reopening ireland · united states and china, but there is still a gap to close with some...

Reopening Ireland

Technology . Workplace wellbeing . Motoring . Executive style

The road to recovery is long but there will be positives for business

Q2 Wednesday, July 08, 2020

A leading business publication focused on recognising the needs of Dublin's entrepreneurial and corporate business leaders, Business Ireland (published by The Irish Times) is a quarterly print magazine produced in association with Dublin Chamber. Business Ireland aims to make a real contribution to encouraging economic growth through expert analysis of key business trends and insightful commentary on the issues that directly effect the city's commercial needs.

BUSINESS IRELAND MAGAZINEThe Irish Times, 24-26 Tara Street, Dublin 2 Email: [email protected] Advertising: 01 893 0000

Dublin Chamber, 7 Clare Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 644 7200 | Fax: 01 667 6403 Email: [email protected] | Web: dublinchamber.ie

Editor: Barry McCallManaging Editor: Edel Morgan Production Editor: Cathal O’Gara

Q2 newsOn the cover Positive aspects to the new normal for business as the economy reopensNet worth Many businesses which closed their physical premises have been illuminated by the power of digitalRemote wellbeing Companies take steps to support their employees online by providing fitness, counselling and financial adviceConstruction Re-building the construction industryOut to lunch As Dublin’s cafes and restaurants re-open, they deserve our supportChild's play Catering to the children’s market has provided lucrative business opportunities for these entrepreneursTechnology Six fun toys for big boys and girlsStyle The ‘new normal’ for workwearDriving the change Will 3D printing revolutionise car making?The lighter side

Going international Expand overseas with Dublin Chamber’s new free advisory service Member NewsDublin chamber on... Pride month, Dublin City Council to waiving public realm furniture charges, Selling Online in 2020 Guide and remote working made easyNew member profiles

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Q2 | July 2020 | THE IRISH TIMES04 | BUSINESS IRELAND

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE MOVES IN THE RIGHT

DIRECTIONAs the economy proceeds through the reopen-ing process, the great imponderable remains the interplay between personal health concerns and financial wellbeing and its impact on consumer behaviour. When will consumers feel physically and financially safe enough to return to the shops, restaurants, sports clubs and retail parks?

Deloitte has been conducting longitudinal fortnightly surveys of consumers in an effort to get answers to this and other important ques-tions. The good news from the most recent sur-vey is that more than half (58 per cent) of Irish consumers want to make purchases in store, comparing very favourably with the UK, which reports 41 per cent. As well as that, 56 per cent of consumers say they now feel safe visiting a store, an increase from 53 per cent in the previ-ous survey, which puts Ireland as joint third in Europe on that measure.

On the other hand, consumers remain hesi-tant about making large purchases, with 41 per cent still planning to delay big spending. “People are somewhat more confident about going into physical stores and restaurants and so on but they also need the confidence to spend money,” said Deloitte Ireland CEO Harry Goddard. “They remain concerned about their personal welfare and health. It will be important for retailers and other consumer-facing businesses to be proac-tive in protecting their customers’ health and wellbeing.”

The popularity since reopening of large ware-house style stores which lend themselves to physical distancing highlights the need for retail-ers and hospitality businesses to make custom-ers feel comfortable on their premises, accord-ing to Goddard. This will present challenges for smaller pubs, which may have to invest in phys-ical alterations to restore confidence, he added.

“Businesses in the hospitality and retail sec-tors need to know what investments they should be making as they come out of the lockdown,” he told Business Ireland. “This research will help guide them in those decisions.”

The importance of the digital channel was highlighted by Irish retail statistics during the lockdown. “We saw a drop of about 30 per cent in total retail sales in Ireland, including physical and online,” Goddard noted. “Falls of that mag-nitude were not seen in other markets where people could go online to buy. That is a reflection of the large number of retailers in Ireland which don’t have online sales capability.”

The solution is to invest in that capability. “This is part of discussion with Government,” he continued. “How do you take a good business and help them make that investment? If they don’t invest, they may not survive.”

The news for the motor trade was not good, with 58 per cent of Irish consumers planning to keep their current vehicle longer than originally expected, a 1 per cent increase since the previ-

ous wave of research. “People haven’t been using their cars,” Goddard observed. “We may see a pick-up in servicing now that people are driving more but they are not going to buy a new one. The extent to which people see themselves com-muting to work in their car is questionable. And we don’t have the public transport infrastructure to get people to work in 90 minutes. The com-mute is dead. Even if people do start travelling to offices again, they will want to do so at a time that’s convenient to them and fits in with school times, childcare arrangements and so on.”

IRELAND MAKES INNOVATION TOP 10

Ireland has placed ninth in the European Com-mission’s latest annual European Innovation Scoreboard and remains in the group of Strong Innovators, performing above the EU average.

Performance is assessed using 27 indicators across 10 innovation dimensions. For the third year in a row, Ireland is top in the EU for both the employment and sales impacts of innovation. Ireland also performs well in human resource, attractive research system, and innovator indi-cators, having achieved overall scores above 120 per cent of the EU average in each of these categories.

The report shows that overall, the EU maintains a performance lead over the United States and China, but there is still a gap to close with some competitors, including Japan and South Korea.

Welcoming the result, outgoing Minis-ter for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys said: “As we have already seen this year in the rapid response to the Covid-19 pandemic by our scientists, higher education institutes and enterprises, research and inno-vation is relevant for all of us in our daily lives. Now more than ever, it is beyond doubt that research and innovation will have an essential role in supporting the recovery, improving pub-lic services, living standards and the quality of life of all citizens.”

Ireland has also made the top 10 in another important European ranking, the 2020 EU Dig-ital Economy and Society Index (DESI). Ireland is placed sixth in the overall index and continues to rank first in the integration of digital tech-nology dimension while maintaining a leading position in the use of e-commerce by SMEs.

Ireland entered the top 10 on the use of internet by individuals and recorded a notable increase in the share of internet users. It main-tained its top 10 position in digital public ser-vices, where it excels in open data and the pro-vision of digital public services for businesses.

ENSURING A SAFE PUBLIC TRANSPORT EXPERIENCE

Momentum Support has created more than 90 full-time jobs to meet demand as a result of a

contract with Dublin Bus to provide specialised cleaning services across its premises and fleet of buses in order to ensure the safety of employees and passengers during the Covid‐19 pandemic.

The contract involves the provision of day‐time sanitisation of buses at 24 bus terminus loca-tions throughout Dublin city. This includes the sanitisation of all frequently touched surfaces on a bus, including handrails, ticket machines, card readers, seat grab rails, bell push buttons and the driver’s cab area.

In addition, an enhanced cleaning regime was introduced with the touch surfaces of every bus in the Dublin Bus fleet being sanitised on a nightly basis across eight different depot loca-tions.

“The health and safety of our employees and customers is paramount to Dublin Bus,” said James McHugh, senior engineer with Dublin Bus. “As Dublin’s largest public transport pro-vider, we needed to partner with a company that would help ensure that we met the highest standards of hygiene during this pandemic and provide a high quality, professional solution.”

Q2 NEWSRight: Deloitte

Ireland CEO Harry Goddard; Enterprise Ireland chief executive Julie Sinnamon

Below: Momentum support cleaning service with Dublin Bus

THE IRISH TIMES | July 2020 | Q2 BUSINESS IRELAND | 05

SUPPORTING BORDER REGION ENTERPRISE

Eleven border county projects from the north-east and north-west of the country have been approved to share in the €17 million Border Enterprise Development Fund 2020. Admin-istered by Enterprise Ireland, the fund will provide support for collaborative, enterprise capability building projects to advance entre-preneurship, productivity and innovation in the Border Region.

The aim of the fund is to improve the interna-tional competitiveness of enterprise in the Bor-der Region in the context of Brexit and other market challenges, which now also include Covid-19.

