Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

56. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the actions his Department is taking to facilitate collaboration between larger FDI companies and indigenous firms, particularly focusing on digitisation and the green transition. [31571/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Programme for Government has tasked my Department with facilitating greater collaboration between domestic Irish firms and larger FDI firms located in Ireland. To achieve this, my Department is driving forward a number of plans, with the support of IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland as our key enterprise agencies. Ireland’s FDI sector has been transformative for the economy and the people of Ireland. IDA Ireland’s 1,800 client companies directly employ more than 300,000 people, account for 70% of total national exports and an estimated 70% of corporation tax revenue. Combined, these companies invest c. €24billion in wages and salaries, €3.3billion on Irish materials, €11.3billion on services, and another €13.2billion on capital investment in the economy each year.IDA Ireland’s new five-year strategy, Adapt Intelligently a Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation 2025-29, targets winning 1,000 investments, creating 75,000 jobs, securing €7billion in new R&D investment, upskilling 40,000 people and reducing carbon emissions from client companies by 35%. IDA’s strategy is aligned with the Programme for Government, the White Paper on Enterprise, and sets out IDA Ireland’s ambition for continued growth in a period of marked global change and uncertainty. The strategy sets out how IDA Ireland will partner with its client companies to enhance the resilience, productivity, and innovation of Ireland’s FDI base.The Government’s White Paper on Enterprise 2022 -2030, acknowledges the importance of creating greater linkages for Enterprise Ireland clients to the multinational base in Ireland. IDA Ireland client companies spend €14.6billion on Irish material and services annually in the Irish economy, IDA Ireland is committed to deepening this economic impact by continuing to work with Enterprise Ireland to enhance supply and innovation links between Irish-based enterprises. IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland have a longstanding relationship of working closely together to foster an ecosystem that is supportive to the growth and development of both FDI and indigenous enterprises. Specific initiatives include:

• Growing Supply Chain Linkages: to provide EI client companies with greater market access in the form of opening sales channels with FDI companies in Ireland, thereby increasing sales of Irish goods and services and to provide IDA clients access to world class solutions from Irish enterprises. This initiative has delivered three joint agency networking events (Waterford, Athlone, Limerick) to explore opportunities in sustainability for the manufacturing, technology, and life science sectors. Additional events are scheduled for later this year.
• Greenfield Introductions: to provide a more focused approach to identify projects of impact which offer opportunity for EI clients to engage with new IDA client investments. For example, IDA brokered introductions to a new overseas Medtech client recently where sixteen pre-qualified EI clients met with the IDA client company to pitch their services to senior management.
• Support linkages to Corporate in-house Venture Capital (VC): Corporate in-house VC teams present a financing opportunity for scaling Irish start-ups as they look to strategically invest in innovative products, services, and business models, including products/services to enable the digitalisation and the green transition. IDA has brokered introductions for EI to US based corporate in-house VC teams; EI are now connecting EI clients with these VC teams as appropriate.
• Support the delivery of digitalisation services to clients: IDA Ireland connects with EI client companies to support the delivery of digitalisation services to clients, particularly in developing technical specification for implementing sustainable digital solutions to both services and manufacturing companies. EI clients are also engaged in the delivery of Digital Lean programmes to clients.
• Lean Business Ireland (LBI): In 2017, EI and IDA Ireland established an LBI website to support clients on the Lean journeys. Annually, both agencies contribute to the Annual Conference and Award Ceremony. This has been a successful joint venture supporting both SME and multinational companies.