memberhosted events – promoting collaboration and acting as a point of contact for WeWork members at Iveagh Court.

“You can digitise loads of things but having that human connection with people really helps because I get to know people’s businesses and get to help them grow,” says James of his role at WeWork. James has just wrapped up another successful TGIM (Thank God it’s Monday) breakfast where members were treated to fresh croissants from a local bakery. This weekly event is not only a networking opportunity, according to James, but also “so people feel really excited when they come to work”.

Spread across five floors with a spiral staircase at its core connecting all of the unique spaces, WeWork’s Iveagh Court office is the epitome of the modern work environment. On entering the space, 37

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ON-SITE

your eye is immediately drawn to the gigantic staircase, an intentional design feature, according to James. “WeWork really love staircases because you create so much more of an opportunity to bump into somebody new and it helps the energy flow through the building,” he says. And this particular staircase was no mean feat – about 12 tonnes of concrete had to be taken out of the floor in order to create it!

“We’re constantly working out ways to enhance collaboration in our spaces, whether this be through architecture and layout, or interior design and placing furniture in specific ways so people can connect more easily,” Heath explains. “Every piece of furniture, prop, utensil, and even lighting, is specifically placed to provide the best working environment and collaboration opportunities, not forgetting comfort.”

This is James’ third WeWork location and he says he has definitely noticed a strong sense of collaboration amongst members in Ireland. “Here the collaboration and the community element is much stronger. It’s strong everywhere but here it’s just a whole other level,” he remarks. One such success story is Mark Smith, a freelance videographer and film director, who has so far worked with three different members within the Iveagh Court building. According to James, this simply wouldn’t have happened before Smith joined WeWork as the videographer previously worked from home.

This sense of community and collaboration is certainly evident as I explore the space. I expected a

WEWORK WISH LIST

Andy Heath shares the key ingredients that make up any WeWork premises.

Location

WeWork looks for buildings that are easily accessible, have great transport links nearby and are beneficial for our members. It’s also important that the surroundings are dynamic, with nearby restaurants and leisure facilities.

Culture

Our spaces are thoughtout with the locality of the building in mind.

We’re constantly working out ways in which to use local businesses.

Collaboration

There are many examples of spaces in our buildings that are purposely built for enhanced collaboration opportunities including the pantry, barista pitstops, communal areas and internal staircases.

Circular rugs are used in large open spaces, so that members are guided to areas like the pantry, which boosts human contact and conversation.

Lighting

Lighting is the primary factor that affects a person’s productivity within an office environment. When we look for new locations, one of the first things we note is how much natural light the building attracts.

Relaxation

One in five workers believe that relaxation space increases productivity. We provide relaxation rooms across our locations, as well as wellness rooms for events such as yoga or meditation.

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Andy Heath, design chief, WeWork

noisy, bustling building with lots of conflicting agendas but instead I’m met with a bright, airy, well-lit space (not a fluorescent light in sight!) with people passing freely from space to space, interacting with each other and queuing up for a fresh coffee served by the on-site barista. I’ve just missed the lunchtime rush and there is still a scattering of people helping themselves to the free refreshments in common areas dotted throughout the building.

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13/11/2018 15:58

ON-SITE

The premises also accommodates WeWork members from other regions who may be travelling in the area. Members also have access to an online network that enables them to connect and work virtually with other members around the world. “Not only do you become part of the WeWork community within your building you become part of a community of almost 300,000 creators worldwide,” says James.

“This not only opens up valuable networking and collaboration opportunities for our members, but also potentially creates new employment opportunities as these businesses grow and thrive in a space that fosters creativity and connection,” Heath adds.

Heath explains how his team designs each space with a specific location, community and neighbourhood in mind, bringing in cultures and inspiration to the space such as local coffee roasters, Silverskin Coffee.

The space caters for the fact that no two people work in the same way but also takes into consideration the fact that no one person will work in the same way every single day. Some days you will thrive off of the buzz of

co-workers and other days you will require a more silent atmosphere. “Our members all want to use the space to work in their own way. It’s whatever suits them and makes them more productive,” says Heath.

They’ve really thought of everything, I can’t help but notice as I walk past yet another seemingly obvious, yet extremely useful and practical feature. From bike storage to wellness rooms to private phone booths and dedicated spaces for new mothers, it is painstakingly inclusive.

It’s no wonder the Iveagh Court building is already at capacity, holding over 1,000 members with a mixture of entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups, small enterprises and firms such as Twilio, KIND bars and Microsoft.

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THE FUTURE IS FLEXIBLE Beyond providing members with unique, flexible spaces, services and a community of like-minded individuals, WeWork has been instrumental in the workplace revolution, changing our perception of what an office space looks and feels like.

James and Heath both agree that there’s been a macro shift toward a new way of work which is focused on meaning. Heath says people are ditching the traditional ‘nine to five’ grind in favour of a more flexible approach which makes work ‘work’ for them. “And it’s not just entrepreneurs that want this: more and more, corporates competing for talent are finding they need to offer this creative environment too,” he observes. “That results in office environments that are really thoughtfully designed and feel like pleasant environments to be in. Perks and flexibility within an office environment are key for successful businesses to thrive.”

The new Dublin workspace joins more than 280+ physical WeWork locations with over 268,000 members in 77 cities and 23 countries around the world. WeWork remains tight-lipped on whether it plans to expand further in Ireland. “We’re always interested,” James tells me, without giving anything away. “WeWork is aiming to be in every major city in Europe so we’re always looking to expand but for the time being we want to really focus on Dublin and then see where we go from there.”

“Our vision for Dublin is big and bold,” says Heath. And if the Iveagh Court premises is anything to go by, we’re excited to see what’s to come.

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MENTORS

MENTOR: MARY ROBINSON 40

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To coincide with the release of her new book on climate change, Mary Robinson chats to JOSEPH O’CONNOR about tackling global warming, discovering podcasts and paying the price for something you believe in.

O

n November 2nd, former president Mary Robinson was appointed chair of ‘The Elders’, an international NGO founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007 made up of elder statespeople, peace activists and human rights advocates. Robinson follows in the footsteps of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the late Kofi Annan, the only others to have held the position.

The appointment is an indication of the high esteem in which Robinson is held at a global level. It’s also recognition of the work she has carried out in the areas of gender equality, human rights, social justice and climate change in her role as former president of Ireland, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and founder of the Mary Robinson Foundation. It’s the issue of climate change – and to coincide with the release of her new book Climate Justice – that forms the backdrop of our conversation.

As Robinson admits in her book, she came late to the public debate on climate change, but when she began to witness its true impact she was sure that action had to be taken. “I had been focused on working at the United Nations level in the UNFCCC [United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] to make sure that gender and human rights were properly reflected in preparation for the Paris Agreement,” she tells me. “We were doing a lot of insider work, and I was becoming more and more alarmed that people weren’t taking climate change seriously enough and the only way, I felt, that that would change was if a storytelling approach was taken.”

It’s something Robinson, in her frustration, put to George Gibson, then publishing director at Bloomsbury, at a chance meeting in New York.

Gibson challenged Robinson to take that very approach by writing a book, and the result is Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience and the Fight for a Sustainable Future.

Climate Justice comprises stories of twelve individuals – from a Vietnamese grandmother campaigning for reforestation to a Ugandan farmer producing food amid flash floods – experiencing first-hand the effects of climate change. Some of these people Robinson came into contact through her work with Realising Rights, an initiative she founded in 2002, which aims to put human rights standards at the heart of global governance and policy-making. The central message throughout the book is how ordinary people at a grassroots level can have a positive impact in addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues.

“These people are very courageous and resilient in what they’re doing,” says Robinson.

“The story is a mixed one – I deliberately wanted people like Natalie Isaacs to inspire women in Ireland, for example, that we can all do a lot more at a household level. The point is, we all need to engage, but that’s not enough. It’s not going to be individual and community initiatives and resilience-building that’s going to get us there, we need the proper policies. And now the recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has really been a stark warning to us – we only have a short window of time left.”

Robinson believes everyone can play their part – whether that’s using public transport, switching to clean energy or cutting back on our meat intake – in tackling climate change. But, she InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

13/11/2018 16:05

MENTORS

I STEADIED MYSELF AND

Jen Murphy

REALISED THAT IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE IN SOMETHING, YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO PAY THE PRICE.”

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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MENTORS

warns, the Government also needs to act. “We need to remove all subsidies on fossil fuels, we need a carbon tax – not just in Ireland, but globally,” she says. “We need the pressure of people taking individual actions, because they know that it’s urgent and that it matters, and then using their vote and their voice to put pressure on governments. Business has a very big role to play too.”

WHAT’S A PODCAST? Writing a book has not been the only medium through which Robinson is delivering her message on climate change.

Earlier this year, she formed an unlikely partnership with comedian Maeve Higgins to produce Mothers of Invention, a podcast series about women driving powerful solutions to climate change.

Climate Justice had been completed but not yet published, and Robinson still wanted another means of communicating the message of climate action. She began to consider making a documentary focused on the same issues addressed in the book. “I was recommended to go see the Doc Society people in London,” she explains. “They said that documentaries on the climate issue made previously had taken a long time, and that it probably wasn’t the best use of my time – so, why not do a podcast? And that’s when I asked the question, ‘what’s a podcast?’”

The Doc Society proposed two people with whom Robinson could co-host an audio series, the first being Maeve Higgins.

According to Robinson, within 15 minutes of Higgins and her recording together, the chemistry was clear and they immediately cancelled the other presenter.

“Maeve was eight [years old] when I was elected,” says Robinson. “She is both respectful and not very respectful, and it works very well, because when I’m provoked I do have a good sense of humour, so we work well together. Maeve is the one, I think, that people listen to and learn about climate change through, because she’s a very smart woman and she has a strong social conscience. She didn’t know too much about the climate issue, and we’re all learning, if you like, through the steps that she is taking.

“She, in a very funny way for example, took her money out of Chase Bank because they’re 42

040 InBusiness Q3 2018_Mentors.indd 42

“THE MOTIVE

FOR DOING IT IS BECAUSE

YOU WANT TO HELP OTHERS, BUT ACTUALLY

YOU GET FAR MORE BACK YOURSELF. YOU GET ENRICHED, YOU GET INSIGHTS, YOU

FEEL YOUR LIFE IS

WORTHWHILE.”

heavily invested in fossil fuels, and her ringing the bank is hilarious. But she’s also both very serious in her questions and very funny in the context of the sessions.”

LESSONS LEARNED The risks posed to the Earth by climate change and the time we have left to address it are among the more recent lessons learned by Robinson. Given her highly accomplished career, I ask what has been the most valuable lesson she has learned along the way. Robinson reflects back to 1971 and the work she did as a senator in helping remove the criminal law of family planning.

“It was viewed with shock and horror,” she recalls. “I got hate letters and I was actually very affected by it. It started in 1970 when I was proposing the bill and I was denounced from pulpits. The then InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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MENTORS

MARY ROBINSON ON...

MENTORS “I read about Eleanor Roosevelt at an early stage, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights when I was a teenager in boarding school. She said human rights have to matter in small places close to home.”

Catholic Archbishop McQuaid said that the bill that I was introducing would remain a curse upon the country and he wanted that letter read out in every diocese in Dublin.

“I kind of wobbled, so much so that Nick, whom I had just married in December 1970, burned all the hate letters that were sent to me. And we regret it now, because we’re archivists, but that was part of the mood at the time.”

Despite the fierce opposition, Robinson held her nerve. “I steadied myself and realised that if you really believe in something, you must be prepared to pay the price. Never since then have I felt in the same way a problem with being criticised if I’m trying to do something that I feel is important.”

Recounting the story leads Robinson to cite a quote from her poet friend Eavan InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

040 InBusiness Q3 2018_Mentors.indd 43

THE RISE OF POPULISM “There was a real sense of a solidarity that we have lost over the last couple of years with the Trump election, with more authoritarian governments, more populism, more identity politics and, in particular, more fear of the other. We need leadership to counter that now.”

VIRTUAL SUMMITS “It’s a very good idea, it’s a summit that brings people together without emissions. When I go to a climate conference, as I did recently in California and again in New York during Climate Week, my foundation has to offset the carbon emissions of me taking an airplane.”

Mary Robinson pictured with Maeve Higgins, her cohost for the Mothers of Invention podcast

Boland who offered Robinson advice when she first took up the role of High Commissioner for Human Rights. “She said to me, ‘Well, just remember Mary, if you become popular in that job, you’re not doing a good job.’”

So what advice does Robinson have herself for young people going out and attempting to make their mark in the world? “I’m very impressed by young people today,” she says. “Because they live in a more global world, they have access to so much information and they tend to be quite involved in issues. There are more possibilities of being part of the solution rather than part of the problem, if I could put it that way. I would just encourage young people to live lives that bring them into contact with those less fortunate who can benefit from their help.”

Robinson subscribes to the notion that in life you get back what you give. “When you help others, you get far more back,” she says. “It’s not the motive for doing it, the motive for doing it is because you want to help others, but actually you get far more back yourself. You get enriched, you get insights, you feel your life is worthwhile, you have a For more on the more positive Mothers of Invention podcast check out our sense of interview with Maeve yourself and Higgins in the IB of life, and it’s Podcast slot on page 95. very much worth doing.”

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13/11/2018 16:07

SMALL BUSINESS FEATURE

REAL SUCCESS FROM

VR/AR is a relatively new industry, and the benefits it can bring to the classroom are only now being discovered.

InBUSINESS caught up with David Whelan, CEO of VR Education, a Waterford-based company leading the charge.

Q: Could you give us some background on VR Education?

A: We are a virtual/ augmented reality software company dedicated to transforming how educational content is delivered and consumed globally, by providing educators with the tools they need to create their own content in virtual classrooms or virtual

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training environments.

Since we opened our doors in October 2014, we have released a range of educational experiences and won many international awards for our educational software. The company’s vision for the future is to see virtual reality become a staple tool for education and training and we strive to produce quality experiences that demonstrate this.

Q: What does your role involve?

A: When I started the business, I was running at a million miles an hour trying to do 101 things like raising money, talking at events, producing marketing, directing our technical team, however all of this meant I could not devote my full attention to any one area for too long. Fast forward three years and we have hired

some very smart and capable people and filled most of our major roles such as CTO, COO, Marketing and Head of Studio. I now have a team of people around me with different skills and expertise to lean on and learn from. Being able to attract and manage people with big ambitions is key to being a successful CEO. I love the challenge and I am learning all the time.

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SMALL BUSINESS FEATURE

Q: Who are your typical clients?

A: We work with leading educators from large institutes such as Oxford University, New Haven University and Royal College of Surgeons. We also work with the BBC on VR education products.

All are helping to guide the development of our platform and making the case for VR as a training and education platform.

Q: Any industry trends shaping your business right now?

A: Online education is exploding in Asia and emerging markets, with expected growth from 90 million online students today to 140 million online students by 2021. Students between the age of 14 and 18 account for the majority of this growth. Simply providing them with videos and text-based content and expecting them to come out the other end is not feasible for everybody. Distance learning, home schooling and online corporate training are all seeing major growth, so this sector is very

David and Sandra Whelan, the husband and wife couple behind VR Education

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044 InBusiness Q3 2018_Small Business Profile.indd 45

attractive for any business to target.

Q: How significant a role will VR play in education in the future?

A: Distance learning and online training courses face a major challenge of high dropout rates and low retention levels. Although issues with online learning have been well known for many years, there is an accelerated need for good online learning solutions.

More and more people are turning to the web for education due to factors such as the availability of places and the cost of learning from home.

We are working to disrupt the space completely by providing the end user with the feeling of attending a real university, attended by real professors and populated by real people who all interact in a natural way, the same as you would in the real world. We developed our ENGAGE platform to bring back true natural engagement using virtual reality. The reason people attend real

universities and training institutes is to be taught by the best minds and to support each other in peer groups. This is very difficult to achieve using video conferencing as you are disconnected from each other via a screen. Virtual reality removes this barrier.

Q: What are the biggest challenges you face as a small business in Ireland?

A: Recruitment is a big challenge as the skillsets that we require aren’t plentiful at the moment.

We are, however, actively trying to remedy this by speaking with colleges and universities to advise them of the skillsets that are in demand but in short supply in the marketplace.

“THE

COMPANY’S VISION FOR THE FUTURE IS TO SEE VIRTUAL REALITY BECOME A STAPLE TOOL FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING.”

Q: How have you funded your business to date?

A: During 2016, the company became an Enterprise Ireland highpotential start-up client and raised over a1.3 million securing funding from Enterprise Ireland, Kernel Capital Venture Funds and Suir Valley Ventures. Immersive VR Education’s parent company, VR Education Holdings plc, is now a publicly listed company on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and on the Enterprise Securities Market.

Q: How many staff do you have? Any plans to recruit more in the near future?

A: We have grown from 20 staff, prior to admission to the London Stock Exchange, to 31 staff.

We are currently looking for a PHP & JavaScript Developer to join our product development and client delivery team.

Q: Where do you see the business going in the next five to ten years? How would you define success?

A: We are currently developing multiple IPs for leading educational institutes on a wide range of platforms, including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, GearVR, Google DayDream and PlayStation VR. We are now the leading player in the VR space when it comes to educational content and I expect this to stay the same. However, next year, we want to be making a big impact on distance learning and grabbing some major headlines with client announcements.

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13/11/2018 16:09

MEDIA & MARKETING

ME D

IA

&

M

KE

S IN

AR

Alan McArthur

In an age of fake news, finding reliable sources and informed voices can be challenging. RTÉ has harnessed this hunger for truth, reliability and authenticity through its new online platform, Brainstorm. SINÉAD MOORE speaks to its editor Jim Carroll to find out more.

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EM

IC S’ B R A

T I NG

PIC

KIN G AC

L

D A

Jim Carroll, editor, RTE’s Brainstorm

aunched by RTÉ in 2017, Brainstorm is a new online platform home to opinion, analysis and features written by experts in the academic and research community, offering fresh thinking, informed views and different perspectives on a broad range of issues.