Winning projects range from an innova-tion-as-a-service project in Donegal, which aims to accelerate the uptake of disruptive technology solutions by SMEs, to the establishment of an advanced manufacturing and technology train-ing centre in Dundalk, Co Louth.

“Enhancing collaboration is a central element to driving the innovative capabilities of indige-nous enterprise and this is a key focus of Enter-prise Ireland’s ‘Powering the Regions’ strategy,” said Enterprise Ireland chief executive Julie Sin-namon. “The 11 successful projects illustrate the power of collaboration and will enhance produc-tivity of SMEs to build scale at a regional level. Our aim is to augment the international com-petitiveness of Irish businesses, particularly in the context of Brexit, and to help increase the number of exporters, win business in global markets and provide sustainable employment opportunities in the Border Region.”

STEADY PROGRESS ON GENDER PARITY

The DCU 2019 Women in Leadership annual report has found a 13 per cent increase in the number of women at full professor grade at the university over the past five years. At the end of 2019, the per-centage of full professors who are women stood at 33 per cent.

Over the same time period, women in pro-fessorial roles at the university increased from 36 per cent to 52 per cent. In addition, the per-centage of females in associate professor and assistant professor posts at DCU is now more than 40 per cent for each grade.

“This report is a testament to DCU’s ongoing commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion at all levels across the university, and we are proud to highlight the progress we have made over the past five years,” said Sandra Healy, director of the DCU Centre of Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion.

TWO IN FIVE BUSINESSES SUFFER CYBER HIT

Research carried out by Hiscox Insurance has found that 41 per cent of Irish firms had experi-enced at least one cyberattack in the six-month period from September 2019 to February 2020. This was among the findings of a study of 5,569 companies across eight countries, commissioned by insurer Hiscox, which included Irish data for the first time.

The report also revealed that 6.5 per cent of Irish firms paid a ransom following a ransom-ware attack.

The total cost of cyber incidents and breaches among the 335 Irish companies surveyed was more than €113 million, the second lowest total of the eight countries surveyed. Despite this, of the 125 Irish companies that suffered a cyber breach, Ireland also had the highest median cost

at €91,860. One Irish company suffered total cyber losses of €17.8 million, with the largest single event costing approximately €4.5 million.

The most heavily targeted sectors were finan-cial services, manufacturing and technology, media and telecoms, with 44 per cent of firms in each sector reporting at least one incident or breach.

Now in its fourth year, the Hiscox Cyber Read-iness Report surveyed a representative sample of private and public sector organisations in the US, UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands and Ireland.

Irish companies are ahead for most cyber spending categories for the coming year, and by some margin, in enhancing disaster recovery capabilities, improving the security of custom-er-facing services and apps, and enhancing top management engagement in cyber policies and procedures.

Ireland also tops the table for the percentage of companies expressing confidence in their IT and security readiness at 70 per cent and 66 per cent respectively. They are also most likely to have a standalone cyber insurance policy (38 per cent).

IRISH RESEARCH DRIVES VENTILATOR

DEVELOPMENTMullingar-based research centre Irish Manufac-turing Research (IMR) is working with leading European and US organisations to research and develop two new ventilator systems which prom-ise more effective patient outcomes.

IMR, in collaboration with US multinational Artesyn Biosolutions, local Irish company Airpower and one of the top global ventilator experts, Steve Tunnell, based in San Diego, have completed the first unit ready for shipment for testing in the US.

The EirVent is portable, with no moving parts and minimal power requirements, making it ideal for use in non-hospital environments. The rapid-build ventilator can be produced at a lower cost, making it affordable for Covid-19 response teams and healthcare organisations in emerging or developing markets which are now becoming epicentres for Covid-19.

The second system was developed over the past 12 weeks in partnership with Massachu-setts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Malone Group.

Barry Kennedy, CEO of Irish Manufacturing Research, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has cre-ated a global demand for ventilators and modern life support ventilators are scarce and Ireland is helping address this demand, both right now and in the future for the expected second wave of this pandemic. We are hoping to bring these new innovative systems to market for between €5,000 to €10,000, which is significantly below the cost of high-end systems normally used in hospitals. We have also developed sophisticated, but readily repeatable and affordable, electronics controls and user interfaces for the caregiver to use.”

Above: IMR are working on innovative responses to the global demand for life-saving ventilator


making the changes that will be required.”He believes society will have to live with Covid-

19 for a long time to come. “This will obviously have major ramifications for the business sec-tor,” McQueen adds. “As the economy re-opens, we expect to see risk tolerance levels increase. Much will depend on the level of social distanc-ing that is required in public. Ultimately, busi-nesses will continue to do what is required in terms of conforming to expert health advice and providing an environment that provides staff and customers with confidence.”

And getting staff back to work will be tough for some firms, certainly until the childcare sit-uation is resolved. “Our most recent survey of members identified that the return of workers to workplaces will be very gradual over the coming months. Around three in five firms say that they expect to have less than 50 per cent of staff back in the office by August 10th.”

A phased return may well be appropriate where employees have been on temporary lay-off or home working, according to Ciara Ruane of law firm Pinsent Masons. “This may be appropriate because it is necessary to reduce the numbers of people at the workplace to facili-tate social distancing, or because the workload is likely to ramp up over time rather than immedi-ately returning to pre-pandemic levels.”

This will require careful selection and, of course, any selection exercise must be fair. “As part of this, employers will also need to consider how they will deal with vulnerable workers, tak-ing account of the risk of age and disability dis-crimination and, in particular, the duty to make reasonable accommodations,” she adds. “They will also need to consider how they will deal with those with caring responsibilities, taking account of any possible sex discrimination issues.”

Employers may wish to use leave periods effec-tively to ensure a smooth return to capacity or as a way of staggering returns. But they will need to ensure that they comply with holiday provisions in the contract or in the Organisation of Work-ing Time Act, including any notice requirements, Ruane advises.

“Businesses requiring their employees to work from their usual workplaces will need to ensure that they have conducted appropriate health and safety risk assessments to identify and manage risks appropriately,” says Paul Gillen, also of the Pinsent Masons employment team. “A novel approach being used by many employers is for their health and safety officer to take a short video of their office or site exhibiting the safety

he past month has seen the reopen-ing of the retail and a significant seg-ment of the hospitality sectors. But many doors remain closed on streets and in shopping malls throughout

the country. This is partly due to difficulties in adhering to physical distancing and other health and safety requirements imposed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic – but much of it is the result of the damage suffered as a result of the lockdown.

In its submission to the Department of Finance on suggested measures to reboot the Irish economy and promote economic recovery and employment, KPMG noted that businesses had been carrying significant fixed costs during the lockdown but with little or no revenue streams.

The submission went on to point out that as the economy gradually re-opens, they also have an additional cost burden to ensure they are Covid-19-compliant, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), more intense cleaning costs and new fixtures and fittings to deal with social distancing. Reduced capacity will also be a key factor affecting the ability of many businesses to generate revenues, it added.

The road to recovery will be a long one, accord-ing to Dublin Chamber head of communications Graeme McQueen. “Covid-19 has had a massive impact on how many businesses operate,” he says. “The road to recovery will be a long one for

the business community and our commitment in Dublin Chamber is to help firms with the

challenges that lie ahead and to assist them in

The road to recovery will be a long one for the business community

Rebooting Ireland

A recent Dublin Chamber survey revealed three in five firms say that they expect to have less than 50 per cent of staff back in the office by August 10th this year

COVER STORY

Reopening the economy is by no means as straightforward as shutting it down but there will be positive aspects to the new normal for business. Barry McCall reports

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National Development Plan, through a combi-nation of exchequer, private and other finance.

While the Programme for Government (see panel) contains a commitment for a “July Stim-ulus” package and a Recovery Fund, no figures have been put on their potential scale. Inter-estingly, the Ibec proposal is not necessarily to spend the €15 billion but to have it in place as a form of financial firepower to support the busi-nesses and areas of the economy that require it once the damage has been assessed.

