| The IPBN is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland under the ESP Grant programme |
In our last segment looking back at 2022, the IPBN would like to take a moment to recognize the continuous and loyal support of Ireland’s Ambassador to Portugal, H.E. Ralph Victory, and the entire supporting staff at the Embassy in Lisbon. Their assistance, in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland and Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has helped the IPBN grow constantly thanks to the ESP Grant program which, in the IPBN’s case, has been renewed for six consecutive years, which not only proves the value of the network but also highlights the fact that our efforts as a network are worth supporting.
During Enterprise Ireland’s April Trade Mission to Lisbon, the IPBN and the Embassy of Ireland joined together to host a seminar on Bilateral Ireland-Portugal Economic Relations at the União de Associações do Comércio e Serviços. Robert Troy TD, Ireland’s Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation at the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment delivered the opening remarks followed by some words from the Secretary of State for Tourism, Trade, and Services Rita Baptista Marques and further words of welcome from Enterprise Ireland Eurozone / Central and Eastern Europe Regional Director Anne Lanigan. These introductory statements were followed by a panel discussion on “Challenges & Opportunities of Doing Business in Ireland & Portugal,” moderated by IPBN Chairperson Geoffrey Graham featuring Sharon Dehmel, IPBN member and Cross-Cultural Communication Coach, Carolina Almeida Cruz, IPBN member and Entrepreneur at C-MORE | Beyond the Obvious, Cathal Sheehy, IPBN member and Partner at Kish Capital, and Pedro Teixeira, IPBN member and Senior Partner at Taxlibris, Lda..
In November, Enterprise Ireland’s CEO Leo Clancy gave a presentation at the Irish Embassy in Lisbon to members of the IPBN on the subject of “Looking Ahead to 2023: Global & Eurozone Export Prospects,” with a Q&A session that followed. According to Leo, Enterprise Ireland’s priorities in the next 12 months are to manage costs, sustain and grow employment, promote sustainability, digitalization, and competitiveness, and continue to build export markets. Leo highlighted positive factors that have contributed to these goals, one of which was the substantial employment growth in 2021— the highest increase in net jobs created by Enterprise Ireland client companies to date.
Lastly, the IPBN would like to thank aicep Portugal Global in Dublin and the Portuguese Embassy in Dublin who hosted our latest Member Meet Member event in November. We were delighted to have had the distinguished presence of the new Portuguese Ambassador to Ireland Bernardo Lucena and Luis Reis, Director Ireland Economic and Commercial Counsellor, representing our partner aicep Portugal Global in Ireland. The Ambassador said few words and IPBN Board Member Gréag Purcell welcomed all our members in Ireland. Networking opportunities followed over delicious Portuguese wines and Ports!
Finally, Luis Reis, the Director of aicep (which sits at the PT Embassy in Dublin) invited IPBN members based in Ireland to join aicep at the "Shaping the Future: Emerging Challenges and Opportunities" event which took place in October during President Marcelo Rebelo Sousa's state visit to Ireland. The event, organized by aicep, was held at the Irish Emigration Museum (EPIC) and saw opening remarks by Dan Barret, Vice President of Information Technology and Barbara Oliveira, Co-Founder & CTO at Luminate Medical among others.
For more on the Looking Back Series, click here to read part one on annual conferences and new sectors, part two on networking and behind the scenes, and part three on support and education.
| The IPBN is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland under the ESP Grant programme |