The idea for Brainstorm began when Rory Coveney, strategic advisor to RTÉ’s director general, started looking at ways to bring deeper and wider content to the news-driven RTÉ website, explains Jim Carroll, editor of Brainstorm. He recruited seven universities – University College Cork, National University of Ireland Galway, University of Limerick, Maynooth University, Dublin City University, Dublin Institute of Technology and Ulster University – to partner with RTÉ on the project, which involves academics and researchers writing informative and more importantly, informed content, for a general audience.

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MEDIA & MARKETING

The Irish Research Council joined the project as a strategic partner and Carroll got on board shortly before the Brainstorm website went live in September 2017. As editor, Carroll is a one-man team responsible for “recruiting academics and researchers, telling them what Brainstorm is about, commissioning, publishing and promoting the pieces”.

Academics interested in getting involved fill out an application form and from there, join a database of over 1,000 academics that RTÉ can refer to when it needs experts to write about specialist subjects. Carroll is eager to point out that contributors do not need to be from one of the seven partner institutions.

Contributions are welcome from those who work for a third-level institution in Ireland or elsewhere; those who are a member of an academic or research institution; and those who are studying for a PhD at a third-level institution.

“What we’re doing is bringing academics into the fold,” Carroll explains.

“So if there’s someone out there who has a certain area of expertise that happens to be in the news right now we’ll get them to write a piece.”

The articles are pushed out via the RTÉ homepage. Carroll stresses that the articles published on Brainstorm may be written by academics and researchers but they appeal to people across the board.

“The readership is as broad as that of the RTÉ homepage,” he says.

All the pieces have three things in common, as Carroll explains. “One; they’re all written by academics and researchers, two; they’re all written by academics and researchers about their area of expertise – we don’t have farmers writing about neuroscience for example – and three; they’re all written in very clear, accessible, straight-forward, general English. This is not an academic journal, it’s not aimed at the academics’ peers, it’s very much aimed at a general audience.”

As well as offering fresh views on newsworthy topics, Brainstorm also taps into our growing need for reliable information and clarification on big issues.

“One thing I’ve learned is that there is definitely a hunger out there, especially in an age of Trump and an era of fake news, people want to gravitate to experts, InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

046 InBusiness Q3 2018_Media & Marketing_REV.indd 47

“THIS IS NOT AN ACADEMIC JOURNAL.” Here’s a taste of some of the articles that have been published recently on RTÉ Brainstorm:

The Science of Horror Movies

by Declan McKenna, Biomedical Sciences Research Institute at Ulster University

What happens to your body when you run a marathon?

by Professor Niall Moyna, School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University

Is the North Pole set to become a tourism hotspot?

by Ken Boyle, Department of Environment & Planning, Dublin Institute of Technology

Gibraltar: The other major difficulty in Brexit negotiations

by Associate Professo in Geography, Dublin City University

Why do so many airlines have Irish bosses?

Dr Padraic Regan, International Strategic Management, Trinity College Dublin

people want to gravitate to people who spend all their life working on these particular issues,” Carroll tells me.

Two areas that readers increasingly look for expertise on are food and health, “because there’s so much dud information going around”, according to Carroll.

“Another section that does incredibly well for us is Brexit”, an area where readers are increasingly looking for clarification and truth, adds Carroll. “Theses pieces that clarify big issues do really well.”

Rising Stars As Ireland’s public broadcaster, RTÉ is committed to discovering fresh talent and Brainstorm has taken its lead, providing a platform for “new educated voices”. Carroll admits he is “much more interested in the new academic that no one has heard of than people who’ve already established themselves”.

Unsurprisingly, Brainstorm has acted as a launchpad for many academics. “There are people who appeared on Brainstorm who suddenly turn up on radio shows,” Carroll tells us, listing Gillian O’Brien and Mary McGill as examples. From RTÉ’s point of view, the platform acts as “a sort of talent search”, he adds.

Brainstorm is also a way for academics and researchers to get their work in front of a general audience. “Academics want to be part of it because as far as they’re concerned if you’re part of Brainstorm you will get attention, you will get noticed, you will get your pieces published and you will get to an audience you don’t have access to.”

Carroll is proud of what Brainstorm has achieved in such a short space of time. “One [piece of] feedback I really like getting from the academics is that they hear about Brainstorm via other academic colleagues of theirs. That’s been crucial to the success of Brainstorm.”

Carroll plans to grow the platform further in the future, potentially introducing an audio element at the end of the year as well as focusing more on videos and events.

“The plan would be to make sure we do all that but at the same time keep the website humming because I’d hate to concentrate on all these new bright shiny things and forget about where it came from,” Carroll concludes.

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BOOK EXTRACT

“YOU CHOSE A RANDOM SEAT SO YOU’RE GETTING A

RANDOM ” SEAT.

In summer 2017, Ryanair became embroiled in the type of row that was typical of the days before it introduced its ‘Always Getting Better’ policy. In the following extract taken from Matt Cooper’s new book Michael O’Leary: Turbulent Times for the Man Who Made Ryanair, the author charts how CEO Michael O’Leary riled against those who objected to the airline’s new seat allocation charges.

ogic was on Ryanair’s side in the debate, but that didn’t sit well with the emotional intelligence that Ryanair was now supposed to display in its interactions with customers. The introduction of allocated seating had proven very popular, as it meant no more jostling to board ahead of other passengers. Now, however, according to anecdotal evidence that was shared readily on traditional and social media, Ryanair was deliberately separating families or people travelling in groups from one another if they failed to purchase allocated seating, with everyone put in middle seats, sometimes a plane-length apart, rather than in window or aisle seats. There were angry claims – especially by those with children – that, while empty, presumably unsold, seats were alongside theirs, their travelling companions were seated many rows away. It was perceived by some as a form of punishment for not having spent the extra money on allocated seating.

Ryanair had an explanation: “We haven’t changed the random seat-allocation policy. The reason for more middle seats being allocated is that more and more passengers are taking our reserved seats (from just a2), and these passengers overwhelmingly prefer aisle and window seats, which is why people who choose random (free of charge) seats are more likely to be allocated middle seats. Some random-seat passengers are confused by the appearance of empty seats beside them when they check-in up to four days prior to departure. The reason they can’t have these window or aisle seats is that these are more likely to be selected by 48

048 InBusiness Q3 2018_Book Extract_REV.indd 48

reserved-seat passengers, many of whom only check-in 24 hours prior to departure. Since our current load factor is 96 per cent, we have to keep these window and aisle seats free to facilitate those customers who are willing to pay (from a2) for them.”

Newspapers like The Irish Times made a big issue of it, publishing stories of how young children were allocated seats rows away from their parents. “It is a complete disgrace,” said one passenger, Cathy Dwyer. “My five-yearold was put at the back of the plane to board through the back door. My seven-year-old in the front but away from me... I ended up paying extra for both the outward and return flights to ensure I sat with my kids. It is so irresponsible of this airline.”

Another example came from a man called Daire O’Brien: “This happened to my partner, our one-year-old child and I recently. We checked in as early as possible but were given distantly separated, middle seats and it has never happened before. Thankfully, the nice person sitting in one of the adjacent seats agreed to swap, allowing us to sit together. This recent change is sneaky and a return to the unfriendly Ryanair of the past.”

O’Leary decided he wasn’t having it. It was the middle of summer, his wife, Anita, and children were away in Portugal on holidays without him, and he decided to return fire, going on RTÉ Radio 1’s Today with Sean O’Rourke to do so. O’Leary denied that families were being separated deliberately. He pointed out that children under the age of twelve would have a seat allocated for free if an adult travelling with them paid the a2 reserved seat fee. “We haven’t changed our policy. If you’re not happy to pay a2 for a seat, stop InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

13/11/2018 16:13

BOOK EXTRACT

is a no-show,” he continued. “For about two years we have had a policy of offering people who want to reserve a seat – can do so and people who choose a random seat can have a random seat. I frankly don’t know what you’re complaining about when you get a random seat. You’re not having to pay extra, you chose a random seat so you’re getting a random seat. We have more than 65 million people who chose to pay for the seat.”

Liveline put callers on air to vent. “You’re perfectly free to complain,” he responded. But his patience soon evaporated and, wisely or not, he goaded Duffy when he said, “Sorry, do you have a sensible question?” Duffy, who wears his Dublin working-class credentials on his sleeve, was furious at what he perceived as condescension. “How dare you,” he snapped, before demanding an apology.

O’Leary instead suggested Duffy was feigning anger. In reply, Duffy called the Ryanair boss ‘the Hamlet of mock indignation’. The following day’s newspapers were full of the row, giving O’Leary another blast of free publicity.

Colleagues said he was chuffed by the support he received from many quarters. One letter to The Irish Times that he enjoyed said: “The level of outrage that Ryanair has elicited by charging a2 for a designated seat is incomprehensible. Most bus fares cost more than that, and don’t guarantee that you get any seat at all.”

While Ryanair might claim to be Always Getting Better, it was clear some things would never change – and O’Leary was one of them.

This is an extract from Michael O’Leary: Turbulent Times for the Man Who Made Ryanair by Matt Cooper, reprinted with permission from Penguin. It is available in all good bookshops.

complaining and whingeing. If you want to select a seat, pay a2. People are whining and whingeing, but you can’t sit where you want. Sorry, you can’t.”

Most chief executives wouldn’t have gone on live radio for the first interview, but those who did would certainly have left it at that. However, just a little more than two hours later, O’Leary phoned RTÉ again and demanded to be on Liveline, a phone-in show hosted by Joe Duffy and one of the most listened-to programmes on Irish national radio.

On Liveline, O’Leary again rejected the allegation that the computer algorithm that seated passengers deliberately dispersed them around the plane. “Has the algorithm changed? No, it hasn’t. It changes automatically on an hourly [basis] – it changes due to demand and because the number of reserved seats has changed. Are you likely to be split up if you select a random seat? Yes, you are likely to be split up because that’s what random means. If you want to sit specifically in a seat, then you select a reserved seat for just a2. Less than the cost of the RTÉ licence fee,” he said, in a reference to the a160 annual charge for owning a TV in Ireland. “Our aircrafts are flying with 96 per cent load factors, there are no empty seats unless a passenger InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

048 InBusiness Q3 2018_Book Extract_REV.indd 49

O’LEARY’S RESPONSE The publication of Matt Cooper’s book received something of a frosty reception from its subject.

O’Leary released a statement outlining how he had requested the author not to proceed with any such book, one which he says contains “false claims and innuendo”.

However, the statement was issued before the book hit the shelves, which prompted the author to respond to O’Leary on the day of its release.

“As the book is only in bookshops today I do not believe that Mr O’Leary has had a chance to read it and when he does so, I believe he will find that it is fair and accurate, even if he might not like to agree with some or much of it,” said Cooper.

“I would not judge a flight merely on the quality of the take-off before it has landed safely. He should judge the book on reading it cover to cover.”

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13/11/2018 16:14

WORLD REPORT

Mindful of the immigration lessons learned by other European countries, the Faroe Islands have been quick to act on integration measures to ensure new arrivals can settle into society. JOSEPH O’CONNOR reports.

Island Kristfríð Tyril/Courtesy of Visit Faroe Islands

INTEGRATION

The annual G! Festival in Gøta

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WORLD REPORT

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WORLD REPORT

T

Joseph O’Connor

he mass movement of people around the world is perhaps one of the biggest stories of our time. From the distressing images of three-year-old Syrian boy Alan Kurdi whose body was washed up on a beach in Turkey to the thousands of people currently fleeing parts of Central America to reach Mexico and the US, migration has been a major topic in recent years with no sign of it leaving the news agenda any time soon.

While much of the media coverage of migration has focused on the refugee crisis in the Middle East and Europe or what Brexit will mean for Britain’s borders, the movement of people is now a reality for most countries of the world – some of those more unlikely than others. For example, small island nations, with their inherent isolation, have in the past been some of the most culturally homogeneous in the world.

However, that is changing, and one of those that is adapting to this global trend is the Faroe Islands, the semi-autonomous country that forms part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

In recent years, Faroese society has been in transition. As a result of immigration, foreign nationals are now visible in villages and towns across the country, accounting for around 5 per cent of the 50,000 population, with that number rising steadily. Many of these newcomers, unsurprisingly, have come from neighbouring Iceland, but more striking is the influx of migrants from southeast Asian countries like the Philippines and Thailand. This is largely due to a gender deficit that emerged in the Faroe Islands, as a consequence of the high proportion of Faroese women choosing to emigrate. With this, some Faroese men looked beyond their homeland for romance, many finding it online through commercial dating sites and social media – something that was documented by the BBC World Service in its 2017 Wives Wanted in the Faroe Islands radio documentary.

However that’s a story in itself and, today, of the approximate 1,300 immigrants in the Faroe Islands, more than 80 different countries are represented. Mindful of the lessons learned by other European countries, the Faroese Government has been quick to act on integration measures to ensure these new arrivals can settle into

Kallur Lighthouse, Kalsoy

Kinga Eysturland, member of the Klaksvík Integration Committee

“WE KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE

MORE PEOPLE FROM ABROAD COMING TO OUR

COUNTRY, SO WE HAD A GOLDEN

Tinganes, Torshavn

OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING FROM THE START AND, MOST LIKELY,

Kimberley Coole/Courtesy of Visit Faroe Islands

TO DO IT CORRECTLY.”

Saksun Joseph O’Connor

JÓGVAN SKORHEIM, MAYOR OF KLAKSVÍK

The picturesque village of Funningur

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13/11/2018 16:17

WORLD REPORT

Jógvan Skorheim, Mayor of Klaksvík

LOCATION: Situated in Northern Europe between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, around halfway between Iceland and Norway GEOGRAPHY: An archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island LAND SIZE: 1,393 sq km CAPITAL: Tórshavn NATURAL RESOURCES: Fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas PEOPLE: Faroese (Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon descent)

Danish Other LANGUAGES: Faroese Danish Other

*Source: the CIA World Factbook

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Poul Michelsen, Faroese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade

society. The municipality of Klaksvík, the second-largest town in the Faroe Islands, was the frontrunner in implementing a policy that reflects this societal shift.

“When we started all this, it was because we had an opportunity that other countries didn’t have,” Jógvan Skorheim, Mayor of Klaksvík, tells me. “We knew that this [immigration trend] would be the future and that there would be more people from abroad coming to our country, so we had a golden opportunity to do something from the start and, most likely, to do it correctly.”

A CITY FOR EVERYONE In 2014, the mayor and his municipal government established an integration policy called ‘Klaksvíkar Kommuna - A City for Everyone’, with the aim of enabling Klaksvík to adapt to a more diverse and globalised world. It includes the implementation of a curriculum for Faroese language learning for foreigners, organising various cultural events throughout the year, and offering immigrants opportunities for entrepreneurship.

“When we developed this policy we connected with several of the foreigners who

Joseph O’Connor

FAROE ISLANDS FACT FILE Tøðutún, Vagar

live in Klaksvík, asked them about how it was living there and what they think should be done differently,” Skorheim explains.

One of those consulted was Kinga Eysturland, a Polish immigrant who has been living in the Faroe Islands for the past seven years and is a member of the Klaksvík Integration Committee – a body set up under Klaksvíkar Kommuna. While living and studying in Copenhagen, Eysturland met her husband who is a naturalised Faroese. She now owns and runs a guesthouse and spa salon in Klaksvík, and explains that, most immigrants in the Faroes regard language as the biggest barrier to integration, something she identifies with. Personally, however, her biggest challenge is not being part of a Faroese family.

“My husband is originally Russian, which means that neither of us has any relatives in the Faroes,” she says. “Having a Faroese spouse and being a part of a Faroese clan is crucial to be able to integrate successfully.

The Faroese society is still very tribal, nepotism is common and without having any Faroese connections things like getting a job or making local friends are difficult.”

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Joseph O’Connor

Kimberley Coole/Courtesy of Visit Faroe Islands

WORLD REPORT

from Indonesia who has been living in the Faroe Islands for ten years having married a Faroese woman, echoes the sentiment about linguistic barriers. “The biggest challenge has been the language. It is not even close to my mother tongue,” he says. “My hope for the future is that the government’s language course can be improved, even to the extent that people are able to get a Faroese language diploma of some level; perhaps to be able to use that to study further in the Faroes.”

IMMIGRATION CONTROLS While the Faroe Islands governs the majority of its domestic affairs through its own parliament, immigration controls remain under the remit of Danish authorities. It’s a role the Faroese Government is seeking to acquire but, for now, it must settle for controlling who is allowed to work in the country but not who passes through its borders.

For Poul Michelsen, the Faroese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, his government’s integration policy is still very much a work in progress, despite having a headstart on other European countries. “If you are to ask me, ‘are we doing enough?’ I’d say no,” he tells me. “It’s about at least trying to update it and continue to do so in the future because, of course, the consequences of not doing it is what has happened in other countries and we don’t want to experience that. We are aware of it, and we are aware that [immigrants] have been a very good support to society. They work hard, they are good citizens and we don’t seem to have any kind of opposition to them.”

The lack of any real opposition might come down to the fact that, at present, 54

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Puffins looking on the island of Mykines

Courtesy of Visit Faroe Islands

Vestmannabjørgini

The Northern lights

we are still talking about relatively small numbers. Perhaps it has something to do with the Faroes’ own history of emigration, which gives locals an understanding of the plight of these immigrants. According to Michelsen, the Faroese are among the most flexible workers in Europe and know a thing or two about having to relocate in order to find a better life. “We are very used to going abroad and also we have lots of people working in the navy and on oil rigs, working as fishermen and working on freight ships all over the world. So I think we are very much aware of how to adapt in that way. That’s what gives us an understanding of why other people also want to come here.”

While the flow of migrants to the Faroe Islands is increasing, the numbers remain manageable. What the government wants to ensure is that sufficient measures are in place to help these people integrate seamlessly into

“IT’S

IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE

PEOPLE FROM

DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. I SEE IT AS A QUALITY.” POUL MICHELSEN, FAROESE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

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13/11/2018 16:19

WORLD REPORT

Courtesy of Visit Faroe Islands

Courtesy of Visit Faroe Islands

Oxe in the winter time

Editor’s note: A different version of this article first appeared in The Irish Times on October 13th 2018.