Small Firms Association director Sven Spol-len-Behrens believes businesses will require additional financial help if they are to reopen successfully. “The cash grants for reopening are worth between €2,000 and €10,000 depending on last year’s wage bill,” he notes. “That will be gobbled up very quickly by the health and safety measures required by Government. What we are really looking for is help with the liquidity piece. Without that, you can forget about reopening for many businesses.”

On a more positive note, Skillnet Ireland chief executive Paul Healy says finance isn’t the only


protocols that have been put in place to safe-guard their employees. The employer can then send it to their employees, that way they can be reassured adequate precautions have been taken to ensure their safety on their return.”

And there is the risk presented by employ-ees themselves. “Employers may be consider-ing more invasive health monitoring – such as enforced temperature checking and health ques-tionnaires – as part of their health and safety risk assessment,” Ruane notes. “They may also be asking more detailed questions about those with underlying health conditions who are espe-cially vulnerable and may need additional pro-tection. Employers obtaining health information about third parties, such as family members, and sharing the identity of employees who have con-tracted the virus and who may have exposed others to risk will have to consider their data protection obligations. Employers will need to consider whether any new health monitoring practices are ‘reasonably necessary’ to com-ply with a legal obligation, such as health and safety duties.”

COVER STORY

MAKING HOMEWORKING WORK

The home working genie is now well and truly out of the bottle. Work may never be the same again for some of us, who will either work from home perma-nently or part of the time as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.

In the US, Twitter has already said it may become standard practice for its employees while Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has indicated it could become permanent for a sizeable chunk of his company’s workforce. In the financial world, BlackRock and Morgan Stanley have informed markets they will require less office space in future due to changed working patterns.

In its Digital Pulse Coronavirus Flash Survey of more than 800 technology decision-makers carried out in March, 451 Research found that 38 per cent of people now working from home will not be going back to the office for the foreseeable future.

Last month, NUI Galway published the results of a national survey on Remote Working during Covid-19. Some 83 per cent of the 7,241 respondents said they would like to continue working remotely for at least part of the time but 28 per cent said their physical workspace at home was inadequate for the task.

One solution is to either convert space in homes or extend or invest in garden rooms. But who would pay for such outlays? Employer grants would be subject to income tax under present rules. KPMG partner Owen Lewis believes a scheme similar to the Bike-to-Work scheme might assist in this regard. This would effectively allow employees to write off these costs against

tax while employers would be able to advance them the money in the form of an interest-free loan.

“Things were probably moving in the direction of increased working from home in any case due to climate change and other issues,” he says. “Two-hour commutes can’t be a good use of resources. If we are serious about building on the positives coming out of the often tragic Covid-19 situation, everyone includ-ing the Government has to play a role and things like the Bike-to-Work scheme should be on the table.”

Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure their home-based employees are working in a safe environment, however. Out of sight should not mean out of mind as employers will still need to consider legal and contractual obligations to employees, according to Paul Gillen of Pinsent Masons.

“Firstly, an employee’s contract must specify their place of work,” he explains. “If the contract doesn’t provide for working from home or contain the right to change the employee’s work location, any variation to their place of work will need to be agreed with the employee. Even if the contract contains the right to change the place of work, the employer must act reasonably when implementing the change. Gaining agreement of employees will be key and this will mean discussing how working from home will work and addressing any concerns the employee may have.”

And there are health and safety considerations. “An employer has the same respon-

sibility for the safety and health of employees who work from home as for those in an office,” notes Ciara Ruane, also of Pinsent Masons. “Normally, an employer is required to carry out a risk assessment of the employee’s

workstation in their home to ensure that it is suitable for work and if there are any hazards identified, measures should be put in place to reduce these.”

And these additional measures and changes to working patterns will all cost money. KPMG has proposed a package of measures to help pay for them including zero-rated VAT for certain affected businesses until the end of the year, a refund of tax paid in prior years for losses in 2020, a complete waiver of commercial rates for 2020, the reintroduction of the 9 per cent VAT rate for tourism, and incentives to encour-age private capital investment in the recovery.

The aim is to give businesses the breathing space required to recover, according to KPMG managing partner Seamus Hand. “If unemploy-ment levels are to be minimised and the econ-omy is to have a chance to recover quickly, it is essential that businesses whose viability has been put at risk by their closure are given the lifeblood they need to survive the critical period ahead.”

Ibec went further in its Reboot & Reimag-ine Campaign proposals. The employers group recommended a €15 billion reboot plan within the first 100 days of a new government and

an increase of €25 billion in the lifetime of the

Above: Paul Gillen and Ciara Ruane of Pinsent Masons

Below: KPMG managing partner Seamus Hand

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In time, the business community will bounce back.”

And some good could come out of the crisis. “I believe that when we look back on this period, we’ll see that the Covid-19 crisis was the cata-lyst for many companies to make many positive changes,” he adds. “Prior to Covid-19, firms were kicking the can down the road on things like working-from-home practices. The Cham-ber’s research has identified that nine out of 10 firms have had a positive experience of remote working, with around one third of companies who did not offer remote working previously stating they will implement policies in this area going forward.”

And there will be environmental and other benefits. “We’ll see changes in the behaviour of workers in the city,” says McQueen. “For exam-ple, we fully expect to see a long-term spike in the numbers of people walking and cycling in the city. Ultimately, this ability to adapt and change to a new normal bodes well for the business community’s response to the huge sustainability challenge that faces us.”

issue and training supports can help business owners to adjust to the post-Covid world. “Men-tors Work is a Skillnet Ireland programme avail-able to help companies through that process,” he explains. “Gordon Lucey in Ballyvourney in west Cork availed of a Skillnet Ireland programme during the last crisis and that helped him set up the 9 White Beer Company. That was hit badly by the shutdown of pubs and the hospitality industry and he had to close the business. He subsequently availed of our Mentors Work pro-gramme and has reopened and pivoted the busi-ness to manufacture hand sanitiser. He has been able to re-employ most of his team as a result.”

Graeme McQueen also takes a positive view. “Businesses will continue to adjust as things evolve. If there’s one thing the Covid-19 episode has shown it is the resilience of the business community. Over the past few months, we’ve seen how businesses are able to pivot quickly to adjust to a changing environment. The legacy of Covid-19 will be huge. In the short to medium term, it is all about recovery and getting busi-nesses back on their feet as quickly as possible.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR SMES?The Programme for Government, with its commitments to stimulus and a jobs-led recovery, has been broadly wel-comed by the business community. While a little scant on specific figures, the broad range of measures contained within it is good news for SMEs struggling to recover from the impact of Covid-19.

Under the programme, a series of actions will be carried out to support the economy to return to capacity. Known as the July Stimulus, the main element within it is the Recovery Fund, a targeted stimulus to increase domestic demand and employment.

The Recovery Fund will be available for 2020, 2021 and 2022 and will comprise three different elements: infrastruc-ture development; reskilling and retraining; and supporting investment.

Productive and labour-intensive capital investment projects focused on areas such as housing, retrofitting and public transport will be prioritised. Training and upskilling will be provided to help those who have been made unem-ployed by Covid-19 and are unable to return to their previous employment to enable them secure new opportunities.

In addition, measures will be put in place to help Irish companies access credit and capital. These may encompass credit guarantees and a role for State-backed lenders such as SBCI.

A key component of the July Stimulus will be the estab-lishment of an SME and State Bodies Group to be chaired jointly by the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Busi-ness to coordinate the Government’s ongoing response to Covid-19 for SMEs.

Other measures of particular relevance to SMEs include legislation for the introduction of a new €2 billion Credit Guarantee Scheme, a SURE scheme and the warehousing of tax liabilities. There is also a commitment to review the Business Restart Grant and consider further grant supports for SMEs.

MicroFinance Ireland is to be scaled up so that it can sup-port greater numbers of small businesses and start-ups in accessing finance. There will be a review to examine how European Investment Bank funding and other opportunities for external funding can be utilised to the maximum extent possible to support the recovery and the transition to a low carbon future.

