Contracts worth more than €7.5 million for Irish companies were agreed during a recent four-day trade mission to Poland and Czech Republic led by Minister of State Pat Breen TD.
The trade mission to Warsaw, Poland and Prague, Czech Republic included 28 Irish companies that participated in 80 one-to-one meetings with their counterparts targeting export and opportunities across the engineering, electronics, software, IT for travel and medical devices.
Among the announcements by Irish companies during the mission were partnerships and contracts concluded by Click&Go and PPI Adhesives in Poland; and Bookassist, PortWest, Realtime Technologies and Ventac in the Czech Republic.
Click&Go setting up its first foreign base in Warsaw
In addition to signing contracts with customers in the market, Irish travel start-up Click&Go announced it is setting up its first foreign base in Warsaw, Poland, and PortWest will expand its presence in the Czech Republic in co-operation with its award-winning distributor Luksik Promex, opening its first ‘shop-in’ shop in Europe this autumn.
Kingspan celebrated 20 years of its facility in Hradec Kralove in the Czech Republic, hosting a dedicated ‘innovation week’ to coincide with the trade mission.
Minister Breen said: “This has been a productive trade mission, not just for the 28 participating clients, but for the existing trading relationships between Ireland and partners in Poland and the Czech Republic.
"As the contracts in excess of €7.5 million from this mission show, the opportunities for innovative Irish companies to increase their sales to Poland and the Czech Republic are real and tangible. Central Europe, with its high economic growth, will continue to be a key market for Irish goods and services for Enterprise Ireland clients.
'Bilateral trade growing strongly'
“Bilateral trade is growing strongly: in 2017, total trade with Poland was worth around €3.4 billion and trade between Ireland and Czech Republic is now worth in the region of €1.4 billion. This trade mission is an important initiative, encouraging Polish and Czech buyers to choose Irish innovative products and services as a source of advantage. This helps to further improve Ireland’s position internationally as a source of innovation.”
Conor Fahy, regional director Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Latin America, Enterprise Ireland, said: “A key element of Enterprise Ireland’s strategy is to grow indigenous Irish companies on a global scale.
"The objective of this trade mission was to build on Ireland’s existing strong economic links with Poland and the Czech Republic - in 2016, Enterprise Ireland clients generated €235 million of exports to Poland and over €82 million to the Czech Republic.
Raising profile of Ireland at highest levels of government
"The visit facilitated practical relationship building for Irish companies with their current and prospective counterparts in both countries, as well as raising the profile of Ireland at the highest levels of government and through engagement with the key media outlets.
“Trade missions such as this, co-ordinated by Enterprise Ireland on behalf of the government, demonstrate how Enterprise Ireland can act as a conduit for international buyers to access Ireland’s world class goods and services.
"The announcements made by Irish companies during this trade mission clearly demonstrate the opportunities that exist for innovative and ambitious Irish companies across Central Europe. Enterprise Ireland is committed to working closely with our client companies as they grow their international sales and create much-needed jobs in Ireland,” said Fahy.