Minister Heather Humphreys leads Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland Trade & Investment Mission to Singapore

SINGAPORE,March 20,2019 -- With Brexit imminent and a clear focus on diversifying Irish exports,Minister for Business,Enterprise and Innovation,Heather Humphreys TD,is leading 71 Enterprise Ireland client companies on an Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland trade and investment mission to Australia and Singapore. The trade mission is focused on increasing Irish exports to markets outside of the UK by 50% by 2020 and attracting investments from Australian and ASEAN companies to Ireland.

The eight-day trade and investment mission,covering Melbourne,Sydney,Perth and Singapore will see 71 Enterprise Ireland client companies participate in 24 business engagements and pre-arranged meetings with potential business partners. In Singapore,these include ST Aerospace,Thomson Medical,Tai Sin Electric,Singapore Academy of Law,UOB,and AAIS (Association of Aerospace Industries,Singapore). The mission will also include meetings with IDA client and target companies in Financial Services,Technology and Medtech sectors.

Some of the highlights of the mission to Singapore include:

Partnerships signed between ICDL Ireland and as Singapore Academy of Law

Partnership signed between Combilift and Lisman Forklift

Additionally,Mainstream Renewable,Transfermate,Enterpryze and KPC-International will be strengthening their presence in the region through new offices in Singapore. Enterpryze will also be inking a partnership with UOB,which will see UOB offer Enterpryze's Business management system to SME customers across Singapore,Malaysia,Thailand and Indonesia.

The Enterprise Ireland client companies participating on the Trade Mission to Australia and Singapore span a number of sectors including Aerospace,Fintech,Medtech,Engineering,E-Learning,Agri-tech,ICT and emerging technologies.

To further drive the growth of Irish exports to the Asia Pacific region,Minister Humphreys today confirmed plans to open new Enterprise Ireland offices in Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam),as part of the Government's Global Ireland 2025 strategyand a key Brexit response measure to support Irish exporters to diversify into even more markets,beyond the UK.

Minister for Business,said:"As home to more than half of world's population and one of the largest economies in the world,Asia Pacific is a key growth region for Ireland,so I am delighted to lead this Trade and Investment Mission to Australia and Singapore. The programme will focus on both supporting Irish companies to expand exports and attracting FDI to Ireland.

"My aim over the coming days is to build awareness and promote the 'Irish advantage' of the participating companies through their innovation and capability in key sectors. I look forward to engaging with key decision makers at the highest levels in Government and Industry to promote Ireland as both a source of world-class products and services and as a world-leading destination for FDI.

"I am also pleased to announce plans to open two new Enterprise Ireland offices in the region,in Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam,as part of the Government's Global Ireland 2025 strategy. The expansion of Enterprise Ireland's global footprint will further support the drive for increased exports and promote Irish business capability to even more international buyers,"added Minister Humphreys.

Kevin Sherry,Executive Director,Global Business Development,Enterprise Ireland,said: "Expanding the Irish export footprint in markets beyond the UK is a key priority for Enterprise Ireland and we are working closely with Irish industry to pursue realisable opportunities to support greater market diversification throughout the Asia Pacific region. Australia and Singapore have proven to be soft landing zones for Irish companies that want to test the market with a view to targeting and growing in the wider region. Asia Pacific was one of the fastest growing regions for Enterprise Ireland backed companies in 2017 delivering annual growth of 9% to EUR1.9billion in 2017. A total of 600 Enterprise Ireland client companies currently export to the region and have added EUR1bn in new exports to the Asia Pacific region in the last five years.

"Since 2018,Enterprise Ireland has strengthened its resources in key sectors such as Digital Technologies,Financial Services,Education,Agritech,Healthcare,Construction and Food FDI across the Asia Pacific region and will add additional resources by end of 2019 including new offices in Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh City,as well as pathfinders in New Zealand and Shenzhen," he continued.

Mary Buckley,IDA Ireland said: "Asia Pacific is a priority region for IDA. Companies from APAC come to Ireland as a base to expand into the European market and to scale their European business. Ireland will remain an integral part of the European Union and will provide a stable,competitive and business friendly environment to access the single European market.

There are approximately 300 companies from Asia Pacific with operations in Ireland employing over 25,000 people. Nearly 1/3 of these companies come from Australia and ASEAN. This visit to Australia and Singapore will help enhance relationships with new clients to generate new investments for Ireland,particularly post Brexit and deepen relationships with existing client companies.