Very welcome to SMEs is the commitment to set out how commercial rates will be treated for the remainder of 2020 and to create a code of conduct to govern relationships between landlords and tenants for commercial rents.

Clarity will also be given in relation to the future imple-mentation of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and the future distribution of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

Sectoral taskforces, comprising of Government, indepen-dent experts and stakeholders and chaired by line ministers, will be established to focus on the specific needs of sectors and bring forward plans in the context of the National Eco-nomic Plan.

Finally, a high-level review of the Irish economy led by the Department of the Taoiseach will be undertaken to identify the sectors which have the greatest opportunity to grow and sustain quality employment in light of the continuing public health crisis, resulting geo-political trends, as well as the long-term challenges of the climate crisis, technological disruption and future public health challenges.

A phased return may be approprate for firms where employees have been on temporary lay-off in order to reduce the numbers of people at the workplace to facilitate social distancingILLUSTRATION: GETTY | ISTOCK



ovid-19 has radically accelerated digital transformation around the world, turbo-boosting everything from telehealth to fintech. Initial lockdowns followed by the ongoing

need for physical distancing have split busi-nesses into those that can sell online and those that can’t.

Even giants such as Primark, or Penneys as we know it, were hit by the digital divide. Not having an ecommerce channel not only saw sales plum-met from £650 million (€718 million) a month to zero, but the fast fashion specialist also took a £284 million (€313.9 million) hit for stock languishing behind its shutters. Today, 68,000 Primark staff depend on government furlough schemes across Europe.

Though businesses are now re-opening, many are concerned about the financial sustainabil-ity of ongoing physical distancing rules, and, of course, whether or not consumers will be keen to come out and do business with them any time soon.

It’s why omnichannel selling, a combination of bricks and mortar with ecommerce and click-and-collect offerings, has become a strategic priority.

Food entrepreneur Jo Davey set up her healthy snack food business, Absolute Nutrition, in 2014. She spent the next six years growing sales through supermarkets and cafes country-wide. The business’s success meant online sales played second fiddle. When Covid-19 closed down food service outlets across the country, it became lead violin.

Net worth

By running competitions, posting on social media sites, promoting discounts and running collaborative campaigns with other online businesses, it helped her drive online demand. “From having no online sales at all, it’s now fly-ing for us,” says Davey.

For businesses looking to go online, or to develop brochure sites into ecommerce ones, the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) offer Trading Online Vouchers worth €2,500. Businesses can apply for up to two and, while previously these had to be match-funded on a 50/50 basis by the business, changes introduced since Covid-19 mean they are now 90 per cent funded by the LEOs, which also provide a range of training supports to help businesses succeed online.

Aisling and Michael Flanagan of Mayo-based food business Velvet Cloud, a maker of natural sheep’s milk yoghurt and cheese, used a voucher when their food service business also saw a pan-demic plummet. When restaurants closed as part of the lockdown, it lost 50 per cent of its business overnight.

A Trading Online Voucher enabled them to turn their existing brochure website into an ecommerce one and grow sales back up. Where previously customers could only find them in supermarkets and food service outlets in Dublin and Mayo, they are now selling direct to custom-ers “from Donegal to Dingle”, says Aisling. The pair are also considering exports.

The urgent need for businesses to start selling online has given rise to new business opportuni-ties too. When Suzanne Rigby and Mark Hooper saw how many businesses were unable to trade

Many businesses which had to turn off the lights in their physical premises have been illuminated by the

power of digital. Sandra O’Connell reports

The power of online trading

online during lockdown, they developed Click-andCollection.com, which enables small busi-nesses to get online in minutes for just a few euro a month.

Store owners simply upload pictures of their stock, and customers can pick, pay for and orga-nise a time for collecting their goods online in seconds. As well as allowing customers browse at their leisure, it helps retailers manage cus-tomer through-flow in a way that adheres to physical distancing guidelines.

Many restaurants and cafes which turned to takeout orders in the lockdown will continue with the service even though reopened to diners. It proved particularly popular with pharmacies too, which, while they remained open through-out the lockdown, could not allow browsing for items such as skincare and cosmetics, an import-ant driver of revenues.

Unifiy, a wholesale food and grocery ordering app, responded to the changed environment by making itself available to the public, providing a business lifeline for Irish wholesale suppliers and producers who saw sales orders decline by up to 90 per cent after the lockdown came into effect.

The UnifyOrdering app allows the public to order from these same Irish wholesale suppliers and producers as Michelin-starred restaurants, with deliveries initially to the greater Dublin area only but plans to deliver countrywide.

It has also been extended to include premium independent retailers as a business lifeline for many providers in the food sector.

The easy to use UnifyOrdering app is free to download and has given the general public

The urgent need for businesses to start selling online has given rise to new business opportunities

ONLINE TRADE

Driving demand: Jo Davey, founder and director of Absolute Nutrition. The healthy snack company's online store was boosted by running digital campaigns, social media posts, competitions and discount promotions

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access to top-quality produce at wholesale prices across fruit, veg, meat, dairy, drinks, dried goods and cleaning products. Customers can browse suppliers and their products and order direct to their home or business address or beat the queues by collecting at their local supplier.

Premium wholesale suppliers and produc-ers involved include FXB, Italicatessen, Rustic Kitchen, Sustainable Seafood Ireland and Don-abate Dexter.

Independent retailers on board include Fal-lon & Byrne, The Butler’s Pantry, Lilliput Stores, George’s Fish Shops, Lotts & Co, Lynam’s, Deveneys and Green Beards. Here, the customer can choose home delivery or ‘click & collect’.

“Our lifestyles have changed dramatically, we will be centred in the home for the foreseeable future. Enjoying meals and entertaining at home may be how we socialise going forward and UnifyOrdering will allow home cooks to get the best quality and specialist ingredients from Irish suppliers with ease. And all just in time for sum-mer barbecues, small – and in time large – gath-erings, and even late summer weddings,” says Barry McNerney, UnifyOrdering’s co-founder.

The move online might have been an immedi-ate response to a dramatic situation, but it isn’t likely to be rowed back on any time soon, if at all, suggests James Coffey of Bean Delivered, a coffee subscription service that set up last year.

As soon as the pandemic was announced, he secured a Business Continuity Voucher, worth up to €2,500 for companies to pay for consul-tancy to develop new strategies. As a result, he is working with an expert digital marketer to help develop the business faster.

Covid has been transformational for online, says Coffey “even the idea of browsing around a shopping centre seems unimaginable now”.

Oonagh McCutcheon, communications man-ager with the IE Domain Registry has some advice for those businesses which have not

yet made the move online. “Many businesses demonstrated their resilience and agility by piv-oting to online when Covid-19 struck,” she notes. “Our advice to a business going online for the first time is to keep it simple.”

What is the most important thing you want to do online? she asks. Is it to sell products, take orders for restaurants, take bookings for hair-dressers, or provide a service through a virtual consultation? “Don’t over-complicate it and get online fast,” McCutcheon adds.

“Use a reputable web developer or one of IE Domain Registry’s accredited registrars. They work with SMEs and know their needs. There were over 7,000 new .ie domains registered in May 2020, a 60 per cent increase on May 2019 and the highest month on record. This shows that there is a huge swing to online and it’s important that every business benefits. Consum-ers recognise that supporting local Irish brands is important and more are now purchasing regu-larly online. Businesses that embrace digital and adapt in this current environment will position themselves well for the future as the economy starts to recover.” There are privacy issues to take into account as well, according to Samuel Plantié, principal data protection consultant with Gemserv. “First, both your website and customer database must be secured with state-of-the-art standards, in particular for processing payments and credit card details,” he advises.

“But complexity will arise with marketing and cookies,” Plantié adds. “Many businesses will be tempted to use existing customer data for email marketing, and to track the journey of their website visitors to target these visitors online via digital advertising. But advertising cookies require opt-in consent, and you can only send direct marketing emails on an opt-out basis to pre-existing online customers. To send market-ing emails to your physical retail customer data-base, you must rely on opt-in consent.”