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Joseph O’Connor

Gjógv

Ólavur Frederiksen/Courtesy of Visit Faroe Islands

society. Michelsen, and others like him, view this immigration as something positive that will help enrich and develop Faroese society.

“It’s important that we have people from different parts of the world,” he says. “I see it as a quality. Of course, there is a limit for everything – so a good balance of people coming from other countries to the Faroes, that’s the intention for us.”

Meanwhile, Eysturland’s ideal vision for a Faroe Islands in the future would be an “open, diverse and independent nation living under endless sun”. However, being realistic, she says: “For now, I will try to focus on polishing my Faroese language skills and hope for more tourists to stay in my guesthouse!”

Vestmannabjørgini

Gabriel Nivera/ Courtesy of Visit Faroe Islands

A man surfing big waves with the legendary rock formations ‘Rising & Kellingin’

Courtesy of Visit Faroe Islands

Aerial view of Tindhólmur

The annual G! Festival in Gøta

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IB PARTNER CONTENT EMBASSY OF CHILE IN IRELAND

Chile: Women in Business Beyond Borders The South American country of Chile has been promoting the benefits of having more women participating in international trade.

The Commercial Section of the Embassy of Chile in Ireland, tells InBUSINESS about the importance of gender diversity in the field.

T

he participation of women in the economy and foreign trade is a task of first order in addressing inequalities in our society. Depsite the fact that, in Chile, female labour participation rates have increased from 44.3 per cent in 2010 to 48 per cent in 2017, the figure is still low compared to our main OECD trading partners.

According to the World Bank’s Doing Business 2017 study, the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women would increase worldwide productivity by 40 per cent per capita, a statistic that represents the true social impact generated by women’s participation in the economy.

In Chile, we have taken up the challenge of promoting the incorporation of women into international trade. This is being done through a strategy that includes concrete measures in bilateral matters such as the negotiation of gender and trade chapters with our strategic partners or through modernising existing agreements. An example of this was the inclusion of gender and trade chapters in the Free Trade Agreements with Uruguay, Canada and Argentina.

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We also find ourselves negotiating a new gender chapter in the modernisation process of the ChileEuropean Union Association Agreement, and we are doing the same when it comes to negotiations between the Pacific Alliance with the Candidates to be for Associated States (Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore), and in the future Chile-Brazil trade agreement.

At a multilateral level, we will have the responsibility in 2019 to lead the topical agenda of the APEC Forum in Chile, a task that we have assumed with special enthusiasm.

For this reason, and considering the image promoted by the Government of President Sebastián Piñera for inclusive, comprehensive and sustainable development, we will address for the first time in the history of the forum a topic that we have entitled ‘Women and Economic Growth’.

Today, we are faced with a double-edged challenge. In addition to encouraging the internationalisation of small and

medium-sized enterprises, we must advance in increasing the 3 per cent of exporting SMEs led by women.

Thus, international trade constitutes an important development tool for SMEs, since it helps them to diversify their clients, obtain better prices in international markets and, in many cases, extend their productive periods and revenue.

In this context, the work carried out by the Woman Exports Program has directly benefited 1,774 Chilean businesswomen who work in an export capacity, as well as incorporating the participation of companies led by women at international fairs through discounts on quotas of registration, and by organising trade missions exclusively for women-led enterprises.

We are convinced that the incorporation of women into international trade is a priority issue in ensuring the growth and development in our region. If we want to talk about an inclusive trade, we cannot forget those who represent half of the world’s population.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

13/11/2018 09:22

CHAMBERS NEWS

A ROUND UP OF ALL THE NEWS AND EVENTS FROM THE CHAMBER NETWORK NATIONWIDE

CHAMBERS

CATCH UP SHANNON COMPANIES EMBRACING CSR

Siobhán Kinsella, President, Chambers Ireland

SIOBHÁN KINSELLA NAMED AS NEW CI PRESIDENT

C

hambers Ireland has congratulated Siobhán Kinsella on assuming the role of president of the organisation. Kinsella succeeds Niamh Boyle, Managing Director of the Reputations Agency, who held the position since 2016. Kinsella joined the board of Chambers Ireland in 2014 and has also served as a Director of Fingal Dublin Chamber from 2007 to 2017 and as President from 2013 to 2015. Bringing a wealth of experience to the role from her work as a commercial executive, with a background in change management and project delivery, Kinsella currently holds the position of Operations Director of the Noel Group, one of Ireland’s largest recruitment organisations.

People today want to work for socially responsible companies. That was the key message that came across at the first ever CSR evening organised by Shannon Chamber. The event, which was held at Shannon Airport in October, took place following research undertaken by Shannon Chamber to assess the level of CSR being undertaken by its member companies. It found that 19 local, 14 regional, 16 national and two overseas charities or projects benefited from CSR work carried out by the companies surveyed. Opening the event, Shannon Chamber CEO Helen Downes said: “This research highlighted that communities and people are gaining from the financial and man-hour support expended by companies in this region and that employees are very engaged and very active in the decisions being taken as to which charity their employer should support.”

CHAMBER COMMENT “Budget 2019 does nothing in the short-term to enhance our competitiveness at this crucial time in the run-up to Brexit.”

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland, expressing disappointment with the details of Budget 2019

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The Corpus Christi School Choir, Moyross pictured with keynote speakers at Shannon Chamber’s CSR event

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CHAMBERS NEWS

CARLOW MEETS MEXICO IN TRADE CONNECTIONS EVENT On October 11th, the Chamber Trade Connections series welcomed Ambassador of Mexico to Ireland, Miguel Malfavón to discuss trade and partnership opportunities. The programme, which is supported by Carlow County Council and Carlow Local Enterprise Office, aims to assist in growing and developing networks to promote Carlow. Brian O’Farrell, CEO of County Carlow Chamber, opened the reception highlighting the importance of connections and building relationships between Carlow and Mexico. “The visit of Ambassador Malfavón has been scheduled since earlier in the year and it coincides with the imminent release of the new EU-Mexico trade deal, a deal which will see the reduction and elimination of a number of tariffs and barriers, opening up further opportunities.”

DUBLIN CHAMBER VIDEOS STEAL THE SHOW

A

t its Annual Dinner 2018, Dublin Chamber unveiled two new videos based on the findings of its recent National Conversation events, which saw the Chamber visit the four other main Irish cities to talk about better collaboration. The first video sets the scene – in humorous fashion – for what the Chamber aims to achieve, while the second sees Love/Hate star Peter Coonan deliver a rousing synopsis – in poetic form – of what the Chamber heard on its travels. Both videos are well worth a look and can be viewed on the Dublin Chamber YouTube channel.

CHAMBER COMMENT

KILDARE BUSINESS AWARDS Ambassador of Mexico to Ireland, Miguel Malfavón pictured with Brian O’Farrell, CEO of County Carlow Chamber

TRADE TIES THAT BIND Bilateral trade between Ireland and Mexico was worth over 2.5 billion in 2016, with over 82 per cent of this related to Irish exports. According to forecasts by PwC, the economy of Mexico is forecast to be the 7th largest in the world by 2050.

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FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

County Kildare Chamber has announced the finalists of the Kildare Business Awards 2018. The awards, which take place on Friday November 23rd at the K Club, comprise 13 categories including Excellence in CSR, Innovation and Technology and Diversity and Inclusion. Among the companies shortlisted are Intel Ireland, Newbridge Silverware, Colurtrend and Irish Dog Foods. Judges will select the Overall Business of the Year 2018 from the winners of the various category winners on the night.

“Deepening our relationship with the open, dynamic Singaporean economy will lead to improvements in our own capabilities and lead to quality employment opportunities.”

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland, commenting on the signature of the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement on October 19th.

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CHAMBERS NEWS

Shona McManus, President, Drogheda & District Chamber

FLEADH CHEOIL HELPS SHOWCASE DROGHEDA The success of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2018 was the result of much collaboration across the communities of Drogheda and further afield.

The event, which took place between the 12th to 19th of August, is the biggest festival of traditional Irish song, dance and music in the world, and was this year held in Drogheda and Co Louth for the first time. “We welcomed very significant numbers visiting Drogheda from Northern Ireland, thanks to the excellent motorway and rail links,” commented Drogheda & District Chamber President Shona McManus. “In addition, proximity to Dublin Airport resulted in visitors flying in from as far away as Australia, China and the USA to experience the Fleadh and the exceptional heritage and hospitality of Drogheda and the Boyne Valley. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back here again for the 2019 Fleadh.”

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CHAMBER CAPTION A student gets virtual at the 2018 Toys4Engineers Conference & Expo, an event organised

by Waterford Chamber and Waterford Institute of Technology, which attracted over 1,500 engineering enthusiasts on October 12th.

BUSINESS GROUPS JOIN FORCES IN ADDRESSING BREXIT

CHAMBER COMMENT

“We have more graduates than ever in Europe and incredibly talented young people entering the labour market, but what good is this if they cannot find work and employers cannot find staff with the right skills?””

Leaders from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber), and Chambers Ireland met in Dublin on October 5th to call on both sides of the Brexit negotiations to redouble efforts to ensure an agreement is reached that provides clarity and continuity for trade within and between these islands. A recent survey by the British Chambers of Commerce found that companies in Northern Ireland would be particularly exposed to the ramifications of a ‘no deal’. The survey found that 20 per cent of BCC Chamber members trade with the Republic of Ireland via air or sea, while 17 per cent trade via the Irish land border.

Eurochambres President Christoph Leitl highlighting the problem of mismatches between supply and demand at the 5th European Parliament of Enterprises in Brussels.

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CHAMBER Q&A PAULA MCCAUL

Strength with Paula McCaul, Chief Executive of the new County Meath Chamber, talks to InBUSINESS about the importance of collaboration and the need to have one strong, recognised voice for the county.

Q: How have the first few months been for the new County Meath Chamber?

A: Busy and enormously rewarding! I’ve been head of County Meath Chamber for six months now and at times it feels more like six weeks. I am really loving my role and enjoying all of my work in the Chamber.

I have a great team and also a very engaged and motivated board who, for the past two years, have championed the development of County Meath Chamber as the recognised voice of business in Meath. Their support, along with the support of our key stakeholders, has allowed me to hit the ground running and focus on making Meath the best location in which to live, work, visit, invest and build a business.

Q: What are the burning issues currently facing businesses in Meath?

A: The uncertainty of Brexit is a challenge as it is for most counties and we are working to support business in Meath to ensure they are Brexit-ready. The recent budgetary amendments

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in relation to employment and the rise in VAT for the hospitality sector is certainly a burning issue for Meath/the Boyne Valley region, which has such a strong tourism product. Infrastructure, water, broadband...the list goes on.

Q: For any business considering locating in Meath, what would you say the county has to offer?

A: Meath Chamber works in close collaboration with Meath County Council championing Meath as ‘Europe’s Business Ready Region’. With four main motorways running through Meath, the county is completely accessible.

It is located just northwest of the capital, it has a highly skilled workforce as well as affordable connected spaces. We want your business to #MakeItMeath and we are here to help.

Q: In terms of leading the Chamber, where do you draw your inspiration from?

A: From the members of course! My role is to connect, support and represent members of

County Meath Chamber on issues that impact them and on the future prospects of our county. I am inspired by the power of collaboration and competition as well as what can be achieved when the Chamber and its other business support agencies work together effectively to drive the development of the local economy.

Q: What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given?

A: Throughout my life I’ve championed the old Irish proverb: Ní neart go cur le chéile, which means ‘there is no strength without unity’. This piece of advice is so true and so relevant, especially in my current Chamber role where I find myself managing change and working to bring people together. It is so important to listen and to appreciate that change is an ongoing process and that people change at varying speeds.

Q: What will be the key objectives of the Chamber for the rest of 2018 and looking into 2019?

A: Our key objective is to unite existing Chambers

Paula McCaul, Chief Executive, County Meath Chamber

and business associations in Meath so that business in Co Meath has one strong, recognised voice. We are working to establish our reputation as an integral component of a thriving business community.

We continually strive to strengthen and grow our network of members right across Meath and to develop our key stakeholder relationships.

For any company interested in joining County Meath Chamber, contact 046 9046060, email info@countymeathchamber.ie or visit www.countymeathchamber.ie.

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13/11/2018 16:27

CHAMBER FEATURE BUDGET 2019

Opportunity

Missed

Despite some positive measures introduced in Budget 2019, it can be largely seen as a missed opportunity for Irish business, writes Elisha Collier O’Brien, Policy Manager, Chambers Ireland.

B

udget 2019 was recently delivered by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and, following months of lobbying Government and making a business case for next year’s budget, Chambers Ireland was left somewhat underwhelmed by the measures announced.

Our headline ask, that investment in infrastructure be ramped up and that the National Development Plan be delivered upon, was addressed with the increase in capital expenditure to a7.3 billion next year, bringing the level of spending to 3.5 per cent of GNI in 2019. However, there were also many missed opportunities for business in Budget 2019.

This will be the last budget before Brexit and therefore the last opportunity for Government to think seriously about enhancing competitiveness and protecting our economy against this significant external threat. While Government has committed to wide-ranging investments across many departments, businesses may be concerned with some of the more immediate changes to cost coming from a further 0.1 per cent increase to employers’ PRSI and another hike in the National Minimum Wage next year. This is on top of increasing rents, wage demands, rising insurance costs and the generally high cost of doing business in Ireland.

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Budget 2019 does very little in the short-term to enhance our comparative competitiveness to the UK at this crucial time in the run-up to Brexit. No changes to the CGT regime in particular was a surprise, and Chambers Ireland had been asking that Government increase the earnedincome tax credit by a500, but only a a200 increase was delivered.

We were very disappointed by Government’s decision to increase the 9 per cent VAT rate for the hospitality sector and this will come as a blow to regional Ireland. Going forward we must hope that the effects this increase might have on rural jobs will be offset by the increased funding going towards tourism bodies, which work to expand our appeal as a destination to new markets.

The decision to deliver over-profile corporate tax receipts to the Rainy Day Fund is a positive move and the Minister’s stated commitment to avoid over-reliance on volatile taxes and protect a broad tax base was most welcome. This reflects recommendations made by Chambers Ireland in past submissions and we now look forward to details on how and when the Rainy Day BUD Fund GET will be accessed in the future.

The increase of

a90 million towards childcare and the expansion of the Affordable Childcare scheme is of course good news, however we must be sure that this investment translates into more affordable services for parents and an analysis of the cost benefits to parents should be delivered upon as soon as possible.

A new ‘Future Growth Loan Scheme’ for SMEs was announced as part of the budget package and will make a300m available in loans of up to a100,000 to SMEs. The initiative is aiming to help businesses adjust in a postBrexit environment, and is a welcome addition to the Brexit Loan Scheme currently in place.

Overall though, despite the funds and investments announced in Budget 2019, businesses will likely see the short-term increases in costs as the key takeaway. The more positive elements such as increased investment in infrastructure, loan funding and more will unfortunately take longer to have tangible impacts on day-to-day costs and competitiveness.

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CHAMBER FEATURE TRADE

Going AsiaGlobal:

Pacific

For the third instalment of the Chambers Ireland series exploring overseas market opportunities for Irish business, Emma Kerins, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, looks at the Asia-Pacific region.

I

t has been a difficult few years for supporters of free trade.

Protectionism is on the rise globally and has not only brought about the end of negotiations for a trade deal between the US and EU, but also contributed to recent volatility, with the US threatening a trade war with the European Union and escalating their ongoing trade war with China.

Of course, these events follow the UK’s historic vote to leave the European Union in June 2016. Exporters and international markets are monitoring such events with caution.

For Ireland, we are one of the most open economies in the world and are uniquely exposed to the impacts of not just Brexit, but any global downturn in trade. Brexit continues to be one of the main concerns of the Irish Chamber Network as the almost certain reduction in trade between Ireland and the UK will have a disproportionate impact on our indigenous firms, especially exporting SMEs, which are hugely reliant on the UK as their primary market.

However, all is not lost and not all countries are hostile to creating more open markets and promoting

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the benefits of trade. The EU has been leading the way in this space and amid so much doom and gloom, business must focus the mind of the positives and the many new trade opportunities that are opening just as fast as some are closing.

Throughout the course of 2018, we’ve focused on a different global region and the opportunities that it holds for Irish business, thus far featuring both North America and South America. In this edition, we take a closer look at the opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region

JAPAN While Brexit may be dominating the headlines in Ireland and the UK, the EU is continuing to actively pursue an ambitious trade agenda having finalised an agreement with Japan this summer, one year on from the initial political agreement in 2017.

Japan is the fourth largest economy in the world and with a population of more than 125 million people; its market holds enormous opportunities for EU firms. The EU-Japan trade agreement holds a lot of potential for Irish business, particularly for businesses active in the agri-food, ICT and life sciences sectors.

The finalisation of this trade deal is a welcome stand against protectionism. The conclusion of this deal demonstrates the negotiation strength of the EU operating as a single large bloc and provides steadfast assurances to EU and Irish business of the benefits of the Single Market, and the opportunities the EU provides for increased trade globally.

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND Beyond Japan, the EU has also recently concluded agreements with Singapore and Vietnam, but of particular interest to Ireland is the EU’s commitment to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with Australia and New Zealand.

In June 2018, European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström officially launched trade talks with New Zealand, with the first formal round of talks taking place in July. According to the impact assessment, trade between New Zealand and the EU could increase by 36 per cent; trade in goods could increase by 47 per cent, whereas the services trade could rise by 14 per cent.

This followed the negotiation mandate received by the EU to begin

All is not lost and not all countries are hostile to creating more open markets and promoting the benefits of trade. The EU has been leading the way in this space and amid so much doom and gloom when it comes to trade, business must focus the mind of the positives and the many new trade opportunities.”

