Dr. Pat Ivory:

Obviously we view China as a different style of market. One of the reasons we are holding the workshops is to enhance the ability of SMEs to do business in what is a very different culture and to help them understand the differences between, for example, doing business in the UK and US and doing business in China. It is good to see linkages between Dublin city and Beijing and Cork and Shanghai. IBEC recognises the role agglomeration can play and the strength of the Dublin region in terms of trade. However, it is important to develop a good regional spread throughout the country. We must strike the correct balance in this regard. It is also important that we leverage our strengths with regard to the infrastructure and resources we have in this country. Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport is a great resource, as are the airports at Cork and Shannon.