Above: Michael and Aisling Flanagan, founders of Rockfield Dairy, a Mayo-based company producing sheep’s milk and sheep’s milk yogurt under the Velvet Cloud brand. The business used a Trading Online Voucher to expand into ecommerce and sell directly to customers online

ONLINE TRADE

VIRTUALLY MADE TO MEASURE

Louis Copeland has dressed gener-ations of Irish businesspeople and a fair smattering of celebrities since it first opened its doors in 1933. Since then, it has seen a world war, depressions, recessions and a global financial collapse, but the Covid-19 crisis was the first time the company had to close its doors to the public.

But service to its customers remained uninterrupted thanks to an earlier investment in an online presence. “Thank goodness we started an online business three or four years ago,” says Louis Copeland. “Opening an online store is not that easy. It takes a lot of money and time and there are no rewards for two or three years.”

But it’s paying dividends now. “Once Covid-19 happened we had to close all our stores. We decided to cut our losses and offer 40 per cent off everything to get money in to pay our staff and suppliers. Thankfully, it worked and we had cash coming in to pay wages and suppliers.”

The company rented premises in Churchtown in south Dublin to support its expanded online offering. “We had six staff working there socially dis-tanced,” Copeland adds. “Customers can order online but if they want to chat with a salesperson, they can ring in. If they can’t get an answer they can email their number and we get back to them. Nine times out of 10 we are able to talk them through their size. Sometimes we do a video call with WhatsApp to do it. If someone walks into the shop, I don’t need a measuring tape to get their size – it’s the same on a video call. We also ask what brands they normally wear as sizes can differ.”

Business was quite brisk during the lockdown. “A lot of people were still working. If you’re on a conference call it is important to dress appro-priately for the meeting. Staff call customers a few days after the clothes are delivered to make sure they are happy. We take them back if they’re not. Having the online presence was very important for us. It kept the brand out there and opened us up to people who never shopped with us. Maybe they will come to us now that we are open again. It has opened us up to a younger audience as well.”

Barry McCall

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2020

WORKPLACE WELLNESS


With remote working set to continue, many companies have taken steps to support their employees online by providing fitness, counselling and financial advice. Mimi Murray reports

Remote wellbeing

hen we all left offices and places of work on March 13th this year, little did we know it would be almost three months before life started to return to

some kind of normality. In that time, employ-ees have had to deal with innumerable stresses while working from home: getting to grips with home-schooling and Zoom meetings, all while worrying about how the pandemic might affect employment long-term.

Many employers got this and quickly swung into action, making sure employees could work from home and that they were getting the sup-ports they needed to remain productive and stay sane. While some offices have returned, many have not, and remote work will continue as per Government guidelines.

Business Ireland talked to some of the practi-tioners hired by companies to help their employ-ees online, with fitness, meditation, counselling and even financial advice.

Right: Wellbeing Director at Zevo Health, Davina Ramkissoon. The company has provided one-to-one consultations and group webinars on financial wellbeing throughout lockdown


Davina Ramkissoon works with Zevo Health, which has been provid-ing financial webinars to company employees throughout lockdown.

“We saw an increasing number of requests for financial wellbeing semi-nars in addition to one-to-one consulta-tions with a financial adviser to review personal finances. More and more, people were becoming concerned with how to manage their finances for the long term and ensure their potential to achieve financial stability.

“And it was in the employer’s inter-est to deliver on this. If employees have reduced stress and anxiety levels in response to financial worries, then

the employer will benefit by having a workforce with a greater level of wellbeing and team morale. Not to mention that it will support with employee retention. All of which pos-itively contributes towards productiv-ity and business outcomes.

“We’ve seen the positive impact the webinars have on employees. They leave with clear direction on what they need to do and how they’re going to achieve it. It increases their sense of control and gives hope for their future – subsequently easing some of the stress associated with financial worries.If you’re interested in receiving a financial wellbeing seminar for your business email zevohealth.com.

‘PEOPLE WERE BECOMING CONCERNED WITH HOW TO MANAGE THEIR FINANCES’

‘THE FEEDBACK HAS BEEN AMAZING’Up till now, Maura Rath taught vinyasa flow yoga in real-life set-tings, but when lockdown happened she started teaching large classes online.

“Teaching yoga to an empty room with a camera was a little strange at first – I love that personal connection you make with people in a studio, and I was also worried that people wouldn’t get as much out of the class. But the feedback has been amazing, my favourite is from people who said they never had the confidence to join a physical class, or people from overseas I’ve never met. They’re begging me to keep the virtual classes going once physical classes resume. In terms of the how, Zoom has been a life saver. I’m also teaching some corporates through Microsoft Teams, Lifesize and Webex.

“I teach online classes for eight-nine companies per week. Again, I had a lot of people tell me they wouldn’t have had the confidence to practise in front of their workmates, so this is great for them. I also think that while the work-home boundary is blurred more than ever at the moment, virtual corporate yoga is a way to give a little personal life back into the home – employees are joining in in their living room along with their kids and family members.

“Virtual yoga will continue for the next few months even as lock-down loosens, and maybe long after as people avoid close contact with those outside their circle. With the positive impact it’s been having during the pandemic, it would really be a shame to pull the plug. I’ll be continuing as long as companies keep extending their packages with me.”yogawithmaura.ie/corporate

Below: Yoga instructor Maura Rath


Sam Taylor works as an acupuncturist and has adapted to give clients, including corporates, online sessions.

“All my work, up until recently, was hands-on and in person. Over the last few months I’ve had to adapt to online video calls, consultations and check-ins. Like a lot of small businesses, it’s not somewhere I ever saw myself going as I thrive on the more intimate interpersonal relationships I provide my clients. In fact, it was those clients that encouraged me to look for another platform to connect with them as their symptoms and ailments had begun to creep back into their lives over this lockdown period. Little did I know there was so much of my skillset that could be transferred into online sessions.

“I have given acupressure tutorials, designed from clients’ detailed consulta-tions. Diet and lifestyle adjustments were suggested based on symptoms of discom-

fort. I also feel it’s important to include meditation and visualisation techniques to address and bring to the forefront any underlying fears. All this whilst creating a safe space to share concerns and wor-ries about the new challenges that people were suddenly having to face working from home.

“I think most people have a varying degree of anxiety that lives below the sur-face. With the constant distractions and always being ‘on’, always being available and contactable, it never allows us time or space to really look at that. Unless they are working nonstop, on high alert, losing sleep and running their adrenals into the ground, then they think they’re not doing a good job. This is the opposite of doing a good job and I have had to explain that to a lot of the corporate clients I have spoken with. I’ll keep these online sessions up for as long as is necessary.”samtayloracupuncture.com

‘THERE WAS SO MUCH OF MY SKILLSET THAT COULD BE TRANSFERRED INTO ONLINE SESSIONS’

‘A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO MOVE TO

ONLINE COUNSELLING’John Conaghan is a director at Inspire, a provider of mental health and wellbeing consultancy for workplaces, universities and others impacted by mental health issues.

“Given our experience of providing well-being solutions and mental health and wellbeing supports, we were able to very quickly develop a Covid-19 specific area on our online support hub, which con-tains a wealth of information on how to cope and deal with the added stress that the current crisis brings, including videos and a self-assessment questionnaire.

“Since the start of the shutdown, we have seen traffic to the hub double and an increase of 1,800 first-time users of our online services. Once the restrictions ease further, I believe we are going to see a significant increase in the demand placed upon our health services and GPs, which will put a strain on the system. So, the more support we provide now, it should help manage the challenges down the line.

“We had to stop all face-to-face coun-selling with pretty much immediate effect, which had some initial conse-quences for some of our service users. But we found that a lot of people were willing to move to online counselling.” Above: John Conaghan, Director at Inspire

Above: Acupuncturist Sam Taylor

‘WE HAVE PUT A HUGE AMOUNT OF EFFORT INTO SUPPORTING OUR PEOPLE’

Niamh O’Connor, Cpl HR director, explains how her company kicked into action when lockdown measures were announced in mid-March.

