JULIE SINNAMON - ENTERPRISE IRELAND
Julie Sinnamon, CEO, Enterprise Ireland, predicts a challenging year ahead, and advises innovation is essential to remain competitive.
Q: How has 2019 been for Enterprise Ireland?
A: In June this year we announced that our clients recorded export sales of €23.8bn in 2018, representing a 6 percent increase on the previous year. We are on track to increase exports to the target of €26bn per annum by 2020. Employment and exports in companies supported by Enterprise Ireland are at the highest they have been in the 20-year history of the agency, with 66% of 2018 employment gains recorded in companies outside of Dublin. Now well over the halfway mark into our four-year strategy to Build Scale and Expand Reach 2017-2020, we are also on course to exceed the ambitious target of creating 60,000 new jobs by the end of 2020.
Q: What are the major challenges for you at the moment?
A: With ongoing international trade tensions and resulting tariffs we would anticipate that 2020 will be a challenging period for Irish exporters. Together with the climate/ sustainability agenda the need for our clients to continually innovative to remain competitive cannot be underestimated. The ongoing ambiguity regarding the outcome of the Brexit negotiations remains a key concern for exporters. While 85% of our clients have taken Brexit actions we will continue to support companies to innovate, diversify and increase competitiveness so that Irish businesses are equipped to mitigate against the fallout from Brexit.
Julie Sinnamon, CEO, Enterprise Ireland
that period has reduced from 43% to 33% as trading with the rest of the world has grown at a faster rate. These record export results show the resilience of Irish exporters to progressively grow their global footprint in uncertain times, a key focus of our diversification strategy.
Q: How have Enterprise Ireland’s efforts to encourage female entrepreneurship worked?
A: In 2011 female led high potential startup businesses represented only 7% of our supported start-ups. Further to the implementation of a strategy to increase this figure through tailored supports and initiatives over a fifth of the 132 startups supported by Enterprise Ireland in 2018 were female-led. We will shortly launch a new Female Entrepreneurship strategy which will be broadening our engagement to further address the key challenges impacting on the growth of female-led business opportunities.
Q: How has Brexit affected trade over the last year?
Q: What does this award recognition mean to you?
A: Against the backdrop of Brexit uncertainty
A: I am delighted to receive this award. It
exports to the UK increased by 4% in 2018 and the UK remains our largest trading partner. Despite UK exports increasing by 50% over the last 10 years however the portion of Irish exports going to the UK in
is a reflection of the success that Enterprise Ireland has achieved with our clients and a testament to the activities undertaken by my colleagues across the organisation, on whose behalf I accept this award.
InBUSINESS | RECOGNITION AWARDS 2019
1C_Enterprise Ireland_JM_Rec Awards19.indd 13
BUSINESSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
Innovate, Diversify and Increase Competitiveness
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