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

13/11/2018 16:28

CHAMBER FEATURE TRADE

Like our trade partners across the Atlantic, there is a notable Irish diaspora in both countries, which significantly contributes to building positive trade and investment relationships.”

talks with Australia in May 2018. The first round of talks began in Canberra on June 18th. The EU is Australia’s second-biggest trade partner.

Bilateral trade in goods between them has risen steadily in recent years, reaching almost 48 billion in 2017.

Bilateral trade in services added an additional 27bn. According to an impact assessment, trade in goods and services between the two could increase by around a third.

Both future deals will open markets and create new opportunities for Irish exporters. Like our trade partners across the Atlantic, there is a notable Irish diaspora in both countries, which significantly contributes to building positive trade and investment relationships.

New Zealand is consistently ranked number one in terms of market openness and rule of law in the world. The positive impacts of an EU-New Zealand trade deal could extend to other countries of strategic interest in the Asia-Pacific region.

Additionally, the EU is one of the primary markets for Australia, with trade between Ireland and Australia

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totalling almost 19bn. Ireland also has a lot to gain from increased trade and investment. According to figures released by the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce and Australian Embassy in Dublin in 2016, trade between Ireland and Australia totals almost 19bn.

We need more trade, not less, especially in the wake of the UK’s exit from the EU and the likely challenges that will bring. Building on existing vibrant trade links with countries all over the world must be part of how Ireland prepares for Brexit.

While attention over the coming weeks and months will be focused on the ongoing Brexit negotiations, the EU’s progress in both finalising and opening negotiations with key markets is a positive signal that, in spite of growing protectionism globally, the EU continues to advocate for the benefits of open markets and closer trading relationships.

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CHAMBER FEATURE URBAN DEVELOPMENT

A New Approach to Building upwards not outwards will help us to develop thriving urban spaces where mixed-use developments – across residential, commercial and leisure – are the norm, writes Elisha Collier O’Brien, Policy Manager, Chambers Ireland.

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Urban Planning U

rban spaces, their architectural styles, buildings and skylines are a source of interest to a variety of people, from architects to planners, city dwellers to tourists. Many modern cities have successfully built iconic skylines, instantly recognisable to people all over the world. Think of London’s ‘City’, Paris’ La Défense and Eiffel Tower, Toronto’s CN Tower; cities like these have iconic buildings that fit into the backdrop of a modern and high-rise skyline, offering unique architectural styles and valuable space for occupants and communities to develop. However, in Ireland’s cities we have for the most part forgone embracing a modern skyline in favour of paying reverence to

the heritage and built environment of our low-rise, historic urban quarters.

This may be subject to change in the near future.

In August, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government published draft guidelines on urban development and building heights, seeking feedback on their proposals to end the resistance to high-rise developments that has been a

The preservation of Dublin’s low skyline has been at the cost of quality of life for many Dubliners and those working in the capital.

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13/11/2018 16:29

CHAMBER FEATURE URBAN DEVELOPMENT

feature in Ireland’s city developments.

In the draft guidelines, the department outlines its plans to align future urban developments with the strategic goal of the National Planning Framework to increase density in Ireland’s cities. It signals the need to move away from generic caps on building heights based on what has gone before and to look at the diverse needs and potential for an area.

With housing in such shortage in Ireland’s cities at present, it seems logical that the size and height of a new development should reflect the needs and potential of an area, not simply what has gone before. Linking planning to population needs and what is possible in terms of existing infrastructure and transport links must take priority over deference to the past. Making the best use of available land is crucially important to future planning.

Increasing population density in our urban centres makes sense for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most tangible of these is quality of life for those working in an urban centre.

The preservation of Dublin’s low skyline has been at the cost of quality of life for many Dubliners and those

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Increased density in urban centres or their suburbs would facilitate an increase in the provision of and frequency of public transport. working in the capital. Urban sprawl has gone unchecked for decades and today people are living as far away as Dundalk and commuting to the capital each day by car.

You only need see the M50 at 8am to realise that we have a serious problem.

In 2016 the CSO found that 25 per cent of Dublin workers commute from outside the city and suburbs. This is unsustainable for both the individuals and for the city itself.

SUSTAINABLE LIVING On the subject of sustainability, the commuting patterns of our cities’ workforce is having a seriously detrimental impact on our environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, transport accounts for up to 21 per cent of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions, making it the joint second biggest offender along with energy.

Ireland’s dependency on the car as a means of travel to and from work has actually increased rather than decreased in recent times. In 1986, 44.9 per cent of workers travelled to work by car, while in 2016 this stood at 61.4 per cent. Our use of buses and bikes has also fallen since 1986 as a mode of transport; bike use in 1986 stood at 6.8 per cent and is down to 3 per cent, while buses stood at 10.4 per cent and are now down to 5.9 per cent.

Density is one way to counter these worrying trends, by enabling people to live closer to where they work. Increased density in urban centres or their suburbs would facilitate an increase in the provision of and frequency of public transport. We cannot continue to build outwards, we must now look at building upwards, creating thriving urban spaces where mixed-use developments – across residential, commercial and leisure – are the norm.

A lack of housing where it is most needed and close to the places where people work, study and socialise was not caused by height restrictions, but they certainly haven’t helped.

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CHAMBER FEATURE EPE

Real Economy

Decision-makers Meet the

Twelve entrepreneurs representing Chambers across the country formed part of the Irish delegation at the European Parliament of Enterprises in Brussels.

O

n October 10th, members from across the Chamber Network gathered in Brussels for the fifth edition of the European Parliament of Enterprises, the largest exercise at European level in economic democracy.

Twelve entrepreneurs, representing Chambers across the country, formed part of the Irish delegation. The Chambers represented included Cork Chamber, Dublin Chamber, County Kildare Chamber, Limerick Chamber, County Meath Chamber, Sligo Chamber, Waterford Chamber and Wexford Chamber.

Speaking at the event, Chambers Ireland Chief Executive Ian Talbot welcomed the strong Irish participation in the event and said that with European elections due to take place next year, the objective of this year’s Parliament of Enterprises is to enhance understanding between decision-makers and the real economy.

The delegation had the opportunity to address key European figures including Trade Commissioner Cecelia Malmström and Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier.

Representing Waterford Chamber and addressing the Parliament, Paul

The discussions and votes throughout the conference revealed concerns among entrepreneurs about skills mismatches, single market access and the direction of the global trade agenda.

Fiona Candon, President of Sligo Chamber, addressing the European Parliament of Enterprises

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Nolan of Dawn Meats highlighted the benefit that EU trade policy had for the Irish agri-food sector but also noted that some trade agreements, like Mercosur, could pose a threat for Irish agri-food companies if the high health and safety standards were not part of the trade deal.

Commissioner Malmström directly addressed these points in her own speech, acknowledging the sensitivity of goods such as beef, insisting that the protection of current high standards will be red line issues for the EU in the negotiation of any trade deal.

Meanwhile, Fiona Candon, President of Sligo Chamber, highlighted the continuing overwhelming support in Ireland for membership of the European Union – 92 per cent, according to the most recent European Movement poll.

However, she warned that if the EU is going to support business to innovate, it needs to ensure that it “thinks small first” and puts this principle at the heart of all EU legislation.

The discussions and votes throughout the conference revealed concerns among entrepreneurs about skills mismatches, single market access and the direction of the global trade agenda. Nonetheless, the Members of the European Parliament of Enterprises expressed support for a strong, efficient and unified EU to tackle these challenges effectively.

Voting highlights from the European Parliament of Enterprises 2018 included: • An alarming 84 per cent stated that the skills mismatch problem is more • 93 per cent voted that the integrity of the Single Market and EU unity take precedent over a favourable Brexit deal with the UK • 99 per cent believe that the EU must do more to help SMEs benefit from free trade agreements • 69 per cent do not believe that the Single Market is fit for business

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

14/11/2018 09:02

CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE AIB

Leading

Change

The AIB Women in Enterprise initiative brought female-led enterprises together to identify and implement sustainable growth strategies for their businesses.

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he AIB Women in Enterprise programme is supporting female business customers to sustain and grow their businesses by providing mentoring, networking and leadership skills to accelerate business growth in a structured and confident way.

“These masterclasses and growth academies were developed with the specific purpose of assisting women to grow their businesses intentionally to the next level, in an interactive, peer-group environment,” says Catherine Moroney, Head of AIB Business Banking.

All 250 businesses partaking in the programme were invited to apply for the awards and, following a competitive selection process, 12 of the participating businesses were chosen as finalists sharing in a prize fund of over 40,000. The awards were adjudicated under the categories of business development, leadership development and strategic growth and winners were provided with funding and further support to take their business to the next level.

As the stories of the winners and finalists show, this initiative by AIB demonstrates a tangible commitment to supporting female entrepreneurs both via financial backing and by providing access to the expertise each business needs to facilitate and sustain growth.

These masterclasses and growth academies were developed with the specific purpose of assisting women to grow their businesses intentionally to the next level, in an interactive, peer-group environment.”

Ita Murray, Amanda Cahir O’Donnell and Anne Maria Moore, Winners of AIB Women in Enterprise

AIB WOMEN IN ENTERPRISE 2018 The AIB Women in Enterprise programme will continue in November 2018. The first of this year’s Women in Enterprise Masterclasses takes place on Wednesday November 21st at The Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit, Galway at 1.30pm, facilitated by the Entrepreneurs Academy. Further details are available from womeninenterprise@aib.ie or to register go to business.aib.ie/my-business-is/women-in-enterprise.

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CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE AIB

CATEGORY: STRATEGIC GROWTH

WINNER PROFILE

NOELLE O’CONNOR

Category Winner: Strategic Growth

Business Owner: The TanOrganic brand needs Noelle O’Connor little introduction. Founded by Business Name: Newbridge native Noelle O’Connor, TanOrganic the business initially acted as a road Location: to recovery after her six-salon beauty Newbridge, Co Kildare business was cruelly wiped out Website: during the recession. tanorganic.com Undeterred and showing extraordinary resilience, O’Connor went on to build a new business that would eclipse the success of her previous venture.

“I was passionate about the beauty sector, I began researching the organic side of the business and saw there was a gap in the market and brought TanOrganic to life,” says O’Connor.

An impressive appearance on Dragons’ Den won investment from Gavin Duffy and garnered the brand widespread recognition.

So began the process of scaling the business and investing in the logistics and distribution required to serve her growing market.

O’Connor joined the AIB Women in Enterprise programme in 2017, and she is unequivocal about what she took from the process.

“I absolutely think my learnings from AIB will help and every day

Catherine Moroney, Head Of Business Banking, AIB; Noelle O’Connor, founder, TanOrganic (Winner); and Patrick Farrell, AIB Area Market Leader South

I’m putting into practice those learnings to contribute to my team as much as I can so that I can reap the benefits.”

The win came as a complete shock to the businesswoman. “I honestly was not expecting it,” she says. “I feel I still have so much to learn. There was such a high calibre of women in business in the Academy and I was proud to be part of the programme.”

As for the advice that O’Connor offers others considering going out on their own, she says: “Go for it! Trust yourself and your passion. That pit in your stomach each time you take a big step… Trusting your gut is the best business tool you’ve got – if you can listen.”

CATEGORY: STRATEGIC GROWTH

WINNER PROFILE

ANNE MARIA MOORE

Category Winner: Highly Commended, Strategic Growth Award

Anne Maria Moore comes from Business Owner: an Irish farming background Anne Maria Moore where hard work and an Business Name: enterprising attitude were part Beech Lodge Care Facility and parcel of family life. Initially, Location: she trained as a nurse and then as Bruree, Co Limerick a Montessori teacher but always Website: beechlodgecarefacility.ie had the inclination to set up her own business.

“Starting off the creche was actually a big risk for me because I put all of the money I saved working in Saudi Arabia into the business, along with some help from my parents, and AIB gave me my first loan, because my parents were with them,” explains Moore.

From there she combined forces with her husband, James Moore, and opened Beech Lodge Care Facility providing residential care for the elderly. “We started with 40 rooms…

I’m passionate about good care. I just like people and things being right,” she says.

Since then the couple have purchased an 80-bed former hotel and opened their new premises, Ennis Road Care

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Catherine Moroney, Head Of Business Banking, AIB, Anne Maria Moore, co-founder, Beech Lodge Care Facility (Winner); and Mark Brophy, Director, AIB Corporate Finance

Facility, in September this year.

Moore was delighted to be selected and threw herself into the Cork programme. “I learnt so much that I felt guilty not to have done this 20 years ago,” she says. “I realised that I can’t do it all myself and that you have to trust other people and let them get on with it.

“There are certain aspects of the business that you’re really good at and others that you’re working on all of the time. You go through phases. It seems like a doodle some days and like a mountain on other days, that’s like any business.”

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

14/11/2018 09:09

CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE AIB

CATEGORY: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

WINNER PROFILE

ITA MURRAY

Category Winner: Leadership Development

Business Owner: When recession hit, Ita Murray Ita Murray lost her financial security.

Business Name: Then she went into battle mode.

As You Like It, With three children to educate, Caffé & Steakhouse her retirement plan of running Location: Ratoath, Co Meath a café suddenly became her survival plan.

Website: asyoulikeit.ie “I started doing classes with AIB having seen details about them come into my email; they were free and were usually about a practical topic that I was struggling with in the business anyway,” explains Murray.

Focused on her commitment to her children and “duty of care” towards her ten employees, Murray rationalised that while material things are transient, education is forever.

“I found that burden enormous,” she says. “I’m good in survival mode, and that’s why I had such a struggle to lift my lid and to grow from a leadership point of view.”

Murray put her self-doubt to one side having realised that her ability to grow the business was being impacted by her own growth.

Catherine Moroney, Head Of Business Banking, AIB; Ita Murray, founder, As You Like It, Caffé & Steakhouse (Winner); and Deirdre Moore, AIB Head of Business Banking, Dublin South

“I wanted to work in the business all the time, micromanage it,” says Murray. “Now I’ve learned to stand back, I finish every day with a list of notes to enable me to start the next day right…I can see the benefits of this in my work-life balance.

“It’s been a fantastic journey for me. When I consider my mindset now and I consider my mindset 12 months ago, it’s unbelievable the difference that I feel.”

CATEGORY: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

WINNER PROFILE

AMANDA CAHIR O’DONNELL

Category: Business Development

Business Owner: TIO Consulting takes its Amanda Cahir O’Donnell name from ‘Teams, Individuals, Business Name: Organisations’ and is the TIO Consulting brainchild of Kildare-based Location: Amanda Cahir O’Donnell.

Newbridge, Co Kildare Her business was born from Website: an entrepreneurial desire and tioconsulting.ie the realisation that there was a dearth of executive-level business coaches in Ireland. “I thought, why don’t we have these in Ireland, with all the talent that we have here?”

Cahir O’Donnell decided to take the risk and set up TIO; a decision that was not taken lightly. “I felt so vulnerable setting up the business and naïve...but I did it all myself, through hard work and by influencing one person at a time,” Fast forward 12 years to Christmas 2017 and Cahir O’Donnell was doing what she advises all business leaders to do — reflect, take stock and plan your development — when she came across the AIB Enterprise Programme promoted on Twitter. “I had put so much into my own technical competency. To be honest, I felt that [participating

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Catherine Moroney, Head Of Business Banking, AIB; Amanda Cahir-O’Donnell, TIO Consulting Ltd. (Winner); and Deirdre Cleary, AIB Local Market Leader, Kildare, Laois & Offaly

in] this was a no-brainer,” she says. “I just needed some reflection time and space myself. When working with other executive leaders, I always get them to build in some reflection time into their development plans. I found it so refreshing to be on the other side. I gained a huge amount from the programme.”

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CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE AIB

FINALISTS

FINALIST PROFILE

CIARA FEELY

Category: Leadership Development

Business Owner: Ciara Feely brought her expertise in Ciara Feely US advertising and hospitality to the new business she embarked upon Business Name: Conference Converter when she returned to Ireland. That business morphed into Steps to Win, Location: an advice and training platform for the Cork hospitality sector.

Website: Feely joined the masterclasses as conferenceconverter.com a means to ramp up her business. “I broke it down to manageable chunks, the programme came along at the right time and I have now doubled my sales of last year and things have just started to roll for me,” she says.

Feely also benefited from the expertise of a diverse group who could offer fresh ideas and insights. Would Feely recommend AIB Women in Enterprise to fellow entrepreneurs? “Go for it because it can be life-changing.”

ANNE ABBERTON

Business Owner: “I loved coffee as a consumer,” says Anne Abberton Anne Abberton, who first secured the rights to import Cuban coffee into Business Name: FiXX Coffee Ireland before expanding the range to coffees from other countries. “In Africa Location: I saw where it grew, when I was in Dublin Portugal, I loved the culture of going for Website: an espresso.” fixxcoffee.com Importation businesses are vulnerable to supply disruption and one lesson Abberton learned along the way is to be upfront with customers and to always offer them an alternative. “Supply issues taught me not to hide, not to bury your head under the sand, deal with it, address it and usually when you do, people will help you,” she says. That business has grown in to FiXX coffee, an independent brand that sources and markets the finest coffee from across the globe.

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Category: Strategic Growth

Category: Strategic Growth

FINALIST PROFILE

FINALIST PROFILE

Category: Leadership Development

Business Owner: Aileen Delaney attended the Aileen Delaney masterclasses in Portlaoise after being introduced to them through Network Business Name: SYS Wealth Financial Ireland. “It makes you look at different Planning aspects of leadership, how you manage people, how you manage your Location: Limerick, Co Limerick time and how you’re valued in terms of what you do, is it worthwhile?”

Website: Along with her brother Tony, syswealth.ie Delaney has grown the business to 17 staff with a turnover of 1.1 million in three years. Meanwhile, the opening of a second office in Nenagh is imminent. So, how has the AIB Women in Enterprise helped Delaney on her journey? “I think it’s great to step away and invest time because that will kick-on the development of the business.”