“Our people who are parents and those taking care of the most vulner-able in our community may feel the strain of both workloads. They were missing the social connection and camaraderie which is an essential ingredient in our business and our culture. There is lots of uncertainty and lots of factors outside of an individual’s control which can cause them to be anxious. In addition to this, there can be a temptation, as a result of Covid-19, to work harder and longer days with perhaps less success in output, which can be both disappointing and demotivating and morale can be impacted as a result,” O’Connor says.

“Now more than ever, there must be a very deliberate focus on promoting mental and physical wellbeing as we adjust to the new normal and transition through this change. Cpl has invested in a well-being programme that provides a range of supports to their workers including webinars, access to med-itations and health professionals.

“Our programmes are there to help people identify when they may not be feeling themselves and to give them techniques to overcome challenges they may be experiencing. Our ‘Stay Con-nected Campaign’ is ongoing and aims to facilitate a variety of initiatives and outlets for people to have social connection. A very suc-cessful example is our virtual cafe, where people are randomly part-nered weekly with a colleague for a 15-minute virtual chat. We have weekly steps challenges through our Zevo app and a bi-weekly themed photography competition which encourages people to get out and about. We facilitate virtual Pilates and HIIT classes. We also have hosted a TikTok competition and a kid’s art competition to try to assist our parents in occupying children for a few hours.”

Anne Heraty, CEO of CPL Resources says: “We have put a huge amount of effort into supporting our people and their families and have tried to create a suite of wellbeing initiatives which are fully inclusive. Ensuring our people can be at their best also means they can deliver their best to our clients.”

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CONSTRUCTION

Re-building the construction industry

he construction industry was among the first sectors to return to work on May 18th, after the March 28th shut-down for all bar essential construc-tion sites around the country.

In the weeks leading up to the shutdown, contractors were working unilaterally to intro-duce measures to protect workers. However, to address the issue effectively, a standard set of measures needed to be drawn up and agreed by all stakeholders.

The shutdown presented the Con-struction Industry Federation (CIF) with an opportunity to take a holis-tic approach to the problem. The CIF’s Health & Safety sub-com-mittee established a Covid-19 working group to devise measures that would bring all on-site work in line with public health guidelines as well as the Government’s Return to Work Safely Protocols.

The group devised the Construction Sector C-19 Pandemic Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), which set out how sites would function, how workers should approach their work on site by taking appropriate measures to protect them-selves, and what measures they should take when travelling to and from work. It also covers mea-sures to be taken if a person on site displays symp-toms consistent with coronavirus infection.

The Covid-19 working group also devel-oped an online induction programme that all persons attending sites must complete before being allowed access. This was done in conjunction with Irish onboarding specialists GoContractor and production company Coop Media. Employees returning to work must also complete a Covid-19 self-dec-laration questionnaire.

Before sites could open, contractors had to update safety and health plans, safety statements, and other documentation to cover Covid-19 risks.

The overall message of

According to Lee, all of the measures have worked well, and there has been positive engage-ment with the workforce.

Dermot Carey, director of Safety & Training at the CIF, played a central role in developing the CIF SOP document. He says that following all the work that went into developing the SOP, as well as consultations with Government and unions to get the sector back up and running, it was “vital that the sector had a good start when we began the process of reopening sites.

“Our message was simple,” he continues. “If you can’t follow the guidelines and work safely, then don’t open. We had a number of companies working through as essential services during the shutdown, and they were able to operate in line with the SOP. The feedback from other workers during the shutdown was that they wanted to return to work, and they were happy to work under a restricted regime.”

Carey says that in the first week after reopen-ing, the HSA carried out in the region of 400 site inspections, which all went very well.

Donal McCarthy, chief operations officer with John Sisk & Son, Ireland and Europe, says Sisk’s primary concern is the health, safety and well-being of its staff, on-site workers, supply chain partners, clients and the wider community in which it operates.

“We are returning to work in a gradual and phased basis, managing the numbers of people coming to our sites very closely and ensuring everyone knows what is expected of them. The people who can work from home will continue to do so.

“It is early in this return-to-work phase, but we are pleased the way things are going,” he adds. “All of our sites are working in accordance with the CIF SOP. Everybody returning to work on a site has to complete a Covid-19 training mod-ule before accessing our sites. This is just one of the ways we are ensuring that all our people are aware of the need to follow the new operating procedures to stay safe,” he concludes.

Robbie Cousins is editor of Construction Mag-azine, the official journal of the Construction Industry Federation

the SOP document is that if a job can’t be done safely and in line with public health guidelines, then it must not be done at all.

The return to work is happening on a phased basis, with more than 150,000 people having completed the C-19 induction, and work only restarting on sites that can work within the SOP.

While temperature measurement is not spec-ified as part of the new SOP, some contractors are taking the precaution of measuring the tem-

peratures of those entering their sites.David Lee, construction director at Collen Construction, says there was

a lot of preparation to get Collen sites ready, explaining that the key to achieving this was taking a collaborative approach with the contractor’s workforce and supply

chain.“We successfully reopened our

sites as a result of collaborative engage-ment with our workforce,” Lee explains.

“We brought our own employees on site first to make the site compliant with the Collen C-19 policy, the CIF’s SOP document and the national protocol. In most cases, this took a full day. On day two, we started to bring our other contrac-tors onto site in small numbers, ramping the numbers up in a measured and managed way to ensure the health and safety of everybody on site.”

Measures Collen introduced include 20-minute staggered start, finish and break times; additional training around Covid-19; and the appointment of a com-pliance officer and social distancing marshal on each site. The role of Covid-19 compliance officer is specified in the CIF SOP.

Other Collen measures include temperature testing as people

enter sites, separation in can-teens and drying rooms, one-way walkways around the site; step-back areas on stairs and landings; and hand-wash hygiene facilities across sites.

Ireland’s construction industry has introduced a suite of measures to ensure the safety of workers, writes Robbie Cousins

Above: David Lee, construction director at Collen Construction; Dermot Carey, director of Safety & Training at the CIF

Left: Donal McCarthy, chief operations officer with John Sisk & Son


Innovation partner sponsored profile

n December 2019, the EU embarked on poten-tially the biggest policy overhaul since its foun-dation. Driven by climate change concerns, the ¤1 trillion Green Deal sets out to decarbonise almost every sector of the European econ-

omy by 2050. The highly ambitious programme was well received by stakeholders already active in renewables and the wider green economy but did not necessarily resonate across mainstream industry and society.

“The multiple and still-unfolding impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic now make the Green Deal look prescient,” says Garrett Monaghan, head of projects, Ireland, with Pinsent Masons law firm.

According to Monaghan, there is real potential for the Green Deal to be Europe’s “Man on the Moon Moment” as stated by European Commission presi-dent Ursula von der Leyen. “It creates a new agenda for the EU that will shape its development on a scale that could dwarf the respective impacts of the Com-mon Agricultural Policy, the European single market and the single currency.”

Rather than hamper Europe’s Green Deal ambi-tions to date, the urgency and depth of the Covid-19 pandemic has instead accelerated the need and appetite for clean energy and related economic tran-sition. “Electrification of public transport, construc-tion of new energy grids and hydrogen production are all hugely significant changes in the narrative moving from low carbon to net zero,” says Pinsent Masons associate John Scanlon.

In May 2020, the European Commission reaffirmed its support of the Green Deal by announcing an EU budget proposal and Covid-19 recovery plan, putting the Green Deal at the heart of the recovery effort.

Closer to home, the Programme for Government has put far-reach-ing climate-driven policies at the core of economic policy. These include placing Ireland’s 2019 Cli-mate Action Plan on a statutory footing; the development of floating offshore wind in Irish Atlantic waters; a first auction scheme for offshore wind in 2021; the development of an export economy centred on electricity and green hydrogen (produced using excess offshore wind); and a reduc-

tion of carbon emissions by an average of 7 per cent per annum over the next decade.

