First Irish trade mission to UK opens with roundtable events in London

Leo Varadkar TD, Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, arrived in the UK today to kick off a three-country commercial trip aimed at increasing trade collaboration. He will then go to France and Germany. The fact that the trade mission begins in London emphasises the importance of the connection with the United Kingdom as Ireland’s neighbouring market.

The trade mission is being organised by Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government’s trade and innovation agency, with the goal of increasing trade partnership between Ireland and the United Kingdom. Leo Varadkar kicked off a series of roundtable meetings that brought together Irish and British businesses and organisations to discuss digital transformation and innovation, with a packed UK schedule.

Following that, Varadkar highlighted a number of announcements made by Irish companies during the trade mission, including expansion and job creation in the United Kingdom. With close collaboration in place across the housing industry between market-leading Irish enterprises and UK local authorities, Leo Varadkar kicked off the first of a series of knowledge-sharing events planned for the coming year.

Leading the trade mission, Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD said, “Ireland and Britain will always have a close relationship. Our two countries are interlinked in myriad different ways and we will be looking to strengthen those ties as we emerge from the pandemic and face into future challenges, such as climate change and digitalisation. Irish companies have created over 125,000 in Britain. By working closely together, building on existing partnerships and building new ones, we hope to create more jobs and prosperity for both countries. I’m looking forward to visiting the U.K., as part of my first in-person trade mission as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and I’m really happy to be bringing some good news with me of Irish companies investing and creating jobs on the ground.”

To discuss housing innovation, the housing roundtable brought together leaders from London local authorities, including Tom Copley, Deputy London Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, and innovative and market-leading Irish businesses with a track record of partnering with local authorities across the UK.