URSULA KELLY

FINALIST PROFILE

Category: Leadership Development

FINALIST PROFILE

FINALIST PROFILE

AILEEN DELANEY

Category: Business Development

Business Owner: Ursula Kelly’s journey began in her family Ursula Kelly business, Cormac Tagging in Tuam, providing agricultural livestock tagging. Determined to Business Name: Cormac Tagging push the business further in order to conquer new frontiers, Kelly set her mind to winning new Location: contracts and raising the profile of the business .

Tuam, Co Galway Winning her place on the AIB Growth Academy Website: meant facing a long commute to Dublin. “In the cormactagging.ie beginning I was saying, ‘Is this going to be worth it?’ But by the second session I realised that it was actually the biggest advantage because I had two hours to process and relive the day without interruption!” says Kelly.

“When you start taking time out, you suddenly see the value of it. Better still, coming back and implementing things, realising I should be doing more of this. It gave me the perspective to look at the business from a leadership point of view.”

ALVIN DEASY

Business Owner: Former business transformation and change Alvin Deasy management consultant, Alvin Deasy, relocated from the UK to Cork in 2016 in the shadow of Business Name: PABIA Consulting Brexit. She embarked on a new venture and now PABIA Consulting, a design, planning and Location: engineering firm, is becoming a valued service Cork, Co Cork provider to the oil, gas and retails sectors.

Website: “Creating an environment where everyone can pabia.ie input, achieve and accomplish, has been pivotal,” says Deasy. “The team’s involvement is vital to the business – but empowering them has helped to foster a sense of belonging and commitment to the future of the business.

“The trainers are fantastic and prompt food for thought – truly, the learning extends far beyond the course. I am still implementing some of the financial management advice received!”

ORLA CASEY

Business Owner: Momentum [educate & innovate] is a specialist Orla Casey in education, innovation and training operating in Ireland and Europe. Founded by Orla Casey, the Business Name: Momentum company develops its own programmes for young [educate & innovate] entrepreneurs and specialises in feasibility and research. In 2017, Momentum wrote the successful Location: Leitrim application to secure 2.44 million for a flagship food incubation and innovation centre in Galway, Website: which will see the creation of 360 jobs. momentumconsulting.ie The masterclass in Donegal led Casey to reevaluate the business and implement change that she hopes will double the size of the company over the next year. “I realised that I needed to get clarity around what we do,” she says. “We don’t just write business plans, we write economic development strategies. Since then, we’ve changed our branding, our website, the whole look and feel of what we do.”

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

14/11/2018 09:11

CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE AIB

Winners & Finalists of AIB Women in Enterprise Awards pictured at AIB Headquarters, Dublin

Category: Business Development

Business Owner: From fund management to fish pie Monica Buckley is not an obvious career trajectory, however for Monica Buckley, it’s going Business Name: Fresh Fish Deli swimmingly. Seeing her husband’s catch exported to Europe, she and Location: a friend figured that adding value Skibereen, Co Cork to the haul could provide a unique Website: opportunity. They started a retail fish thefreshfishdeli.com shop, which has evolved to a food business that now serves prepared fish dishes to SuperValu.

When Buckley received a prompt from her relationship manager in AIB to apply for the Women in Enterprise Programme she jumped at the chance.

“Delivered by the Entrepreneurs Academy, this programme was very different, it sought to challenge us in our thinking and in our processes, which isn’t easy sometimes, but that’s what made it such a good course.”

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EMER CURRAN

FINALIST PROFILE

FINALIST PROFILE

MONICA BUCKLEY

Category: Business Development

Business Owner: Her experience hosting foreign Emer Curran students led Emer Curran and friend Nicky Rudd to start their own Business Name: IELA (Ireland’s Eye business, albeit accidently. The aim Language Agency) was to create a more personalised, community-based experience for Location: Howth, Dublin young foreign students, having them attend local schools and be Website: cared for by local families. “I went iela-dublin.com to the masterclass and I loved that day, I felt really empowered,” says Curran. “I particularly love working with women because coming from a predominately male background, women were not celebrated but the men were always amazing! I never thought I had the confidence or the ability to go out on my own. It wasn’t about anyone else, I wanted to do it for me.”

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CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE ELECTRIC IRELAND

Energy

Across Borders A new energy market for Europe means new opportunities – and new challenges – for Ireland’s large energy users.

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ou may not have noticed anything different this morning when you turned on the lights, but since October, there has been a freer flow of energy across borders. In essence, the electricity powering Ireland’s businesses could be coming from anywhere between the Shannon and mainland Europe.

The Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM) replaces the allisland Single Electricity Market (SEM), and connects power generators and suppliers from 20 countries around Europe, including Northern Ireland.

“The new pan European wholesale electricity market promises to bring more renewable energy online, improve supply stability, market efficiency, competition—and ultimately reward consumers with lower prices,” explains Tony Dunlea, Manager of Business Market Sales, Electric Ireland.

Where the SEM utilised a single market auction, the redesigned I-SEM features three markets, each providing alternative buy-andsell mechanisms. The Day Ahead (DAM) and Intra Day (IDM) Markets will ensure more efficient power generation and supply-side purchasing. The Balancing Market will alleviate imbalances in the grid

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by facilitating energy resale and top-up. It will also drive sustainable behaviour through a penalty system.

While the new markets present new opportunities, all electricity suppliers will face new exposure to risks. “As the market leading energy supplier, Electric Ireland has a wealth of experience and expertise to manage such risks to the benefit of our customers,” says Dunlea. “We would encourage all large energy users to get in touch with their service providers to find out exactly how I-SEM will affect their organisation.”

As part of ESB Group, Electric Ireland is the market-leading electricity, gas and energy solutions partner to businesses in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

As the island’s largest supplier, it offers flexible, affordable and sustainable energy solutions to clients in a variety of sectors, including pharmaceutical, manufacturing, tech, food and hospitality.

“Clients of Electric Ireland will be hearing from their customer relationship manager, who will explain the new market structures and provide bespoke analysis on how I-SEM is impacting their organisation,” concludes Dunlea.

For more information about Electric Ireland’s work with businesses across Ireland visit www.electricireland.ie/business.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

14/11/2018 09:15

CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE WATERFORD CRYSTAL

Storytelling Design Through Exquisite

Waterford Crystal has released a new collection of unique patterned giftware inspired by Irish poets, writers, designers and landscapes.

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rish people live in the spirit of togetherness, sharing and interaction. It’s this human connection that inspires the new barware and giftware range from Waterford Crystal called Short Stories. Delve into this new chapter and you’ll discover a collection of unique patterned barware inspired

by Irish poets, writers, designers and beautiful Irish landscapes, all designed to bring people together. Glassware pieces feature iconic Irish symbols and intricate patterns that tell their own tales of Ireland with striking crystal and dramatic marble touches on tumblers, decanters and host-ready ice buckets.

Continuing the story is a range of giftware that combines various iterations of the unique patterns with touches of gold metal and grey marble.

Rendered in contemporary shapes for the modern home, Short Stories

giftware encapsulates the true spirit of Irish people and the land they live on in a modern style. Discover Waterford’s latest chapter and create your own story with Short Stories.

Short Stories Giftware once more introduces an iconic Lismore Giftware Collection using different cuts from Lismore Opulence to Lismore Diamond, Lismore Reflection and Lismore Revolution; designs that have been enhanced by juxtaposing the crystal with lacquered brass and black marble. This giftware collection includes candles sticks, hurricane candles, vases, bowls and marblecovered crystal boxes.

Reflection Gold Band glassware from Waterford Crystal

Candles from the Waterford Crystal Short Stories range

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HOUSE OF WATERFORD CRYSTAL Located on the Mall in the heart of Waterford city, the House of Waterford Crystal experience brings a visit to Waterford to a whole new level. Here, visitors can witness the creation of crystal stemware, giftware and masterpieces right before their eyes. Each year, the House of Waterford Crystal melts down more than 750 tonnes of crystal and produces pieces using traditional manufacturing techniques.

The factory tour is a unique and captivating experience that is sure to enthral visitors of all ages, both national and international. The tour lets people go behind the scenes to see exactly how Waterford Crystal pieces are made. You can witness every stage of production, from the initial design stage right up to the final engraving of the piece.

On completion of the tour, visitors can experience over 12,000 square feet of crystal heaven in the largest retail and showcase of Waterford Crystal in the world. The retail store represents everything the company produces in crystal, including a showcase on golf and sport, which is a major part of its international business.

For further details visit www.waterfordvisitorcentre.com or call 051 317000.

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CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE HEALTH ASSURED

Wellbeing

Works

Health Assured offers four top tips to employers on how to aid their employees’ wellbeing.

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sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of negative effects on an employee’s mental and physical wellbeing, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, depression and anxiety.

So it’s no surprise that the World Health Organisation (WHO) identified “inactivity” as the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, killing an estimated 3.2 million people every year.

In a 2015 BMJ Open medical journal, it was discovered that high amounts of sitting can be associated with a “higher risk of psychological distress” and depression. It’s a worrying finding that suggests that many employees are working themselves into a state of poor mental wellbeing and, in some cases, death.

That’s why a growing number of employers and business owners are now investing time and resources into helping employees with their long-term mental and physical health. Here are four of the most effective and accessible methods available today to aid your employees’ wellbeing.

1. DON’T BE A DESK SLAVE Encourage staff members to get on their feet and away from their desks. For some managers, this may be hard to adjust to, particularly if they fear their team taking too long. However, by providing short breaks regularly, physical activity should start to build up.

Start small with initiatives such as motivating employees to take the stairs at work instead of the lift, and encouraging staff members to incorporate more walking into their

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daily commute. Other simple changes include removing bins from under desks, and moving drinks machines and printers further away from where staff work.

combat stress and depression, as does going for a walk and gaining some vitamin D.

2. HOLD MEETINGS ON THE MOVE

Sit-stand desks help to reduce the musculoskeletal disorders often caused by sedentary work, allowing staff a larger and more varied range of movement throughout the day.

Try standing and walking meetings.

They’re ideal for smaller groups of around two to three people. As well as improving fitness and mental health, your staff may find other positive benefits of being on the move. Walking meetings can help stimulate new ideas from some employees, whereas others might find that shorter meetings help with their productivity.

3. DON’T ENCOURAGE ‘AL-DESCO’ DINING The brain needs rest to perform at its peak, so it’s vital that employers encourage staff to leave their workstation for their lunch breaks.

Eating at regular intervals helps to

4. GET POSTURE-FRIENDLY OFFICE EQUIPMENT

However, sit-stand desks can be costly.

Alternatively, if you have regular desks and chairs available, a cheaper answer may be to take a portable device like a laptop to a suitable place elsewhere and work standing up. If this is not possible, you can encourage a ‘stand up policy’ for staff members who work on the telephone.

Do you want to look after your staff ’s long-term wellbeing but don’t know where to start? Get in touch with a wellbeing expert at Health Assured today on 01886 0324.

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14/11/2018 09:18

AWARDS 2018 2018

PA R T N

COM M

ON SI Outstanding Achievement in CSR 2018 Award

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CHARITY The Lidl team collects the

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E CAT

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RY WINNERS

CSR

AWARDS 2 2018 018

CHAMPIONS

IN CSR

Lidl Ireland was presented with the top accolade at this year’s Chambers Ireland CSR Awards.

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idl Ireland was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in CSR Award at the Chambers Ireland CSR Awards held in Dublin on September 20th 2018.

Lidl Ireland’s CSR programme demonstrated company-wide engagement and impressed the judging panel by performing consistently well across all aspects of CSR. Speaking at the awards ceremony, Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, said: “Ireland today is a wellspring of vital and inventive CSR practices across the business spectrum and the annual CSR Awards are the perfect opportunity to celebrate and pay tribute to the most exciting projects happening today.

Over the past 15 years of the awards, the bar continues to be raised in terms of the level of ingenuity behind each applicant’s projects as well as the depth of engagement with sustainable and socially responsible goals.”

This fifteenth edition of the annual awards was run in association with the Department of Rural and Community Development, partnered with Business in the Community Ireland and sponsored by BAM Ireland. The Environmental Protection Agency sponsored the Excellence in Environment Award and One4All sponsored the Excellence in Workplace Award.

Each winner was presented with a specially commissioned trophy designed by Waterford Crystal.

THE CSR AWARDS 2018 CATEGORY WINNERS ARE: EXCELLENCE IN CSR COMMUNICATIONS Diageo Ireland for the St. James’s Gate Quarter – Conversations at the Gate project EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY – PARTNERSHIP WITH CHARITY - LIC Diageo Ireland for its project Celebrating 200 Years of the Dublin Pub - Diageo and LVA ALONE Partnership EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY – PARTNERSHIP WITH CHARITY - MNC Vodafone Ireland for its project Vodafone and Childline – Working Together to Keep Children Safe by Keeping them Connected EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENT - LIC Deloitte for Deloitte’s Green Agenda project EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENT - MNC Lidl Ireland for its project A Better Tomorrow EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY – VOLUNTEERING - LIC Earth’s Edge for its project Explore, Experience, Evolve

Deirdre Ryan, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Lidl Ireland (pictured centre) accepts the Outstanding Achievement in CSR 2018 Award on behalf of her company

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EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY – VOLUNTEERING - MNC VMware International for the VMware Cork Giving Network project

EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY – COMMUNITY PROGRAMME – LIC Little Island Industries Development Company for its project Little Island Industries Development Company (LIIDC) EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY – COMMUNITY PROGRAMME – MNC Lidl Ireland for its project Lidl Community Works.

EXCELLENCE IN WORKPLACE – LIC Eir for their project eir Wellness: Live Life, Live Well.

EXCELLENCE IN WORKPLACE – MNC Boots Ireland for their project Boots & See Change: De-stigmatising Mental Health.

EXCELLENCE IN MARKETPLACE Bank of Ireland Workbench EXCELLENCE IN DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Diageo Ireland’s Learning for Life Refugee and Asylum Seekers Programme is a pilot project EXCELLENCE IN CSR BY AN SME OpenApp for their project Rare100.

*LIC: Large Indigenous Company | *MNC: Multinational Company

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CSR AWARDS 2018 GOAL

The Perfect Partner Companies looking to improve and expand their CSR strategy in order to give back to people in need can partner with GOAL and help make a difference.

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OAL has spent the last 40 years working with the world’s most vulnerable individuals and communities, responding to every major humanitarian crisis in the world since 1977. Today GOAL helps over 2.5 million people across 13 countries each year, in places like Ethiopia, Syria, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

The Irish sport and business community has recognised the great work being done by

GOAL with high-profile brand ambassadors including Jamie Heaslip, Jack McCaffery, Sonia O’Sullivan, Alan Brogan and Gordon D’Arcy getting on board to help out and spread awareness. GOAL has established partnerships with international, local and regional companies from various sectors.

Anne O’Leary of Vodafone is the charity’s chairperson and other corporate supporters include Dropbox, AIB and Premier Sports.

Companies looking to improve and expand their CSR strategy in order to give back to people in need can partner with GOAL and help make a difference. You can also get involved in annual fundraising events including GOAL Jersey Day in October and GOAL Mile in December.

GOAL Jersey Day is the charity’s flagship fundraising campaign, when staff and students in businesses and schools nationwide don their county or club GAA

colours, soccer or rugby jerseys, in an effort to raise much needed funds for GOAL. Last year, GOAL Jersey Day raised €150,000 with the help of companies and schools.

It’s easy to get involved and help raise much needed funds.

For more information on the work being carried out by GOAL and how your business can get involved contact Eamon Sharkey, Global Head of Fundraising and Marketing at esharkey@goal.ie

Partner with GOAL today for your CSR and staff engagement programs!

Contact Eamon Sharkey at: esharkey@goal.ie or 01 280 9779

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13/11/2018 16:25

14/11/2018 10:45

CSR AWARDS 2018 LIDL

A Greener

Future

Not only does Lidl offer exceptional quality products at market leading prices, it has become a leader in sustainability, building its commitments and taking meaningful and measurable steps that matter to communities across Ireland.

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hrough its sustainability programme ‘A Better Tomorrow’ Lidl is working towards a successful, sustainable future – not just for their business but for the communities it serves.

Since entering the Irish grocery market in 2000, Lidl has changed the face of shopping in the country. Today, Lidl Ireland is steadily growing its market share, employing over 4,200 people across 158 stores, three warehouses and head office. Lidl is part of the Schwarz Group, the world’s fourth largest retail group and, as such, has played a valuable role in helping to support and promote Irish suppliers to export to other Lidl countries abroad.

“In 2017 alone, we exported over a200 million worth of Irish goods to Lidl countries around Europe,” explains Deirdre Ryan, Head of Communications and CSR, Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland.

“Sustainability is at the core of the company’s daily operations, with

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a strong ethos of responsibility towards people, society and the environment embedded in the company mission.”

This commitment to sustainability has seen Lidl join Origin Green, a voluntary programme led

by Bord Bia, which brings together the Irish food industry under a common goal of sustainable food production. “Lidl has developed an excellent working relationship with Bord Bia, and the Origin Green programme is very highly regarded, not only in Ireland, but also by our international buying colleagues,” says Ryan.

“To become a member of the programme, we committed to comprehensive targets in key areas such as waste, emissions, energy, water, responsible sourcing of products, health and nutrition and social sustainability. The programme has enabled us to further emphasise our commitment to sustainability in the retail sector.”

The company has already achieved many of its targets or hit significant

milestones. In relation to sourcing, for example, Lidl has certified many of its commodities to sustainability programmes such as palm oil, tea, coffee and cocoa to the RSPO, Fairtrade, organic or Rainforest Alliance standards. As one of its targets, Lidl has been encouraging suppliers to get involved with Origin Green too. Furthermore, all of its fresh lamb and beef produce has been 100 per cent farms-certified and carbon footprinted via the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme. It also launched ‘Kick Start’, a supplier development programme supported

by Bord Bia, to give small and medium Irish food and drink businesses an opportunity to showcase their products in stores across the country and access to a series of comprehensive seminars, led by a team of experts from Lidl and Bord Bia.

RECEIVING RECOGNITION Over the past year, Lidl’s A Better Tomorrow programme has won a number of prestigious awards, including the ‘Outstanding Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility’ at the Chambers Ireland CSR Awards, as well as the Excellence in Environment MNC and

Excellence in Community.