“On a practical level, change will only happen if implementation is prioritised, and change

will only be prioritised if it is incentiv-ised,” says Monaghan. “Incentives don’t

need to equate to subsidies. The EU and national governments need to provide the appropriate legal and planning frameworks, economic incentives and bankable models to

promote competition and enable inno-vation to take root.”The Green Deal envisages the establish-

ment of an integrated renewables-focused electricity transmission system – moving renewable power across new offshore grids. “In truth, that policy has been championed by Eddie O’Connor of Mainstream Renewable Power for many years,”

The €1tn Green Deal sets out to decarbonise almost every sector of the European economy by 2050

Putting climate action at the top of the agenda

Scanlon notes. “The anticipated benefits include the creation of many new jobs and industries, improved security of electricity supply, increased energy inde-pendence and access to cleaner and cheaper electric-ity for consumers.”

Garrett Monaghan believes huge opportunities exist to make the green economy and renewables the cornerstone of Ireland’s economic recovery. “Arguably, and perhaps ironically, the requirement for government and EU recovery stimulus packages to drive the Green Deal has never been less necessary as investor pressure, reduced technology costs and consumer behaviour have closed the funding gap. No one is in any doubt of the profound importance of energy and water availability and the need for good broadband and food security. Industries and economies need to demonstrate resilience regardless of their green credentials. We are now at the point where economic resilience and climate-driven poli-cies can accommodate and complement each other.

The Green Deal will also lead to a more con-nected and diversified energy sector whereby each country or region can focus on its particular area of competitive advantage. “This will enable Ireland to significantly increase its onshore and offshore wind capacity and potentially become a net exporter of electricity to the UK, France and Europe,” Monaghan adds.

“The energy and wider cultural transformation embodied in the Green Deal will of course require massive investment,” says Scanlon. “ESG is already core to investment funds and their financial fire-power will be needed to support EU budgetary amounts and public and private debt, with a partic-ular role for the European Investment Bank.”

The timing of the Green Deal could be perfect for Ireland as the Government seeks to jump-start the economy following the Covid-19 lockdown. “Ireland has never been better placed to take advantage of the last mover advantage, as some observers have put it, in the new order of things,” Monaghan con-cludes. “Sector coupling will be a phrase we all hear more of; previously unrelated industries are seeking each other out and will lead to enormous opportunity for climate protection, energy independence and job creation. It is this integration of policy and industry and sector coupling that will require real and sus-tained leadership and investment commitment.”

Above: Garrett Monaghan, head of projects, Ireland, with Pinsent Masons


Take it away DublinRestaurants are getting ready to light their can-dles and welcome diners once more but don’t expect them to stop cooking up some of the wonderful innovations very many brought in to help keep their cookers firing throughout the lockdown.

With reduced capacity the order of the day, and a likely reluctance among some customers to venture out just yet, you’ll be able to continue enjoying Dublin’s finest fare from the comfort of your own kitchen for some time to come.

If you can at all, please do because, unfortu-nately, the Restaurant Association of Ireland has sounded the alarm about a possible “tsunami of closures” in July.

It is warning that the difference between phys-ical distancing of 1m and 2m is the difference between an industry collapsing and an industry reopening. Right now, supporting Dublin’s restau-rant scene in any way you can over the coming months – whether in store, take out, delivery, click and collect or via gift vouchers – is the very best tip you could leave.

Incredible IndianThe team at Ananda, many people’s favourite Indian restaurant, launched their first Dine at Home menu, for collection only at its Dundrum location. Simply WhatsApp them your order and your preferred pick-up time, payment is contact-less, call when you are outside, and they will bring it out to you. The Ananda Taster for Two menu has a selection that changes every week, and costs €65, with 30 per cent off all à la carte wines.anandarestaurant.ie

Back to the labBrush up your food chemistry with The Lab Kits, all the ingredients you need to make incredible sourdough pizza at home. It’s the brainchild of The Lab on Thomas Street, in the heart of Dub-lin’s Liberties. You get seven options ranging in price from €19.50 for a double margherita to €50 for pizzas, prosecco and cookie dough. These guys think of everything – there’s a QR code inside the box which, when scanned by your smartphone’s camera, will give you a quick demo video so you can’t go wrong. (There’s a printed step-by-step guide too in the box for luddites, including how to dispose of all of it in an environmentally friendly

manner). Order before 12 noon for next-day Dub-lin delivery, or collect and pay contact-free during opening hours.the-lab.ie

BBQ from TBGBy this stage you may already have enjoyed the Butcher Grill at Home box, a terrific steak din-ner for two take out option. Now the Ranelagh meat eater’s paradise has added a super summer barbecue offering. The Butcher Grill BBQ Box kit has two options, ribs (€45) or striploin (€58) – order by midday and collect from its premises after 5pm from Thursday to Sunday. Expect baby back ribs, parboiled and marinated in TBG house rub, boneless chicken thighs, vacuum packed and marinated, charred corn on the cob, ruby cole-slaw, potato salad, BBQ sauce, coconut panna cotta and even a pack of Clinton’s crisps. They’ve a wide range of beers and cocktails they can add to your order too, as well as additional sides and desserts. Though each kit is designed for two, there’s enough in it for three, with very little fuss or clean-up required, as should be mandatory for all barbecues.thebutchergrill.ie

Lucky number sevensIf all that meat is too much for you, check out George’s Street favourite 777, which is adding new vegetarian taco boxes to its range of 777 at Home offerings. Pre-order before midday and collect after 5pm (or collect from Dillingers in Ranelagh, with a day’s notice). Its regular taco boxes are a delight – home kits with everything you need to bring its contemporary Mexican kitchen to your table. From just €50, expect toto-pos and salsas, taquitos and tostados. Expect salsa verde, guacamole, house chorizo, cilantro onion, habanero sauce, guajillo (a chilli) chicken, black bean purée, portobello mushrooms, chipotle pesto and manchego cheese, it’s all here. You’ll get grilled corn slaw on the side and chocolatey desserts and don’t forget to order an additional bottle of authentic 777 margaritas to wash it all down with.777.ie

Out to LunchDublin’s cafes and restaurants kept us going throughout the lockdown

with their innovative and delicious take out offerings. As they now re-open, they deserve our support, writes Sandra O’Connell

Clockwise from left: Chickpeas at Ananda; Margarita takeout, home box kit and tinga from 777

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nicorn companies, start-ups with a value of more than $1 billion, are about as rare in Europe as living examples of those mythical creatures. The Euro-pean Commission hopes to change that

through the creation of the European Innovation Council (EIC).

“The EIC is to be a counterweight to the European Research Council,” explains Science Foundation Ireland director general Prof Mark Ferguson, who is also chair of the EIC advisory board. “The ERC’s role is to support future Nobel Prize-winners. We are trying to create unicorn companies by setting up a one-stop-shop for breakthrough innovation.”

The EIC is a new instrument which is part of the Horizon Europe science and innovation programme, the successor to Horizon 2020, Ferguson adds. “It is operating in pilot mode at present. It has brought together a number of previous instruments and changed them. It is doing things that the full EIC will do when it is formally established.”

One of the main objectives of the new body is to bridge the gap that exists between Europe and the US when it comes to the commercialisation of inno-vation. “If you look at scientific citations, Europe is marginally ahead of the US and if you look at start-up

company numbers, they are about the same,” Fer-guson notes. “But if you look at the number of com-panies that grow and scale, the US is far ahead with about 50 times as much venture capital available there. If you look at the digital economy, the big companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon are all American and Europe doesn’t have any. Europe’s challenge is to scale up companies at the same rate as the US does.”

