Technology

Manufacturing: Ireland’s Second Largest Employer

With the arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, smart factories and innovative supply chain integration is transforming the manufacturing sector Manufacturing accounts for over 30% of GDP, 122 billion euro in exports, and employs 250,000 people across 4,000 businesses in Ireland. “Manufacturing is not the first thing that comes to people’s minds when they think…
Solving Ireland’s Mobility Challenges

Anyone visiting Ireland will notice a deficit in transport infrastructure services, impacting mobility for residents and tourists. Dublin remains one of the last major European capitals lacking a rail connection between downtown and the main international airport. Also, the interconnectivity and reliability of city trains, trams, and bus networks are lagging. However, there is a…
Interview: Ciarán Hayes, Chief Executive, Sligo County Council

Sligo Witnessing Unprecedented Investment Ireland’s new hub for innovation? Sligo is not only a stunning location for tourism, but also a highly practical destination for business, with attractive incentives, high levels of infrastructure, and the ambition to become a ‘smart city.’ What is Sligo’s track record for attracting multinationals? Sligo has an established track record of…
Interview: Seamus Neely, Chief Executive, Donegal County Council

Donegal’s FinTech Hub Develops Letterkenny designated Regional Growth Center in the National Planning Framework How do you assess Donegal’s economy? Donegal’s economy is performing strongly, and employment is on the rise. The county has a thriving fin-tech hub, and a significant FDI track record. 75% of investors are continuously growing their operations and Donegal’s indigenous…
Interview: Dr. Pat Gallagher, Chief Executive, Westmeath County Council

Westmeath: In the Heart of Ireland How do you assess Westmeath’s economy? Westmeath’s two biggest towns, Athlone and Mullingar, have their own distinct economies that have developed backed by the regions central location, developed motorway network, excellent utilities, and highly educated workforce. Mullingar is one hour from Dublin by car, train or bus and has…
Interview: Joan Martin, Chief Executive, Louth County Council

Louth County: The Land of Legends Although Louth may be Ireland’s smallest county, it has plenty to offer. It is the second most densely populated county in the nation, outside of Dublin. The majority of Louth’s population resides in its two largest towns of Drogheda and Dundalk. Joan Martin, Chief Executive of Louth County Council…
Interview: Moira Murrell, Chief Executive, Kerry County Council

Kerry: A Stunning Place to Work Quality of life, the availability of a skilled workforce, ease of access, fiber-based broadband and government incentives combine to provide a positive business environment How are Ireland’s rural regions developing? There currently is a strong national focus on the development of Ireland’s regions and their improved interconnectivity. Kerry increasingly…
Ireland’s Booming Data Center Scene

New design and build model leads to fastest delivery of a 10 MW data center in Europe By the end of 2019, Dublin is set to outstrip London as the biggest European data center market by take-up of data center space – both colocation hubs and hyper scale self-builds. Within this thriving sector, business success…
Interview: Mark Foley, Group CEO, EirGrid Group

Powering Ireland’s Economic Development What advantages does Ireland offer energy intensive industries? We have a proud history of supporting FDI in Ireland, and the nation remains the premier European country in terms of attractiveness. It started with the pharmaceutical industry, then the tech firms, and more recently the data center industry has arrived. Ireland’s transmission…
At the Forefront of a Low-Carbon Revolution

Ireland is allocating 22 billion euro to transform into a low-carbon economy by 2050. The private sector in turn is doing its part to export its own expertise globally Martin Naughton is one of Ireland’s most prominent industrialists and philanthropists. His efforts in promoting the private sector’s contribution to peace and environmental sustainability led him…
Interview: Joe McGinley, CEO, Iconic Offices

Dublin’s Most Iconic Flexible Workspace Increases its Unique Property Portfolio In a complicated business world, flexible workspace solutions are a tactical advantage How do you evaluate Dublin’s property market? Dublin is in the latter stages of a cycle, and sourcing new locations is increasingly complicated. Wealthy, primarily technology, companies are driving up prices and tenants…
Interview: Mark O’Sullivan, Partner, Matheson

A decade after the financial crisis, Ireland retains a strong globalized business model. Corporate business investment is at record levels and collectively, US multinational investments amount to $387bn, representing 67% of all foreign direct investment in Ireland and 12% of US investment in the EU. What core facts best highlight Ireland’s role as a gateway…
Egypt’s banking sector remains resilient