Lidl also received the ‘Green Retailer of the Year’ and ‘Excellence in Waste Management’ awards at the Green Awards 2018.

“Our team has put in a tremendous effort – from our store colleagues donating surplus food to over 330 charities weekly and raising funds for our charity partner Jigsaw to our warehouse operatives diligently reducing waste,” says Ryan. “Other major achievements include the rollout of our renewable energy programme which will see the company provide 40 electric vehicles across Ireland by the end of 2018, switch to green electricity and invest in on-site renewables through solar power.

Another major achievement of the past year has been the implementation of a national food redistribution programme, ‘Lidl Feed it Back’, which involved connecting each Lidl store and warehouse to local charities to donate surplus food that would alternatively go to waste. The aim of this programme is to tackle food waste and use surplus food for good, to “feed it back” into the local communities that need support.

Sustainability is moving fast. The sheer diversity InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

13/11/2018 09:25

CSR AWARDS 2018 LIDL

Lidl is committed to responsible sourcing

Participants in a a1 million fundraising campaign for Jigsaw Lidl invests in sustainable building

of issues are evolving quickly, but the pace of change will create exciting opportunities for innovation, efficiencies and engagement.

Consumers are also increasingly demanding commitment to sustainability – millennials in particular. They want big corporations to lead the momentum and offer sustainable products.

Collaboration will be imperative in moving towards more sustainable InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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means of business.

“Business cannot operate in a vacuum,” says Ryan. “It needs to be aligned with the mandate that governments bring, the actions of all of us as individual citizens, consumers and other stakeholders. The future for business leading the way in sustainability is collaboration.”

MORE THAN PRODUCE During the first half

of 2018, Lidl Ireland announced a three-year charity partnership with Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health in Ireland, which provides free confidential, professional support to young people aged 12 to 25, in 13 centres across Ireland. Lidl has pledged to fundraise a1 million for Jigsaw over the following three years, and also to raise awareness of youth mental health nationwide, encouraging all customers and colleagues to be ‘One Good Adult’ – a campaign for adults to support a young person in their lives by being there to listen and support. “Through our support of Jigsaw, Jigsaw supports us all helping us to find the ways to really listen to young people about their mental health,” says Ryan.

Additionally, Lidl has been rolling out Autism Aware Quiet Evenings throughout 2018 across all stores, in which Lidl premises adjust their

lighting, reduce their sounds and offer priority queuing. Lidl has been working with charities, such as Autism Ireland and the National Autistic Society, to ensure these evenings fit customers’ needs. “Public spaces can be overwhelming for anyone with autism,” says Ryan. “We would like to support our customers who find it difficult to do tasks such as the weekly shop, by providing a calmer environment and the security of knowing that additional assistance is available if necessary.”

Initiatives of this nature – and many more – highlight Lidl’s commitment to positive business practices.

This commitment is something that expresses itself throughout the whole company. “We seek to enhance the lives of our customers,” says Ryan. “Only through the efforts of our employees and by listening to our stakeholders can we achieve our ambition.”

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13/11/2018 09:26

IB PARTNER CONTENT KPMG

Inspiring to Achieve Entrepreneur Mark Little was the latest speaker in the KPMG Private Enterprise Inspire Series where he shared details of his new venture that aims to be the Netflix for news.

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he KPMG Private Enterprise Inspire Series is designed to provide a platform for entrepreneurs and business experts to tell their stories and share insights to a selected audience of private and family owned businesses. Speakers have included Nick Wheeler of Charles Tyrwhitt Shirtmakers, David Robertson from MIT in Massachusetts who spoke on Lego as a family business and more recently, entrepreneur Mark Little, who addressed recent KPMG Inspire Series briefings in Dublin and Cork.

In the space of less than 10 years, Little has moved from being the face of RTÉ current affairs, to founding the world’s first social media news agency, becoming Twitter Europe boss, and now the co-founder of a new venture that aims to be the Netflix for news.

He spoke at the latest event in the KPMG Inspire series about his journey from journalist to entrepreneur to corporate executive and back again.

Little’s latest venture was inspired by his frustration at fake news and misinformation and a sense of optimism that it is not too late to fix the problem. NevaLabs, now Kinzen, is a unique news service that will deliver information to people matched with their preferences and interests but also filtered for the time of day.

“We are different people at different times of the day,” Little explains. “In the morning we are commuters and we might want

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hard news; at lunchtime we might want to hear about food and health topics; in the evening it might be sport and what to watch on Netflix.

Our service will be personalised to meet those changing needs.”

Most of all, it will be trustworthy with a team of journalists checking facts and validating stories.

He laments the loss of trust in information sources as one of the unintended consequences of the social media revolution.

“If we started from scratch with Facebook and Twitter we would do things differently,” he says. “We would find ways to get the benefits of social media without the bad consequences. I still believe in the benefits of social media and if we were back in 2004 again we could build the people’s media and do it properly.”

Kinzen will attempt to play a part in rebuilding the trust that has been lost over the past decade and more.

Interestingly, Little’s first venture as an entrepreneur was aimed at verifying stories posted on social media for global news organisations.

Little’s central piece of advice to other entrepreneurs is to get into the problem-solving business. “Jeff Bezos developed a great business during a time of change,” he says.

“He said the key to developing trust is to look at the customer problem that you are solving. You have to sell the problem you solve, not the product. It’s not about slicing people up into segments.

It’s about getting into their lives, having their back, and having deep and meaningful connections with customers. We are at a moment of great opportunity but the people who will succeed are those with strong bonds with their customers.”

To find out more about KPMG Private Enterprise see kpmg.ie

Entrepreneur Mark Little, CEO and co-founder of NevaLabs, now Kinzen, with Olivia Lynch, Partner, KPMG Private Enterprise, at the KPMG Inspire Series event on building, growing and transforming your business

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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LEINSTER • MUNSTER • CONNAUGHT • ULSTER Inistioge wins European prize, funding announced for key projects in Kildare, and plans for new Tullamore Harbour.

Funding cllocated for Kerry recreation projects, children’s book festival held in Tipperary, and LEO-backed jobs announced in Limerick.

Flood plans adopted in Galway, LEADER funding announced for Mayo, and road repairs in Roscommon approved.

06 ON BRAND

The ‘We are Cork’ brand has been launched to promote Cork

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Partnered Against Flooding US-based company Black & Veatch has partnered with Irish-owned Nicolas O’Dwyer to develop projects to alleviate the risks of flooding.

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CAPITAL STARTUP

In Association with

Dublin will host a range of events for Techstars’ Startup Weekbusiness event in China.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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DUBLIN TO HOLD STARTUP WEEK EVENTS

ABOUT TECHSTARTS Techstars is an American seed accelerator, founded in Boulder, Colorado in 2006. Through its worldwide entrepreneur network, founders and their teams can connect with other entrepreneurs, experts, mentors, alumni, investors, community leaders, and corporate partners to help grow their businesses.

WHAT’S ON IN

LEINSTER

NOVEMBER 16TH GOLD MEDAL AWARD LUNCH RDS, Co Dublin

NOVEMBER 17TH - 19TH TASTE OF LOUTH Dundalk, Co Louth

From November 19th to 23rd, entrepreneurs, start-ups, community facilitators and those in pursuit of starting their own businesses are set to join the Techstars Startup Week Dublin, powered by Dublin City Council. As part of the event, speakers are brought in to share their story to motivate and inspire the entrepreneurial community. Commenting on Startup Week, Mary Mac Sweeney, Deputy Head of Economic Development and Enterprise with Dublin City Council said: “For anyone thinking of starting a business, this week presents a fantastic opportunity to participate in innovative events and to hear from supporter organisations, influencers and start-up entrepreneurs.”

NOVEMBER 28TH CYBER EXPO IRELAND 2018 Irish Management Institute, Dublin city

NOVEMBER 28TH INTEGRITY AT WORK CONFERENCE Radisson Blu Hotel, Dublin 8

[ COUNTY KILDARE ] [ COUNTY KILKENNY ]

INISTIOGE WINS EUROPEAN PRIZE Co Kilkenny’s Inistioge has topped the prestigious Entene Florale competition – the European version of the Tidy Towns competition. The European judges placed Inistioge at the very top of the list when it came to enhancement of the quality of life through landscape development and horticulture around the village. The local Tidy Towns committee, along with the village residents, had been working for six months to get the village into shape. Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Eamon Aylward, said it was “an incredible achievement”.

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WELCOME FUNDS ANNOUNCED ACROSS KILDARE Kildare South Fine Gael TD Martin Heydon has welcomed funding of a520,000 announced for key projects in several areas in Co Kildare. The funding comes as part of the country-wide Town and Village Renewal Scheme. The assistance is going to Kilcullen, Rathangan, as well as Castledermot, Athgarvan, Monasterevin, Derrinturn, Straffan and Ardclough.

[ COUNTY OFFALY ]

PLANS FOR NEW TULLAMORE HARBOUR Waterways Ireland, in partnership with Offaly County Council, has applied for funding under the Government’s new Urban Regeneration and Development Fund to redevelop Tullamore Harbour. The plans would see the new harbour area include office space, an enterprise hub, residential developments and leisure facilities. Cllr Tommy McKeigue says that a redeveloped harbour site would revitalise the centre of Tullamore: “Being able to build higher building[s] would possibly enable the building of more higher density developments than previously seen in Tullamore. It’s a very exciting project.”

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

14/11/2018 09:41

LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS NEWS: MUNSTER

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NEW BRAND TO PROMOTE CORK The ‘We are Cork’ brand has been launched to enhance marketing of Cork city and county nationally and internationally. The initiative aims to support Cork in its efforts to become the fastest growing region in Ireland over the next 20 years. Speaking at the brand launch, Tánaiste Simon Coveney said: “The city and county is going to be the fastest growing part of the country for the next two decades and it is essential that campaigns like We Are Cork are initiated to make the most out of the business to be done.”

NOVEMBER 11TH - 19TH LIMERICK FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE Limerick City

Tánaiste Simon Coveney pictured with children from St. Maries of the Isle School in Cork at the launch of the We are Cork initiative

BIG PLANS Over the coming years, Cork is set to see an investment of a200 million in public transport and a214 million on roads.

New flights also continue to bolster the region’s accessibility, with a number of direct routes to the USA and almost 15 flights daily to and from the UK.

NOVEMBER 20TH - 22ND TORC SET DANCING WEEKEND Killarney, Co Kerry

[ COUNTY LIMERICK ]

NOVEMBER 23RD TRADITIONAL HORSE FAIR Kilrush, Co Clare

NOVEMBER 23RD - 26TH CORK CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL & BAKING WORLD Cork City

[ COUNTY KERRY ]

FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR RECREATION PROJECTS CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL HELD

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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MUNSTER

[ COUNTY TIPPERARY ]

LEO-BACKED JOBS ANNOUNCED

Minister Pat Breen has announced the creation of 38 new jobs spread across three SMEs throughout Limerick. These businesses are backed by the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) in Limerick. Welcoming the news, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr James Collins said: “These are very important announcements for LEO Limerick, which is surpassing all its targets set for supporting businesses so far this year.”

WHAT’S ON IN

A series of events ran across Tipperary throughout the month of October as part of The Children’s Book Festival.

The event was launched by the Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council, Cllr Mattie Ryan, along with the Moon and Sixpence Marionette Theatre.

The programme of events ran across Tipperary County Council Library Service for the month.

A total of 17 rural recreation projects in Kerry have been allocated almost a190,000 between them under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme.

Among these projects will be a visitor telescope, information bollard and repaving for the Ballybunion sea and cliff viewing area, as well as information, signage and a counter for Childer’s Town Park and woodlands in Listowel. Kerryman and Minister of State Brendan Griffin has welcomed the funding.

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INNOVATION HUB SET FOR GALWAY

ABOUT HEALTH INNOVATION HUB IRELAND The Health Innovation Hub Ireland was launched in Cork in 2016 and is aimed at strengthening collaboration between Irish companies and the public health sector. Since 2016, the initiative has run 25 studies in Irish healthcare settings, with 72 companies receiving follow-up support.

WHAT’S ON IN

CONNAUGHT

NOVEMBER 11TH - 25TH GALWAY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FESTIVAL Co Galway

NOVEMBER 16TH - 18TH SLIGO INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL Knocknarea Arena, IT Sligo

A Government-backed initiative that encourages entrepreneurs to collaborate with official bodies such as the HSE to test their products, services and devices before they go to market, is set to expand into Galway. The Health Innovation Hub Ireland provides budding entrepreneurs with an opportunity to carry out pilot and clinical validation studies, while also giving health sector bodies early access to innovative solutions. The Galway location would be the initiative’s third hub.

NOV 30TH - DEC 2ND FOXFORD CRAFTS FAIR Foxford, Co Mayo

DECEMBER 26TH FIELDS OF ATHENRY 10KM Athenry, Co Galway

[ COUNTY SLIGO ] [ COUNTY MAYO ]

RURAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR MAYO Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring has announced that 11 rural towns and villages in Mayo are set to benefit from a1,183,615 in funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. The largest proportions of the funding will go to developing a multi-purpose community centre in Newport, the development of additional enterprise units in Westport, and enhancements to Ireland West Airport Knock and Charlestown village.

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FUNDING FOR SLIGO’S OUTDOOR AMENITIES Sligo has been allocated a180,000 under Measure 1 of the 2018 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme.

The scheme is part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development and provides funding for the development and maintenance of outdoor amenities such as greenways, blueways and other trails. Among the successful projects set to receive funding are Green Fort Trail, Carn’s Hill and Queen Maeve Trail.

[ COUNTY ROSCOMMON ]

WORKS UNDERWAY IN ATHLEAGUE Long-awaited works are underway in Athleague Village, which will include new drainage, installation of new footpaths at various locations, ducting and complete new road overlay. Roscommon County Council is set to spend in excess of a1 million on the scheme and the project is expected to take around 10 weeks to complete, with the intention that it will be finished before Christmas.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

14/11/2018 09:42

LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS NEWS: ULSTER

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YOUTH PROJECTS TO RECEIVE FUNDING BOOST Youth projects across Donegal are set for a boost following an announcement of funding by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Under the Youth Capital Funding Scheme, a56,500 is to be spread across the county for a variety of youth-focused projects and initiatives. The announcement has been welcomed by Donegal TD Pat the Cope Gallagher.

NOVEMBER 10TH - 24TH CAVAN MONAGHAN SCIENCE FESTIVAL Cavan & Monaghan

[ COUNTY MONAGHAN ]

FUNDING BREAKDOWN The following initiatives are to receive funding under the Youth Capital funding scheme:  Letterkenny Youth Information Centre - a11.047.25  The Youth Development Scheme - a9,900  The Deck Youth Development Project - a17,330.45  The Daybreak Programme - a5,007.05  The Youth Outreach Project a13,202.81

NOVEMBER 28TH MONAGHAN ARTISTS NETWORK SHOWCASE Monaghan Town

DECEMBER 7TH - 8TH FALCARRAGH WINTER JAZZ FESTIVAL Falcarragh, Co Donegal

WHAT’S ON IN ULSTER

[ COUNTY CAVAN ]

FORMER POST OFFICE TO BECOME ART SPACE Works approved by Monaghan County Council to convert the former post office in Clones to an artist studio have gotten underway.

The building will be renovated, restored and divided into a number of art workshops. The plans to redevelop the town centre building were approved earlier this year at a council meeting with no objections.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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FUNDING FOR WEST CAVAN COMMUNITIES Almost a82,000 in funding has been allocated to communities in west Cavan as part of the Community Enhancement Programme. The whole of Cavan received just under a135,000 from the Department of Rural Affairs to divide between local communities and projects. Local Fianna Fáil Councillor John Paul Feeley has welcomed the funding.

It has been announced that Repak is the sponsor of the new Waste Management category at this year’s All Ireland Community and Council Awards.

Presented by IPB Insurance and the Local Authorities Members Association (LAMA), the awards highlight and recognise communities and councils working together, bringing national recognition to projects and developments that may otherwise go unrecognised.

Repak is a not-for-profit packaging recycling scheme funded by contributions from more than 2,000 participating member companies. Since 1997, Irish businesses have invested over €400 million through Repak in supporting packaging recycling in Ireland, and with its members, Repak has helped to grow packaging recycling and recovery from under 15 per cent in 1997 to 90 per cent in 2016.

For information on joining Repak contact 014670190 or visit www.repak.ie.

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Partnered Against Flooding US-based critical human infrastructure specialist Black & Veatch has partnered with Irish-owned Nicolas O’Dwyer to develop projects to alleviate the risks of flooding.

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n 2012, the Office of Public Works (OPW) identified 300 areas or communities at risk of significant flooding. Flood alleviation schemes by the OPW and local authorities have protected 9,500 properties and secured economic benefits estimated at a1.9 billion.

Ireland’s flood alleviation challenge, however, remains significant. For insights into how flood risk can be managed now and in the future, it is worth looking at projects currently being delivered by the partnership of Black & Veatch and Nicolas O’Dwyer.

Black & Veatch is a global critical human infrastructure specialist – headquartered in the USA and with offices in Dublin. Nicholas O’Dwyer is an Irish-owned international company delivering sustainable infrastructure to meet society’s global needs.

The partnership is currently working with the OPW and local authorities on a number of projects that will deliver flood risk management services and address the growing challenges of climate change.

An OPW project at Cashen, Co Kerry, is addressing a flood threat common to other parts of the country.

Agricultural land reclaimed from the sea, under the provisions of the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act, is now affected by flooding when water backs-up and overtops the drainage channels constructed to reclaim the land.

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The partnership’s team is currently assessing the viability and cost benefits of a number of solutions to improve drainage, including pumping water from the fields, or dredging to alter the profiles of the channels and mouth of the Cashen Estuary. This project is currently the largest of its type in Ireland, and the insights it yields will be useful for the maintenance of other arterial drainage schemes in the country.

