Ireland’s export agency Enterprise Ireland has expanded its international office footprint with the opening of two new offices – one in Austin, Texas, and the other one in Istanbul in Turkey.
The expansion comes as part of an overall strategy aimed at boosting exports by €250m a year and in the process create 1,200 new jobs.
The number of minister-led trade and investment missions have doubled from an average of eight in 2011 to 17 in 2013.
The agency has established a new Potential Exporters division and has put in place more than €2bn worth of credit programmes for export-focused Irish companies.
Last month, Enterprise Ireland announced plans to recruit 20 new staff to focus on high-growth markets.
“Texas and Turkey are two markets which hold enormous potential for Irish companies,” the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton, TD, said.
“When I travelled to Texas earlier this year for a trade mission with 40 dynamic Irish companies, I was blown away by the opportunities that exist and the success that some Irish companies have achieved there.
“Today’s announcement will mean that Irish companies in these two markets have top-class access to Enterprise Ireland’s suite of supports, networks and contacts, and will provide a real boost for exports and ultimately jobs in Ireland,” Bruton said.
Istanbul image via Shutterstock