To mark St. Patrick's Day internationally,Enterprise Ireland will host over 50 trade and business events in over 45 locations across the world for Irish businesses and their international business partners. With a focus on driving increased export growth,particularly in the context of Brexit,the events which span from Sydney to Washington will focus on marking the achievements and contribution of Irish innovation to industries and business partners across the globe.

In tandem with the international trade events,Enterprise Ireland has launched a global video https://youtu.be/i4g5DsObxC0,as part of its 'Irish Advantage' international export promotion campaign. With the theme 'small country,big impact' the campaign highlights to international buyers,innovations that are emerging from Ireland and are shaping the future of our world and industries.

About Enterprise Ireland

Enterprise Ireland is the Irish State agency that works with Irish enterprises to help them start,grow,innovate and win export sales in global markets. Enterprise Ireland partners with entrepreneurs,Irish businesses,and the research and investment communities to develop Ireland's international trade,innovation,leadership and competitiveness. In this way,we support sustainable economic growth and regional development,and help create and sustain employment in Ireland. www.enterprise-ireland.com

ANNEX: COMPANY PROFILES

Combilift

Combilift is the largest global manufacturer of multi-directional forklifts and an acknowledged leader in long load handling solutions. More than 40,000 units have been sold in over 85 countries since Combilift was established in 1998.

The driving force behind Combilift's operations is a desire to deliver innovation in the material handling arena. Responsiveness to the ever-changing needs of the customer permeates every area of the business.

Combilift continually invests 7% of all revenue in research and development as part of its relentless quest to find safer,more productive and more cost-effective ways to lift challenging loads in challenging environments. The company's commitment to new product development has seen it continue to blaze a trail through the lifting and handling industry worldwide,cementing the company's reputation as a global leader.

Combilift employs more than 600 people and occupies a brand new,purpose-built facility spanning 46,500 sqm in Monaghan,Ireland.

Enterpryze

Enterpryze (part of the Milner Browne group) was established in 2007 to provide professional services for SAP customers in UK and Ireland. Enterpryze is an innovative set of tools for SME's based on the SAP Business One platform. Morgan Browne,CEO,based in Cherrywood,Dublin where they employ over 70 people. The company has experienced significant growth over the last number of years as they partner with UOB to offer their software to SME customers. Enterpryze has a regional support hub in Kuala Lumpur and a new office in ASEAN region with plans to create 90 new sales and support roles.

ICDL

ICDL Asia is an international organisation dedicated to raising digital competence standards in the workforce,education and society. Their certification programmes,delivered through an active network in more than 100 countries,enable individuals and organisations to assess,build and certify their competence in the use of computers and digital tools to the globally recognized ICDL standard.

As a non-profit social enterprise,ICDL Foundation benefits from the unique support of experts from national computer societies and partners worldwide to develop vendor-independent standards which define the skills and knowledge required to use digital technology effectively. ICDL works with education and training partners,local and regional authorities,national governments,international development organisations as well as public and private sector employers in all sectors,in the delivery of their programmes.

KPC-International

KPC-International was founded in Cork,Ireland in 2001 by John Devlin to support Biotech and Pharma industries in their Commissioning & Qualification activities.

Since then,KPC-International has gone from strength to strength and has developed into a leading ISO9001 accredited supplier of Managed Projects Services & Consultancy / Seconded Services for all stages in Biotech & Pharma Plant Start up - from Design & Construction Project Management to C&Q,from Tech Transfer & Operational Readiness to Sustainability.

In delivering Managed Projects Service KPC-International provide cost certainty,excellent in expertise and integration to their customers,therefore ensuring project success and sustainability even post project completion.

KPC-International HQ is in the NSC Campus,Mahon,Cork,with offices in Switzerland and Singapore,with further expansion planned for other international locations.

Mainstream Renewable

Mainstream Renewable Power is a leading global wind and solar company. The company develops,finances,builds and operates large-scale renewable energy plants across five continents.

Their expertise lies in taking projects from initial project feasibility all the way through the detailed project development process including energy analysis,GIS mapping,environmental permitting and grid studies. It secures project finance,manages the construction process and operates and maintains projects on behalf of their owners.

TransferMate

TransferMate is the market-leading choice for international banks,and businesses that send and receive foreign currency payments. With one of the world's most extensive network of bank accounts and trading in over 145 countries,allows them to secure better exchange rates,eradicate bank fees and provide clients with faster payment services.

Transfermate was launched in 2010 by Terry Clune,Barry Dowling and Sinead Fitzmaurice,a company under The Taxback Group,and is headquartered in Kilkenny. In 2017,TransferMate raised EUR51m from AIB & ING to execute an ambitious global expansion plan.