During delivery, Black & Veatch was able to draw on its own experience and that of a specialist supplier in the field to consider dredging options. In addition, they investigated innovative approaches, which are more environmentally advantageous and save on capital and operational costs compared with traditional solutions.

In addition to working with the OPW, the partnership works with local authorities delivering floodresilient solutions throughout the country. Nicholas O’Dwyer has over 80 years’ experience working in this sector and has always been a trusted partner. An example of one of these projects is the River Poddle Flood Alleviation Scheme. The River

Poddle rises close to the Institute of Technology in Tallaght, Dublin and flows through Templeogue, Kimmage, Harold’s Cross, and Temple Bar, before joining the River Liffey at Wellington Quay. The project is a response by South Dublin County Council and Dublin City Council, supported by the OPW, to existing flood risks and future threats posed by climate change.

The river has on numerous occasions overflowed its banks at a number of locations, resulting in significant damage to property and the tragic loss of human life. When completed, the scheme will protect over 900 properties along the river and reduce the existing threat to life and property.

As with Cashen, the Poddle scheme will deliver insights and develop expertise applicable to future flood alleviation projects including those remaining on the CFRAM programme.

For further information, please contact Shane McMonagle,Black & Veatch, on 087 181 5516 and mcmonagles@bv.com or Barry Dunphy, Nicholas O’Dwyer on 087 912 8757 and bdunphy@nodwyer.com.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

14/11/2018 11:53

Pat McDonagh, Owner Supermac’s, Trócaire Supporter.

“ my business has helped children children go go to to

school and and provided provided

water to

vulnerable villages in in

zimbabwe “

Find out what your business can do by partnering with Trócaire: Please contact us on 00 353 1 629 3333 or visit trocaire.org Trócaire Head Office, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland Irish Charity No. CHY 5883

Filler_Chambers 11.03_Trocaire.indd Trocaire Corporate Ad A4 FINAL.indd 11

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Informing you about the work of local authorities in supporting the business needs of their community...

To tell us what your local council is doing for business email joseph.oconnor@ashvillemediagroup.com

In Association with

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IB PARTNER CONTENT DCU

Collaboration is Key Executive Dean of DCU Business School, Anne Sinnott, tells InBUSINESS about her school’s strong links with industry.

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CU Business School has been embracing industry engagement since its very foundation. Collaboration with industry is extremely important, as it prepares graduates to understand the real-world application of their academic learning, and it produces relevant research based on real-life business challenges. Increasingly, it provides industry with solutions to challenges they face, through partnering on research or the provision of bespoke training.

DCU’s industry partnerships provide a guiding thread through undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education programmes.

For example, its undergraduate

Anne Sinnott, Executive Dean, DCU Business School

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students complete a final year project where they develop a business idea and pitch it to senior executives. Each year, a number of these go on to full start-up status. In addition, the majority of DCU Business School’s postgraduate students complete a practicum project with a partner company, and Executive MBA participants apply their learning and assignments to their own workplaces.

This year alone, DCU Business School has provided leadership training to 75 SMEs through its partnership with Enterprise Ireland’s Go Global for Growth programme.

It has a strong record of producing tangible benefits for SMEs, in terms of increased sales, expansion to new markets and employment.

“We see our connection to industry as part of our mission to educate, particularly in the SME space, where indigenous industry is so important to our economy and society,” says Anne Sinnott, Executive Dean of DCU Business School. “We help businesses to grow, develop and solve problems. Many such businesses are either start-ups or SMEs seeking to scale-up which, in turn, helps companies’ contribution to Ireland’s economy.”

The vibrancy of Ireland’s SME sector, combined with the presence of large multinational companies, means that students are uniquely exposed to entrepreneurship and the experiences of global brands based here. Ireland is a small, well-networked society, meaning that access to the right people in industry can be easier. Talent Garden, one of the largest European networks of cosharing spaces, appears to have

recognised this, choosing DCU as its destination for coming to Dublin. “We believe that having a vibrant mix of digitally focused start-ups, freelancers and corporate innovation teams in Talent Garden, as part of the broader DCU community, will open up new opportunities and synergies for DCU Business School and for our students to work with industry in new and exciting ways,” says Sinnott.

DCU Business School’s staff practice research-led teaching.

This embeds industry insights into the curriculum and connects industry knowledge to students’ learning. “Our academic staff conduct research in conjunction with industry across all the business disciplines,” explains Sinnott. “A good recent example would be research by our team of organisational psychologists who conducted research on women’s return to the workplace following maternity leave. They interviewed HR directors, line managers and returning mothers across 30 Irish companies and surveyed 300 Irish women returning to work. Their research draws out best practices for companies in supporting women’s transition, with the objective of improving retention of talented women in Irish workplaces.”

DCU Business School works with companies in many ways. If a company is interested in graduate recruitment, taking students on INTRA internships, having postgraduate students helps solve a business challenge, developing executive programmes or conducting research, DCU Business School can facilitate the process.

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IB PARTNER CONTENT TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

Where Education Meets Industry Trinity College Dublin’s Office of Corporate Partnership & Knowledge Exchange is committed to supporting industry, having built up strong relationships with stakeholders and agencies.

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rom SMEs to MNCs, shortterm projects to long-term collaborations, Trinity College Dublin works with industry stakeholders and agencies to share infrastructure and expertise, tackling industry-relevant research challenges. The college’s Office of Corporate Partnership and Knowledge Exchange (OCPKE) supports both industry engagement and the commercialisation of Trinity research. The office reaches out to the business community in order to develop partnerships which enable industry to benefit from quality teaching, research and infrastructure within Trinity.

“The team here helps researchers and academics go from idea

generation to making an impact,” says Dr Chris Keely, Senior Business Development Manager, OCPKE. “That ‘impact’ can be somebody licensing our technology, developing a campus spin-out company, or getting businesses to engage with us and enable research.”

Dr Keely himself brings 20 years of experience working with technology-focused multinational and indigenous companies, in the areas of new business generation, industry and academic engagement.

In his current position at Trinity, he champions and is responsible for the successful delivery of the college’s industry strategy – enabling and supporting the linking and commercial exploitation of academic research with industry.

“I lead the research business team, which focuses on helping companies to come and work with our researchers,” he explains.

“You need to build a relationship [with companies] first of all, which can then open opportunities for collaborative and contract research.

We could be accessing the company’s infrastructure to solve some of their problems or vice versa – the work is very broad. Our ethos is to try and connect companies to the best set of researchers possible, both in Trinity and with other research providing organisations (RPOs).”

WORKING BOTH WAYS

Dr Chris Keely, Senior Business Development Manager, Trinity College Dublin's OCPKE

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The benefit for companies engaging with Trinity in this manner is that they can access a level of expertise and innovation that might otherwise be unavailable to them. However, the benefits extend beyond the companies themselves, as they too bring additional benefits to the table. “There’s a lot of engagement

schemes which enable, for example, internships, where we place students in companies for up to six months,” says Dr Keely. “These go from undergraduate, to postgraduate, to postdoctoral activities. Science Foundation Ireland, for example, supports activity which sees us take a postdoctoral research member and place them in a company for a year to work hand-in-hand in the lab or on the production floor.”

Dr Keely also explains that the college runs a ‘Researcher in Residence’ programme, where a company embeds researchers into the college’s research laboratories to work alongside Trinity researchers in developing common ideas or solutions. Government schemes are of great benefit to both the college and industry.

Of course, one of the challenges involved in achieving these rewards is in setting up a relationship between the college and companies. As Dr Keely explains, however, the staff at Trinity are well placed to do so. “Our team has a strong industrial network – they come from an industry background,” he says. “We have many relationships built on previous engagements. We also work with partners such as Enterprise Ireland and IDA in identifying and meeting companies. The business team goes to international conferences to meet companies and build new partnerships. We get involved in many events, but the main focus is always around connecting with RPOs and meeting the right person within the right company.”

Ireland has a strong national base of companies with which Trinity can engage, but the university also looks overseas. “We do reach out to international companies,” says InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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IB PARTNER CONTENT TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

Dr Keely. “We inform them about Ireland, about Trinity College – what we’re good at. Then we determine if they’re interested, and if they are, they usually come over and meet some of our academics. That results in both parties finding a common area of research. That might be a technical challenge they face, and through this dialogue we develop a plan of action or a programme which is mutually beneficial to all.

Then we get it funded and delivered.”

SPIN-OUTS Trinity has produced more spin-outs than any other Irish university, many of which have grown to be leading companies. Trinity now accounts for one-fifth of all spin-out companies from Irish higher education institutions. In the last five years alone, Trinity has created 38 campus companies across the main sectors of medical devices, pharmaceutical and ICT. “You’d normally have some cohort within the college who has InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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a very good idea, and they might apply for a commercialisation fund grant from Enterprise Ireland to establish the idea and the business case,” Dr Keely explains. “Once it gets to a stage where it looks like a viable entity, we have our own start-up manager who helps take the researchers through the process of establishing a company and spinning it out. The company might even stay within our enterprise centre for spin-outs – we have our own centre located in the Silicon Docks.”

Trinity has been heavily involved in the new innovation district area in the Grand Canal Docks, with one enterprise campus already located there and another in the pipeline.

The college is looking to expand on its strong relationships with industry, but always in such a way as to remain conscious of research fundamentals.

“We’ve found that a lot of our success to date has been based on having a good track record in developing basic research,” Dr

Keely states. “For example, we carry out fundamental research on nanotechnology in Trinity, and from that baseline, we’ve got key scientific understanding for battery technologies, sensor technologies et cetera. From that, we have companies like Samsung and Intel engaging with the university and its research centres. You can’t just fund applied research, as you need to maintain and enable the fundamental base which underpins the whole system.

Once that is established and is producing a pipeline of activities, then you have a future of putting innovative activity into companies, both nationally and internationally.

We want to see Government and enterprise realising the value of fundamental research and how that essentially stokes the whole system.

“Trinity is really about delivering excellence in research and, where appropriate, translating this to industry through targeted relationships,” he concludes.

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14/11/2018 11:55

LIFESTYLE: motoring

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AUDI HAS LAUNCHED THE SECOND GENERATION A7 TO QUITE A BIT OF FANFARE. CONOR FORREST DISCOVERS WHETHER IT’S WORTH ALL THE FUSS.

MACHINE DEALERS NOT PLUGGED IN Currently, pure-electric cars account for just 0.95 per cent of the Irish car market. Given the push in many quarters for drivers to make the move to electric, it begs the question, why so few?

One study carried out in Scandinavia by scientific journal Nature might paint some of the picture. It found that “dealers were dismissive of electric vehicles and misinformed shoppers about vehicle specifications.” It might be time for electric car manufacturers to provide more comprehensive crash courses to dealers on all things electric.

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ight years ago the Audi A7 arrived to much fanfare, an ambitious four-door fastback that began with a bold face and lost its way by the time you got to the boot. Fast forward to 2018 and the second generation has really upped the stakes.

If you’re to judge this thing on looks alone, the A7 is a winner, from the sculpted doors and 20-inch wheels (that nicely fill the arches) to a floating roofline that draws the eye towards the updated rear end. At first it doesn’t seem drastically different from the previous version, but when you place

them side by side it’s easy to spot the contrasts – sharper lines, a sleeker profile and, at the back, the rear lights have morphed into a continuous, striking taillight first seen on the A8.

There’s a much more aggressive feel about this.

Audi expects the 3.0L TDi in the fancier S Line trim will be the main seller in Ireland, and it’s not difficult to understand why. The 3.0L V6 my test model came with is more than capable in any situation, equipped as it is with 286bhp and a very pleasant gurgle (there’s a similarly-powered petrol version if you’re of that persuasion).

Paired to a smooth eight-speed InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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LIFESTYLE: motoring

“AUDI REALLY DOES KNOW HOW TO MAKE THEM AND THIS IS BEST-IN-CLASS, WITH UTTERLY COMFORTABLE SEATS AND A FABULOUSLY SCULPTED DASHBOARD WITH DESIGN ELEMENTS ECHOED IN THE DOOR PANELS – STYLISH, MODERN BUT MINIMALIST. ” AUDI A7 50 QUATTRO S LINE

ENGINE: 3.0TDi V6 0-100KM/H: 5.7s TOP SPEED: 250km/h ANNUAL TAX: €290

automatic gearbox, it’s capable of rocketing from 0-100km/h in just 5.7 seconds, which is incredibly fun to test repeatedly.

A wide and low stance, coupled with Audi’s Quattro four-wheel drive system means the A7 is very planted and it’s almost surprisingly fun to drive on windy roads – not exactly sporty but there’s plenty of grip and it doesn’t wallow in the corners. The steering is balanced and precise, although the A7 is a little prone to understeer.

Drive settings can be tweaked depending on your mood: for the most fun choose Dynamic and slip InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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the gearbox into Sport for pure aural pleasure.

For a big beast it’s pretty economical too, weighing in at 6.4L/100km or 44mpg. That’s partly thanks to Audi’s mild hybrid system (MHEV) – the engine is paired with a 48v hybrid system with regenerative braking feeding power to a lithium ion battery and a starter motor. Four-wheel steering is another nifty first – the front and rear wheels turn in opposite directions for easier parking, manoeuvring and handling at speeds of up to 60km/h. Beyond that they turn in the same direction

for greater stability. It might cost €2,892 to equip but it’s very handy in a tight spot.

While the new A7 is a big improvement on the model from the outside, the biggest draw of the second generation is its interior. Audi really does know how to make them and this is best-in-class, with utterly comfortable seats and a fabulously sculpted dashboard with design elements echoed in the door panels – stylish, modern but minimalist. One of the standout features is the integrated two-level screen system that results in a much tidier affair without too many buttons. Audi has made much of the fact that it includes so-called acoustic haptic feedback – there’s an audible and tangible click when you push a digital button. It’s surprisingly satisfying. Top marks for safety, with a range of tools keeping you on the straight and narrow from Audi Pre Sense City (which scans the road for other vehicles and pedestrians) to a system that detects if the driver is ‘inactive’.

It’s quite practical too – the A7’s wheelbase has increased by just 10mm but passengers have an extra 21mm inside the cabin, without eating into the boot space.

Prices for the new A7 start from around €78,150 but if you’re already spending that kind of money you’ll be tempted to throw in a few extras too. If you pick one, opt for the Tech pack (MMI Nav, reversing camera, Audi phonebox with wireless charging and the virtual cockpit) for a cool €2,900.

Overall, It’s a cracking car that looks the business, provides a fun and engaging drive and is packed with as many technological gizmos and safety feature as you could ever need, not to mention your money’s worth in miles per gallon. If this was a restaurant, it’d be Michelin-starred – a success story in the making.

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LIFESTYLE: motoring

REBORN FORD HAS ANNOUNCED THE ARRIVAL OF THE RANGER RAPTOR ACROSS EUROPE, WRITES CONOR FORREST.

2019 FORD RANGER RAPTOR ENGINE: 2.0L twin turbo POWER: 213bhp TORQUE: 500 Nm LAUNCH: Mid-2019

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ood news for fans of hefty pickups in the American style – the Ford Ranger Raptor is coming to Ireland in mid-2019. Its big European launch came late in August, becoming the first ever vehicle revealed at Gamescon, the continent’s largest video gaming event.

Two Range Raptors acted as rather striking bookends at the Ford stand and it was announced that the model will be added to the upcoming Forza Horizon 4, the openworld racing game on Xbox.

You might be used to seeing the Ford Ranger – available in single or doublecab format and capable of hauling around one tonne in its rear bed. But what exactly does the Raptor tagline bring to the table? In the US, the Raptor has been a beefed-up version of the extremely popular F-150 pick-up, a high-performance off-road truck designed to live in the wild – think larger tires, a wider bed, long-travel springs and shocks, and a

5.4L or 6.2L V8 engine block (the latter later replaced by a 3.5L twin turbocharged V6).

While not quite as enthusiastic in terms of power – launching with a somewhat scaled back 2.0L 213bhp twin turbo EcoBlue Diesel engine – the new Ranger Raptor is still built to withstand high-impact off-road activities, coupling a strong, reinforced chassis frame, a racing-inspired suspension, heightened shock absorbers and high-performance dampers with all-terrain Goodrich tyres specifically developed for the Ranger Raptor and a 2.3mm thick high-strength steel bash plate for underbody protection.

Flared composite front fenders are designed to shrug off damage from off-roading and facilitate longer suspension travel and the oversized tyres. Alongside the twin turbo 2.0L block is a ten-speed automatic gearbox that it will share with the F-150 Raptor, built from high-strength steel, aluminium alloys and composites to save weight and increase its durability.

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LIFESTYLE: motoring

“Forget everything you think you know about pick-ups,” said Leo Roeks, Ford Performance Director, Europe. “Our new Ranger Raptor is a different breed – a thoroughbred desert racer and extreme lifestyle off-roader that can toil with the best of them in the harshest of working conditions.”

To help keep you on all four wheels, the new Raptor will also include six Terrain Management modes covering a wide range of terrain and driving scenarios. Normal is built for comfort, fuel economy and driveability, Sport provides you with a bit more spirited driving on tarmac. Grass/ Gravel/Snow inspires more confidence on slippy surfaces, Mud/Sand improves traction and momentum, Rock offers smooth controllability on low-speed rocky terrain and Baja is designed for when you want to emulate the high-speed offroading on display at the Baja Desert Rally.

“The standout experience of the Ranger Raptor, hands down, is how far you can push it off-road and still ride like a millionaire on-road,” said Damien Ross, the Ranger Raptor’s chief programme engineer.

“Everything about the Ranger Raptor builds on the already outstanding sophisticated feel and functional capability of the Ranger, and then goes further. From a driving dynamic fun standpoint, it is really an exceptionally special vehicle.”

CONOR’S TOP TIPS ON...

MOTORWAY BREAKDOWNS

HOP OUT Once you come to a stop in the hard shoulder, put on the hazards and leave the vehicle immediately.

THE HARD SHOULDER FAREWELL TO THE BEETLE The world is bidding farewell to the VW Beetle, which first rolled off the line in Christmas 1945 and was assembled in Ireland between 1950 and 1977 – available for £465 when it first went on sale. VW recently announced plans to cease production after the current generation, with new models set to take the torch from the iconic car.

