Innovation is happening at Nebraska-based companies, and Ireland wants to be the international springboard to help Nebraska-based companies reach overseas markets. IDA Ireland (www.idaireland.com), the government agency responsible for promoting investment in Ireland, visited Omaha and Lincoln to celebrate the Aer Lingus College Football Series that took place between Nebraska and Northwestern on August 27. In partnership with the Greater Omaha Chamber and LinkedIn, IDA Ireland met with business and technology leaders at the newly opened LinkedIn offices in Omaha. Ireland is impressed by Nebraska’s thriving start-up and technology ecosystem.
“We attended a Startup Omaha Week event, run by the Omaha Chamber and other partners,” said Karen Healy, VP of technology and business services of IDA Ireland. “It was fantastic to see the continued level of start-ups emerging in Nebraska.”
Ireland is focused on establishing a strong business connection with Nebraska-based companies and growing its international footprint.
“Ireland and Nebraska have many commonalities—agriculturally strong, growing tech, and a passion for sports!” said Healy. “I believe that connections will continue to grow and develop further. Irish Ambassador to the U.S. Dan Mulhall and his delegation visited Nebraska earlier this year. “By the game taking place in Ireland, we were lucky to welcome a strong contingent from Nebraska to Ireland. Those professional and personal encounters will help to grow into further engagements and increased awareness of opportunities.”
Ireland continues to be an ideal location for companies seeking to internationalize their operations and has proven a trusted partner to U.S. companies on their investment journeys. For example, LinkedIn’s international headquarters is based in Ireland where they employ almost 2,000 people. In addition, Ireland’s thriving technology and sports technology clusters are being noticed as leading sports technology companies such as StatsPerform, Strava, ThrivelGlobal, and Whoop have all scaled teams in Ireland across many roles, including international services and software engineering.
“Supports delivered to U.S.-based businesses on behalf of the Government of Ireland are on a pro-bono and confidential basis,” said Healy. “We provide support on every step of the investment journey, from due diligence to information gathering, discovery visits, and, once set up, we continue to help through practical supports.”
There are also efforts in Ireland to scale companies in the U.S.
“We like to see it as a two-way street of investment between the U.S. and Ireland,” said Healy. “Companies like Glanbia, Kerry Foods, CRH, and Smurfit Kappa are Irish companies who have scaled substantial teams in the U.S. The sister agency of IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, helps Irish companies grow their presence and exports internationally. They are engaged with the business community in Nebraska. They work hard to help their clients build connections globally and hire people in the U.S. to grow their companies in this attractive market.”
Ireland’s success is multifaceted, based on a history of consistent industrial policies, available skills, an agile workforce, and the benefits of EU membership and its related market access. To learn more about becoming one of the companies across the Midwest that have invested or found opportunities for them in Ireland, go to www.idaireland.com.