A Message from Shirley McCay

A MESSAGE FROM SHIRLEY McCAY

Director of Trade and Investment, Ireland

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO BITA AND ALL ITS MEMBERS!

The start of a new year always brings with it an air of renewal. It is an opportunity to refresh relationships and build on commitments that move us closer to whom we want to be and what we want to achieve.

Last year in 2018 both Ireland and the UK saw a significant increase on exports. As Director of Trade and Investment, I see tremendous potential to grow trade in both directions much further. As I write, both the UK and the EU are engaged in delivering a Withdrawal Agreement and the Future Partnership document that sets out a shared ambition to deliver an ambitious and wide-ranging trading relationship following the UK’s exit from the EU.

Ireland’s impressive growth rates of over 5% makes it now the fastest growing economy in the EU for 4 years and with over €116 billion investment in their National Development Plan Project 2040 the vast range of new business opportunities speak for themselves. The UK’s economy remains the 5th largest in the world and is the number one location for life sciences, financial services and venture capital investment amongst others. It has been voted by Forbes as the best country in the world for business for the second year running.

The interdependence of both our economies, our geographical proximity as well as our relative strengths means that whatever the shape of our future relationship post-EU Exit, we will continue to be major trading partners in the years to come. Yes of course there will be challenges to face as there are with any changes to the status quo. However, the UK Government is committed to continuing ‘the habit of cooperation’ with Ireland. We, as the Ireland team of the UK’s Department for International Trade, will continue to play our part in supporting businesses access trading opportunities in both markets.

Specifically, I want to highlight where I see most potential for 2019 and beyond – Infrastructure and Construction including Smart Cities, Life Sciences - Medical Devices and E-health, along with Cyber security, Fintech and Agrifood/ Precision Farming. The fruits of increasing collaboration between largescale corporates, trading bodies and individual SMEs as part of wider supply chains between the UK and Ireland are already evident across these fields.

Both countries have competitive advantages in these sectors and a strong pipeline of investment opportunities already exists. We need to look at both our countries to help meet worldwide demand in addition to the opportunities in each other’s markets, through building consortia and partnerships that marry the best of Irish and British expertise, innovation and quality of service.

I and my team are focused on helping companies like yours find new export opportunities, expand on your supplier base and access the most innovative technologies to help grow your turnover, footprint and profile. We look forward to meeting you and working alongside you over this important year as part of our partnership and association with BITA.

We regard BITA as a committed partner with a similar mission in reaching out to business professionals like you offering value through knowledge, networks and direct matchmaking. Over 2018 we have enjoyed a truly productive relationship with BITA in discussing how we can meet strategic challenges and focus on deliverables. Of particular note was our partnership in Manchester in April where we brought together over 100 construction and engineering companies to build alliances in support of Ireland’s expansion in public services of roads, housing, ports and airports development.

We already have an exciting programme planned for this year but of course we are happy to speak with you as a BITA member at any time of the year where we can share insights and help you find real business growth.

Wishing you a Productive and Successful 2019.

Shirley McCay, Director of Trade and Investment, UK Department for International Trade, British Embassy, Dublin