DOWN TOOLS Never attempt even simple repairs at the side of a motorway – there’s too much risk.

STOCK UP Keep a breakdown kit in the boot – including high-vis jackets, a torch, gloves, a blanket and a fi st aid it.

GREEN CLEAN WINDSCREEN When it comes to electric cars, range anxiety is a very real thing. Often, 200km can seem like a daunting prospect, but what about 13,000km? That was the trek faced by polar explorer Mark Kaminsji, who began his lengthy #NoTraceExpedition in Poland back in May – 13,000km from Poland to Japan behind the wheel of a Nissan Leaf. Dublin to Cork seems simple in comparison.

IF GURE THIS PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN TRAVELLING IN THE BACK SEAT OF VEHICLES WITHOUT PROPER RESTRAINTS (RSA RESEARCH) InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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LIFESTYLE: innovation

INNOVATION NATION InBUSINESS looks at the latest innovations and technologies that are shaping our future.

In this issue: health and fitness tech.

FINIS DUO UNDERWATER MP3 PLAYER Listening to music during exercise can have positive physiological and psychological effects on a person. Runners, cyclists, weightlifters – music is often used as powerful motivation to do that extra bit. Yet swimmers have traditionally had to make do with just their own will power. With the FINIS Duo Underwater MP3 Player, however, swimmers finally have the opportunity to listen to music during their workout. The device is secured to a swimmer’s goggles and uses its patented Bone Conduction audio technology to transmit high-quality audio through the cheekbones directly into the inner ear.

Now there’s no excuse not to swim that extra length. www.finisswim.com

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SKILLNET IRELAND and TECHNOLOGY IRELAND ICT SKILLNET have launched the Cybersecurity Skills Initiative to provide IT professionals with the skills they need to become cybersecurity officers.

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LIFESTYLE: innovation

MOOV HR SWEAT The Moov HR Sweat is a headband which measures its wearer’s heart rate while simultaneously soaking up their sweat. It monitors performance to make sure that users are pushed in and out of target heart rate zones, adjusting their training to ensure that it’s the correct intensity. The device also includes real-time coaching, and its user’s stats are synced up to the accompanying app, allowing people to track their progress after every session. The device and app lead to a workout that is quite a bit more demanding than most.

SKULPT CHISEL

www.welcome.moov.cc

The Skulpt Chisel is a handheld body fat and muscle quality analyser that provides an accurate gauge of a person’s fat loss and muscle composition – a great choice for personal trainers, bodybuilders and figure athletes. www.skulpt.me

JIGSAW, the division owned by Google parent Alphabet, has revealed Intra, a new app aimed at protecting users from statesponsored censorship.

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THREE IRELAND is set to begin offering 5G services in the first quarter of 2019, potentially opening up new uses for mobile data.

A range of new devices have been unveiled by MICROSOFT, including a new version of its desktop computer and its first pair of smart headphones.

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15/11/2018 11:11

LIFESTYLE: travel

True

A City’s

Colours

NESTLED IN ENGLAND’S SOUTH-WEST, THE CITY OF BRISTOL IS A WONDERFULLY COLOURFUL PLACE – AND IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE, WRITES TIERNAN CANNON.

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s one approaches Bristol – be it by train, road, air or sea – one thing in particular immediately stands out. Even from a distance, the city announces itself as a strikingly colourful place, with a galaxy of different tones and shades glittering all across its landscape. Whether it’s the cheerfully painted houses of Totterdown, perched brightly above the city centre, or the kaleidoscopic shopfronts of the neighbourhood of Montpelier, colour is a defining feature of Bristol – serving as a reflection of the multiculturalism and positive attitudes of its inhabitants.

The city’s affinity for colour has bled into its thriving art scene, with Bristol being world-renowned for some of the artists it has produced. The place is

home to a plethora of art galleries, from the likes of more conventional art spaces such as the View Gallery – which is split into zones over two floors, allowing it to incorporate a mixture of media, including paintings, sculptures, photography, ceramics and a room dedicated to video installations – to more quirky and unusual spaces like the Edwardian Cloakroom, which retains many of the same features which defined it during its days as a public toilet.

Art is Everywhere One of the unique joys of Bristol, however, is that it isn’t necessary to enter a gallery to experience art.

The city itself acts as a canvas, and it proves difficult to identify even an inch of the city centre that hasn’t been InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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LIFESTYLE: travel The city’s affinity for colour has bled into its thriving art scene, with Bristol being worldrenowned for some of the artists it has produced.

WHERE TO MEET...

Landmark Space This distinctive city centre venue overlooks Bristol’s thriving waterfront and is perfect for training, board meetings and workshops. www.landmarkspace.co.uk/ locations/bristol-city-centre

EAT...

Lido

Listed as one of the top 100 best UK restaurants at The National Restaurant Awards 2015, the Lido restaurant and poolside tapas bar offers its diners a delicious and unpretentious menu, within a genuinely unique and urban setting. www.lidobristol.com

SLEEP...

The Bristol

incorporated, in some way, as a means of expression.

Anonymous street artist Banksy developed his craft in Bristol, and many of his works can be found here. Banksy’s subversive works have garnered him an international reputation, and they are praised for their distinctive stencil detail and powerful satirical slant. Bristol is proud to have raised an artist of Banksy’s stature, and a number of walking street tours are offered for visitors to learn more about his and other Bristol street artists’ work, as well to provide a history of the city itself.

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GETTING THERE

BY AIR: KLM, British Airways, Aer Lingus and Ryanair run regular flights to and from Bristol Airport from Dublin, Knock and Shannon.

Bristol’s art scene very much extends to other forms, as the place is also world-renowned for its music. Since the late 1970s, Bristol has produced a large number of successful musicians – indeed, the 1990s saw the growth of the Bristol Massive scene, which produced many world-famous and acclaimed musical acts, such as Massive Attack and Portishead, who are named after the nearby town of the same name. Indeed, the city continues to showcase its musical talent to the current day throughout its many local music venues.

With a lively harbourside location, The Bristol is perfectly located to access the city’s cultural attractions, shopping centres and local draws, such as the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the SS Great Britain. www.doylecollection.com/ hotels/the-bristol-hotel

SEE...

Clifton Suspension Bridge This iconic symbol of Bristol was designed

by English engineering giant Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1831 and was completed in 1864, five years after his death. www.cliftonbridge.org.uk

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LIFESTYLE: travel

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

An original example of Banksy grafitti artwork in Bristol

TRANSPORT Bristol is connected to the rest of the UK by two railway stations, Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway. National Express and Megabus coaches travel to the city centre, and there is ample parking. Travelling within the city centre, day tickets for the bus cost £4.50.

WEATHER Like anywhere else in the UK or Ireland, Bristol’s weather is unpredictable. Though one of the UK’s warmer cities, a trip in autumn or winter will naturally call for warm, rain-proof clothes.

FESTIVALS While Bristol’s festivals are beginning to dry up by September, a decent number continue to pop up right through the autumn and winter months, so be sure to do some research before you travel.

WALKING Wandering around Bristol is a great experience in and of itself, so make sure to shop around for the best walking tour deals the city has to offer, as a number are catered to specific interests and tastes.

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St. Nicholas market in Corn Street Bristol

Theatre is also at the heart of the Bristol art scene. The Bristol Old Vic, for example, was founded in 1946 as an offshoot of The Old Vic in London, and occupies the 1766 Theatre Royal on King Street – the oldest continuously operating theatre in England. The Bristol Hippodrome is a 1,951-seat theatre for national touring productions, and other smaller theatres include the Tobacco Factory, QEH and the Alma Tavern.

Independent Spirit Bristol is home to a significant number of independent traders and businesses, and for shoppers looking for something a little more unique than what can be found on the typical high street, there is no better city. The Christmas Steps Art Quarter, for example, twists its way through several streets in the city centre, and is lined with a range of contemporary independent shops, art galleries, bars and cafés.

It is an area which, by means of its architecture and general aesthetic, highlights Bristol’s rich

The Bristol Old Vic is the oldest continuously operating theatre in England

history, yet it also underpins the city’s contemporary entrepreneurial edge – a quarter where artisans and creative traders work side-by-side within a charming, old-worldly environment.

If market shopping is more your speed, St Nicholas Market is the place to be. Established in 1743, St Nicholas Market’s beautiful architecture and wonderfully diverse stalls combine to create a quirky and vibrant ambience, making it a great place to browse and purchase.

The market currently has 63 traders, and is made up of a series of individual shops and alleyways, a large open trading area, and a space offering a varied range of delicious world foods. A particular highlight would have to be the jerk chicken wraps served by the Caribbean Wrap stall – a messy eat, but overwhelmingly delicious all the same.

The city’s unique blend of cultures has helped Bristol develop quite an established foodie scene. The Bristol culinary

sphere is dominated by independent food businesses, many of which are committed to local and ethically sourced ingredients, with most restaurants only using suppliers within walking distance of their restaurant. This commitment to locality pays off, in that it ensures seasonal menus, fresh ingredients and delicious dishes – all within the context of a unique and varied cityscape which caters to a variety of culinary tastes.

Bristol is fiercely independent, and its people celebrate that fact.

Indeed, it is a city with its own elected mayor, and even has its own currency, the Bristol pound, which is pegged to the pound sterling and is used to support the local economy.

There is a creative spirit at the very heart of Bristol which expresses itself through a wonderfully vibrant art scene and a host of independent shops, restaurants, cafés and bars.

It is a city quite unlike any other and the people who make it what it is intend to keep it that way.

Bristol is a very popular place to exhibit street graffiti art

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

14/11/2018 09:33

LIFESTYLE: books

BOOKS ON DIGITAL MARKETING

InBUSINESS looks at the latest business books offering great insights for executives, budding entrepreneurs, and other professionals seeking to acquire business skills and knowledge.

UNLEARN:

Let Go of Past Success to Achieve Extraordinary Results

B

arry O’Reilly is business advisor, entrepreneur and sought-after speaker, known as the CEO of ExecCamp, an immersion programme for business leaders, and the management consultancy Antennae. In his new book, O’Reilly shows his readers how to break the cycle of behaviors that were effective in the past but are no longer relevant in the current business climate – behaviours that may limit success. With his simple but powerful three-step system, readers can discover how to unlearn the behaviors and mindsets that prevent them and their businesses from moving forward and finding success. It allows them to relearn new skills, strategies and innovations that are transforming the world every day, and to break through old habits and thinking by opening up to new ideas and perspectives to achieve extraordinary results. Packed with relatable anecdotes and real-world examples, this unique resource walks readers through every step of the unlearning process.

AUTHOR: Barry O’Reilly PUBLISHER: McGraw-Hill Education RRP: a24.55 AVAILABLE: amazon.co.uk

YOUR TRAVEL COMPANION

The Sense of an Ending

AUTHOR: Julian Barnes PUBLISHER: Penguin Random House AVAILABLE: easons.ie

The Man Booker Prize in 2011, Julian Barnes’ The Sense of an Ending centres on retiree Tony Webster, as he remembers his heady schooldays and his time at Bristol University. However, there are dark surprises lurking in Tony’s past which soon emerge. The book examines the imperfections of memory and can be thought of as a thriller, but in a non-traditional sense.

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“A person with a positive attitude cannot be stopped.”

AUTHOR: Shiv Khera PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury Business AVAILABLE: bloomsbury.com

In today’s world, customers expect any business they engage with to AUTHOR: have an online Rachel Killeen presence. They PUBLISHER: want to be able to Chartered Accountants check a business Ireland out to identify if RRP: its products or a16.99 services meet AVAILABLE: their needs. chartered accountants.ie/ However, a books large number of Irish SMEs are still without an appropriate website. For the uninitiated, the prospect of bringing a business to the online realm can be daunting, yet the benefits can be significant. In her latest book Digital Marketing, Rachel Killeen provides a practical guide to digital marketing, containing real-life, insightful case studies from Irish businesses to illustrate how creative digital marketing can positively impact on a company’s success.

Born in India, Shiv Khera has had an incredible life journey, from losing everything he had to starting afresh and transforming his life to become a successful entrepreneur. You Can Achieve More reveals the secrets behind its author’s experiences, empowering its readers to develop the winning mentality that propelled him to succeed and revealing how to change one’s attitude to become unstoppable.

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IB PARTNER CONTENT CREDIT REVIEW OFFICE

DID YOU KNOW? Not everyone is aware that the Credit Review Office monitors credit and banking conditions for SMEs in the Irish market.

T

he role of the Credit Review Office is to ensure that viable borrowers have access to credit for business purposes. It provides an appeals mechanism for borrowers who have had their credit applications rejected by an Irish bank (AIB, Bank of Ireland, PTSB and Ulster Bank) but it also monitors credit and banking conditions for SMEs in the Irish market, and has provided a number of useful information sheets available on its website, www.creditreview.ie, in the ‘Publications’ section.

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THESE COVER TOPICS SUCH AS: • What happens if your business loan has been sold on by your original loan provider to an investment or hedge fund • What you owe and what can be demanded of you • If you seek to refinance, what to expect and how to prepare • Where and how to get help • Funding capital projects from internally generated business funds, or self-funding • Potential impact on the business and pitfalls to avoid • Implications for bank funding in the future • Non-performing loans and exposures – what farms and SMEs need to know

• What is a non-performing loan or exposure?

• How to find out if your loans or credit facilities are non-performing • Implications for bank funding in the future and why you need to get back to performing status With all Credit Review information notes, the aim is to help you to understand how you can ensure your business or farm has access to credit when it needs it.

Contact CreditReview.ie and talk to one of our professional reviewers so that you are fully informed on the credit management issues relevant to your situation.

Phone 1850 211789 or email info@credit review.ie

13/11/2018 13:04

13/11/2018 13:06

LIFESTYLE: podcasts

EAR TO THE

THE IB

You and Mary Robinson made for an unlikely pairing in the world of podcasting, how did you enjoy working on Mothers of Invention?

I’m used to the role of curious sidekick from my work on ‘StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson’, and I knew the format worked since that show is one of the most listened to in the world. I am consistently thrilled to learn from Mary and our guests about climate justice and the solutions it offers to the biggest issue facing humanity today.

What do you believe are the key ingredients that make a great podcast?

Women’s voices, solid research and fun. If those aren’t included, you lose me.

InBUSINESS SPEAKS TO MAEVE HIGGINS, WRITER, COMEDIAN AND PODCASTER, ABOUT FORMING AN UNLIKELY ALLIANCE AND SPREADING THE WORDS AND WORK OF PEOPLE TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE.

Monetising the platform remains a challenge. Do you see more advertisers getting involved in podcasting in near the future?

There’s no one answer, and it’s interesting to see how people figure it out. Crowdfunding is useful, look at Roman Mars’ incredible work using Kickstarter for 99% Invisible, or all of the podcasters with Patreon accounts. Mothers of Invention is funded by a variety of foundations keen to help the cause of climate justice, and more traditionally, advertisers are lining up to support hit shows like My Favorite Murder.

Any other podcasts you’d recommend to our readers?

General favorites include the BBC podcast Witness, historical events told by the people who were there and Latino USA for their excellent immigration coverage.

Everything is Alive is a hipster favourite. Nyphowars is a brand new conversation podcast that makes me laugh a lot, hosted by, in their words, “the world’s smartest and prettiest transsexuals”.

Can we expect new podcasts from you in the future?

Definitely! We’ve had a powerful response to the first series of Mothers of Invention, particularly in light of the latest devastating IPCC report on climate change. Being paralysed by doom is not the answer. What we need is a total and rapid reversal of our present direction as a civilisation, and spreading the words and the work of people doing just that seems to me the best use of my time.

InBUSINESS | Q3 2018

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GROUND

InBUSINESS RECOMMENDS THREE PODCASTS TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS QUARTER.

MADE IN IRELAND

THE CINEMILE Married couple Dave and Cathy podcast their walk home from the cinema discussing their thoughts on a given film. The Irish couple who are based in London picked up Best New Podcast in the British Podcast Awards last year. They offer an advanced warning: “This podcast includes some swearing and mild married-couple-bickering.”

NOT TO BE MISSED

CALIPHATE Brought to you by the New York Times and presented by the newspaper’s foreign correspondent and resident terrorism expert Rukmini Callimachi along with series producer Andy Mills, Caliphate is a gripping 11-part series on the Islamic State and the fall of Mosul.

THE BUSINESS PICK

ENTREPRENEUR ON FIRE Created exclusively for small business owners, Entrepreneur on Fire sees host John Lee Dumas interview successful entrepreneurs to shed light on their career highs and lows.

Previous guests include Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss and Tony Robbins.

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THE InBUSINESS INDEX

ENVIRONMENT 1ST - SWITZERLAND Switzerland’s top ranking reflects strong performance across most environmental issues, especially air quality and climate protection. In general, high scorers such as the Swiss exhibit long-standing commitments to protecting public health, preserving natural resources, and decoupling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from economic activity.

H - MALT

A

179 - BA N G L A D E

GO . CON REP

India

178 - SH D E M .

177

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5TH SWEDEN

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3RD

K NMAR - DE

SECOND - F RAN CE

In this issue, InBUSINESS explores the findings of the 2018 Environmental Performance Index.

176 N E P A L 180TH - BURUNDI

The east African nation of Burundi slipped significantly in environmental performance, largely due to sub-par performance on climate change, and sits at the very bottom of the table in 180th position. Low scores on the EPI are indicative of the need for national sustainability efforts on a number of fronts, especially cleaning up air quality, protecting biodiversity and reducing GHG emissions.

ABOUT THE CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX The 2018 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranks 180 countries on 24 performance indicators across ten issue categories covering environmental health and ecosystem vitality. These metrics provide a gauge at a national scale of how close countries are to established environmental policy goals. The EPI offers a scorecard that highlights leaders and laggards in environmental performance, gives insight on best practices, and provides guidance for countries that aspire to be leaders in sustainability.

For more go to epi.envirocenter.yale.edu.

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