At an event supporting Irish businesses exporting to international markets, Julie Sinnamon warned against taking a ‘wait and see’ approach to Brexit.

“The advice I would give anybody is: let’s have a ‘no regrets’ policy. Make sure you’ve done as much as you can in order to be able to address the factors that are within your control.”

This was the advice offered by Enterprise Ireland CEO Julie Sinnamon at a business breakfast event to open International Markets Week. Over its three-day run, the event series aimed to highlight both the challenges and the opportunities facing Irish businesses in a post-Brexit world.

Advice was also offered by business leaders who have put the necessary preparations in place to endure whatever shape Brexit happens to take. Dáithí O’Connor, MD and founder of Revive Active, said: “We’re producing in Ireland for the Irish market, we’re using our contract manufacturers for the UK market, and if they have to supply Northern Ireland [across] a border, we can do that. Or it can be supplied from Mullingar. In other words, we’ve insulated ourselves and protected ourselves so we’re Brexit-proof.”

Edel Treanor, director of Monaghan business Mullan Lighting, said that while she continues to see growth in the UK market, her company has been investing heavily in other markets. “We’ve been investing a lot of resources, attending additional trade fairs and employing staff to concentrate on growing our overseas markets in other areas,” she said.

At the event, Enterprise Ireland highlighted that more than 200 client companies saw significant Eurozone market engagement in the first half of 2019, and 57 Irish companies established a new presence there.

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Words by Elaine Burke