IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan and Minister for Enterprise, Tourism & Employment Peter Burke have started a trade mission to the US Midwest region.
Starting off in Chicago, the delegation will meet with some of IDA Ireland’s biggest clients in the financial services, technology, engineering and life sciences sectors headquartered in the Midwest territory during the visit.
The US is Ireland’s largest source of FDI, with over 1,000 operations employing more than 218,000 people – equating to almost 10% of Ireland’s workforce.
The US Midwest is home to 120 IDA Ireland clients including some of the largest employers in Ireland and employing almost 50,000 people in leading areas of innovation.
“The US is, and continues to be, our largest single trading partner. In an era of intense global competition for FDI investment, Ireland is an attractive and stable business location,” Minister Peter Burke said.
“We remain a premier location to establish, invest and expand, supported by a clear commitment to long-term partnership and sustained international engagement. I look forward to meeting with the business community in the Midwest, building on past engagements and creating new partnerships and employment opportunities into the future,” he added.
Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland said that competition for foreign direct investment has never been as intense.
“Visits such as these serve to increase awareness of Ireland’s attractiveness as a place to invest, providing an excellent opportunity to reaffirm Ireland’s appeal as a hub for tech innovation and manufacturing excellence as underpinned by our proven talent pool, strong track record and our unique access to the European market,” the IDA CEO said.
“Ireland’s position as an economically and political stable business location continues to play a critical role in influencing major investment decisions at corporate level across IDA’s client base,” he added.
