Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland's inaugural Team Ireland Trade Mission Week took place from the 31st of October to the 4th of November to South Korea, in line with a priority action set out in the Trade and Investment Strategy 2022-26, "Value for Ireland, Values for the World". The aims of the strategy include broadening the reach of Ireland's enterprises, diversifying into global export markets, thereby improving the resilience of Ireland's global supply chains and supporting high-quality and sustainable jobs. This approach also complements the Government's Asia-Pacific strategy to raise the profile of Ireland in this dynamic and innovative economic region.

Team Ireland Trade Mission Week involved the Taoiseach, myself, and Ministers McConalogue and Harris as well as our key agencies. During the course of the week, a contingent of Enterprise Ireland client companies were introduced to potential investors and partners in South Korea and a number of prominent and strategically-important contract signings took place - including, for example, the signing of a joint venture by Irish company and a major Korean corporation, for a joint data centre project running on fuel cell technology - the very first of its kind in Europe. I also visited the new Korean National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, or K-NIBRT, which is the first global partner in Asia of Ireland's own NIBRT and a tremendous example of Irish technological expertise making an impact in key overseas markets.

I also had productive engagements with Korean pharma and tech industries and with senior leaders from Korea's trade representative bodies. Finally, I had a warm and engaging bilateral meeting with the Korean Minister for Trade, Dr. Dukgeun Ahn, where we agreed to strengthen our practical bilateral ties. In summary, the events and meetings provided an opportunity to showcase Ireland's innovative and world-leading businesses and a unique opportunity to directly provide foreign direct investment messaging to senior level executives from major Korean conglomerates.

I am aware that my colleagues the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine used the opportunity to make progress on the important issue of access for Irish beef on the South Korea market, and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science together with a delegation of Irish university leaders made connections and instituted exchange programmes with counterparts. The Taoiseach met with the President of the Republic of Korea, among other engagements.

The impacts from this inaugural Team Ireland Trade Mission Week are currently being assessed in a structured manner, but initial impressions are the event has been successful in making connections for two-way trade, investment and higher education exchange between Ireland and this dynamic and world-leading economy.