We're thrilled to announce our continued sponsorship of the 'Irish Exporter to Scotland of the Year' award at this year's Causeway Awards in Edinburgh. As we look forward to gathering for this annual celebration next month, it's the perfect moment to reflect on the continued importance of the trade relationship between Ireland and Scotland.

Our Support for Irish Businesses

Enterprise Ireland is the Irish government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. We work in partnership with Irish companies to help them start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets. We offer a range of services and support to aid companies on their export journey including strategic planning, financial support, assistance with R&D collaboration, market insights, events, networking opportunities and more.

We have over 40 offices worldwide, with a team of over 21 market advisors in the UK across our London and Manchester offices. Our team are trusted advisors with deep sectoral knowledge, focused across a wide range of sectors including Construction, Renewables & Offshore Wind, Local Authorities, Financial Services, Telecoms, Lifesciences and Consumer, to name a few. In the UK, we work with customers to understand their unique challenges and match them with Irish suppliers that can deliver leading-edge, innovative products and services. We are focused on current and emerging opportunities and the growth of our client companies continues to drive our UK strategy.

The Significance of Irish-Scottish Trade

The business landscape between Ireland and Scotland has been marked by a long history of collaboration and fruitful partnerships. This strong bond is deeply rooted in shared values, cultural affinity, and a commitment to fostering economic growth.

Scotland, with its close geographical proximity, rich diversity of sectors and dynamic business environment, presents a prime opportunity for Irish companies to expand their horizons and grow globally.

Over the past year, Irish businesses supported by Enterprise Ireland achieved remarkable success in the Scottish market. Our export figures for 2022 show a substantial increase in trade between Ireland and Scotland, with a total export value of €260 million, representing a 12% growth compared to the previous year.

Innovation is critically important to both Ireland and Scotland, in times of transition, such as the adjustments arising from Brexit and post-COVID, collaboration and partnership are key and we remain steadfast in assisting Irish businesses navigate the evolving business landscape. The UK remains a crucial market for companies to scale and use as a stepping stone to further export markets. With Scotland as a global leader in sustainability and inclusive economic development, this offers plentiful opportunities for innovative companies. Scotland is internationally recognised in manufacturing, is a pioneer in renewables and digital technologies, is a key region for start-ups and tech investment and is one of the most important UK regions for Financial Services. These attributes make Scotland attractive to Irish exporters. Therefore, building on the success of our North of England presence in Manchester in 2019, we’re looking forward to further extend our footprint on the ground in the UK in Scotland in 2024.

The Causeway Awards: A Showcase of Success

Our sponsorship of the 'Irish Exporter to Scotland of the Year' award at the Causeway Awards is a testament to our commitment to celebrating the achievements of Irish businesses operating in Scotland.

We are delighted that Enterprise Ireland clients KTL and Cleantech Civils have been shortlisted for the Irish Exporter to Scotland of the Year Award at this year's 'Causeway: Ireland Scotland Business Exchange' Awards:

KTL has a proven record of delivering stand-out engineering services for clients across the telecommunications and power sectors

Cleantech Civils strive to remain at the forefront of spearheading pioneering civil engineering methods while delivering environmental solutions

We wish both companies the best of luck as we await the awards night on 5th October.

The past winners of this award have demonstrated exceptional ambition and innovation in their respective sectors, contributing to the strengthening of trade relations between Ireland and Scotland. Past winners include:

2022 Winner: EVM - Europe’s leading multi-person vehicle and manufacturing and conversion specialist, EVM made a lasting impact in Scotland by delivering bespoke vehicles to everyone from community transport to schools, to the travel and tourism industry. 

2021 Winner: Nearform - A global software consultancy that built the “Protect Scotland” COVID-19 tracking app in 2020 for use by the Scottish population. This was used to help fight against the spread of coronavirus within the country and beyond.

2020 Winner: Archway Roadmaster - Archway design and manufacture best-in-class road maintenance machinery, the Roadmaster. Archway Roadmaster is the clear market leader in its sector of spray injection patching in Scotland & provides a unique product with a single operator, reducing exposure to a live carriageway & environmental hazard and enhancing health & safety, whilst providing PLC-controlled, economical & consistent repairs to most highway defects such as potholes, cracks and rutting etc. with full safety and commercial compliance.

As we eagerly await the Causeway Awards in Edinburgh, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the nominees, and we look forward to celebrating the achievements of Irish businesses in Scotland.

For more information about Enterprise Ireland check out our website Enterprise Ireland, and to keep up to date on our events and initiatives, follow us on LinkedIn.