Banks retain strong credit growth, profitability, funding, liquidity, and loan profiles. The sector is extremely optimistic about its growth prospects in 2019. According to a Mckinsey Egypt and Morocco are among the top emerging markets in the Middle East and North Africa region. 2016 was a particularly active year for the financial sector with the…
The Ministry of Health is implementing an ambitious plan to develop and modernize public hospitals and treatment centers throughout Egypt

According to the United Nations, Egypt’s population surpassed 100 million in 2018. This has caused health infrastructure to suffer under the pressure of the growing population. In 2014 Egypt had 1.5 beds per 1 000 of the population, this decreased to 1.46 in 2015 and 1.36 in 2016. Egypt’s infrastructure and services require exponential growth…
Fastest growing tourist destination globally

The government is actively pushing to reposition Egypt’s tourism and return it to its pre-revolution glory days. Egypt’s tourism sector has historically been a vital driver of the economy and a critical source of foreign currency. Its historical heritage has and will continue to attract global wonder which in itself has caused underinvestment in crucial…
Egypt’s education system is by far the largest in the region

Private non-profit education institutions are increasingly taking the lead and spearheading quality education in Egypt. Since 2014, Egypt’s focus on improving the private and public education sector has increased significantly. Vision 2030 has called for an overhaul of the current educational system and looks ambitious and promising. Serious efforts to modernize the education sector from…
Egypt is considered one of the fastest-growing offshore destinations in the world and its BPO and IT industries are gaining global market share

Egypt’s ICT sector is one of the fastest economic contributors to GDP. The overall revenues for the sector in 2018 surpassed EUR 4 000 million and are expected to reach EUR 5 100 million by 2020. The growth rate reached 14.1% in 2017/2018, against 12.5% in 2016/2017 The government has invested heavily in telecom infrastructure.…
New sector specific mega industrial zones in Egypt seek to improve valued added export capabilities

Egypt streamlined its industrial licensing processes to boost investment. They slash bureaucracy and decrease the waiting time for new projects. The industry sector is the second biggest economic sectors in the country representing more than a third of the GDP and more than 13% of the total labor force. In 2014, Egypt started a series…
New Administrative Capital in Cairo

Since the day the Pharaohs commissioned the Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt has been home to vast mega-projects. Today is no exception, with the Suez Canal to the ongoing New Administrative Capital, presented as the biggest planned city of all time, Egypt has been living up to its Ancient ancestors. In March 2015, Egyptian Minister…
A growing population in Egypt demands quality housing

One of the best solutions for Egypt’s constant overpopulation of cities has been urban expansion. It is part of an ambitious government plan to build new cities on the outskirts of every major governorate in Egypt. The Egyptian real estate sector has historically proven resilient to economic and political tensions over the past decade and…
Becoming an Energy Hub: From blackouts to exports, the Egyptian energy sector has made a complete 360 in the past five years

Egypt’s oil and gas sector was on a downward spiral for years due to the impact of the Arab Spring, the unfolding of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the military coup. The country could not even keep its lights on five years ago. In 2013, due to a series of blackouts, factories were forced to shut…
New Investment Law in Egypt

The landmark new investment law, ratified in 2017, changed the landscape of business in Egypt. The law has modernized and reduced barriers to how international companies invest and operate in Egypt, offering incentives, simplifying the processes, guaranteeing protection from decisions that are arbitrary or capricious, and providing new tools to ease establishing, starting and operating…
Egypt’s evolving socio-economic dynamics evolve amongst social and religious frictions

Historically, the Arab Republic of Egypt has been fundamental to the development of the Middle East and North Africa. To this day, Egyptian political thought and cultural influence echoes throughout MENA. Egypt remains an influential actor in the region, pushing towards the path of further economic and political stability. History: It is impossible to…
Interview: Prof Ismail Abdel Ghaffar Ismail, President, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASMT)

The Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport is a regional university operated by the Arab League which runs programs in marine transportation, business, engineering and is quickly growing its curriculum to ensure recent graduates meet labor market requirements. Established in 1972, the multi-purpose & multi-task institution specialized on offering its services to Arab…