The EIC offers grants for breakthrough technolo-gies and accelerator funding for innovative start-ups. “We can offer up to €2.5 million in grants and up to €15 million in equity investment. That’s potentially up to €17.5 million. Also, we will use this to crowd in private investment. This is the first time that the EU is doing equity investments. We also want to see more private investment in companies. We want innovative companies to grow and scale at pace and we are working with the market to do it, not sup-planting it.”

The early-stage equity investment from the EIC will be very important. “If we are the first investor in companies, we will not price the risk,” Ferguson says. “Our investment will help de-risk the companies and make them more investible for second and further rounds of funding. We want the EIC to be an investor

The new European Innovation Council aims to create unicorn companies – start-ups with a value of more than $1bn – by setting up a one-stop-shop for breakthrough innovation

Giving European start-ups a competitive edge

of choice for early-stage innovative companies and we will build a network of venture capital firms and other investment partners who we will work with over time.”

The proposed budget for the EIC is €10 billion for seven years from 2019. “In 2019, we had a budget of €1 billion and we have €1.5 billion for 2020. The bud-get is roughly €1.5 million a year during pilot mode.”

Funding is awarded through competitive calls with eight Irish start-ups and SMEs being awarded more than €31 million in funding under the latest one. They were among 72 European companies which were awarded a total of €314 million. Ireland ranked second, jointly with France and Denmark after the Netherlands in terms of the number of companies awarded funding and the successful Irish applicants included Kite Medical, OneProjects Design Innova-tion, Provizio, Remedy Biologics, Kastus Technolo-gies, SiriusXT and Aquila Biosciences.

The funding available under this call was larger than usual as it included €164 million for Covid-19-related applications. “The European Commission made an additional €150 million to ensure that the focus on Covid-19-related funding did not result in other applications being displaced. When the results were announced, 36 Covid-related applications got €166 million and non-Covid applications were awarded €148 million,” Ferguson says.

“We received 4,000 applications for this call, that’s about 1,500 higher than normal,” he adds. “Typically, we would receive 2,000 to 2,500 applications. The success rate for companies is very low. It’s just a single-digit percentage and this is due to the huge demand. We are only able to fund a small proportion of applications.”

Noting the success of Irish companies in the latest round, Ferguson is quick to point out that he has nothing to do with funding awards. “That’s down to the good work of Enterprise Ireland and other agen-cies who have supported and helped them,” he says.

It is not the end of the road for companies which are not awarded funding, however. “We give out seals of excellence to companies which are not funded. More than 800 companies got them and that is very important as countries with structural funds can invest in them.”

The current EIC call is focused on the European Green Deal. “We’ve had more than 2,000 applica-tions for the €150 million in funding available under this call. The Green Deal is a huge market oppor-tunity where Europe can gain a real competitive advantage.”

In October, the EIC call for applications will have a focus on female entrepreneurship.

In its short life, the EIC has already built up an impressive investment portfolio with 17 companies having already gone for IPOs, 37 of them acquired by other companies, and €4.2 billion in follow-on invest-ment raised. “Forty-three of the companies have grown to more than €100 million in value, so-called centaurs. That’s not bad for a pilot. Of course, we want to do better. It’s an iterative process, and we are continually improving. The success of the pilot shows the need for this type of instrument. There is demand for it and there is a real opportunity to help build companies of scale in Europe and keep them headquartered in Europe.”

Left: Science Foundation Ireland director general Prof Mark Ferguson

Child's play

ver thought of going into a business where most of your customers are children? It really can be child’s play, according to successful entrepreneurs whose companies supply cool products

and services to the fun-sized kids’ market. A child’s enthusiasm for getting new gear or good food also means a high level of job satisfaction, whether you are selling high-rise bunk beds, tasty little dinners or unique toys and person-alised quilt covers.

Jane Carroll DesignJane Carroll is an award-winning textile designer who opened her own wonderland shop in Black-rock, Dublin, and filled it with her eclectic kid-dies’ clothes, soft toys, beautiful cotton-printed bibs and bunting. In fact, she still is a real child at heart. You can see that irrepressible spirit running through all her fun-filled fabrics that are a blaze of colour

became a key attraction. She launched a fresh range, including her trademark quilts. Orders flew in from Harrod’s, Heal’s and The Conran Shop in London as well as Brown Thomas and Avoca in Dublin.

In 2014, she moved to a larger premises and transformed the shop interior. Local crafts-man Brian Kehoe was commissioned to create a unique children’s paradise, which resembles a doll’s house with Georgian windows and fan-lit doorways and decorated with Carroll’s own wallpaper designs and fabrics for a final wave of the wand.

Her range of quilts can be personalised with the child’s name and birth date. She also designs quite beautiful bedlinen, as well as a treasure trove of unique gifts handpicked from around the world.

In 2015, the shop was voted into the final of the Irish Times Best Shops in Ireland competition. janecarrolldesign.com

and a riot of fairy tale ideas.“I find that kids love detail, so I stock the

Danish range of ‘Maileg’ mice and bunnies with a range of miniature accessories like little pillows, tiny tea sets, teeny kitchens or ballet tutus. Wooden toys are really popular as there is a push against plastic, which easily breaks and has no long-term sentimentality. I also sell fantasy lamps and night lights like giant toad-stools, or glowing ducks and owls. They create a soothing space and work well with fairy doors in children’s bedrooms.”

After graduating from the National College of Art and Design with a first-class degree in textile design, Carroll moved to New York, where she worked for Gear, designing children’s wallpa-pers and fabrics; she then moved to the Conran Design group in London, designing ceramics, textiles, rugs and bedlinen

She eventually returned home and in 2004 opened her first shop in Blackrock, which soon

Catering to the children’s market has provided lucrative business

opportunities for these entrepreneurs, writes Kathleen O’Callaghan

Clockwise from bottom left: Children's quilt from Jane Carroll Design; Award-winning textile designer Jane Carrol; companies supplying to the children's market can expect a high level of job satisfaction; Jane Carroll Design cuddly toys

KIDS BUSINESS



JellyBeanOnce you have found those quirky quilts and cuddly toys, then you might be pressurised by those persuasive minions in our midst to splash out on a bigger investment like a bouncy bunk bed or a complete suite of bedroom furniture. JellyBean Furniture is dedicated to supplying fab children’s furniture. It was set up by Marie O’Don-ovan 15 years ago. She now has her own ware-house for online sales as well as a shop in Cork.

“I started off initially with maternity products and then moved into the nursery market. How-ever, I really found my business niche when I moved into the children’s first bed market,” says O’Donovan.

“It’s that exciting time when a child wants the magic of their own special room with a feeling of being grown up too.

“The bunk beds are very popular as are the high sleepers that feature desks and drawers underneath. They act as super space-savers, especially for smaller rooms, while being full of fun and adventure with ladders, hide-outs or more formal school desks.”

The Trasman Jules High Sleeper and the

Little dinnersAccording to Susan McQuaid of Little Dinners, much of a child’s tricky eating phase can be avoided if they are introduced to simple, healthy and nutritious foods at an early stage in life. She has found that once a child gets used to seeing their friends and playmates all eating the same food they want to join in and be part of the expe-rience.

McQuaid and her husband Bernard began their business catering for parties, Commu-nions and special occasions. In spring 2000, just as regulations on food preparation were changing and becoming more stringent, they decided to grow their business and invest in a specially dedicated premises to manufacture a range of kid-centred meals for nurseries, creches and after-school clubs that would become Little Dinners.

“We researched the market and decided to move our business into Rathdrum in Co Wick-low,” says McQuaid. “All our staff are local. We devised monthly menus which are split into three categories for dealing with different age groups. Initially, we provided meals for the creche and

Fargo range are ideal for that eight-plus age group – when kids love to have sleepovers with their pals and create their own fun space. “We sell a lot of beds with pull-out trundles or roll-out futons too.”

She is embarking on a new business venture called Pod Furniture.ie with her husband Conor Twomey. “It will be a new departure and once again the online feature will be a major strong sales generator as we will have virtual videos to show how the furniture will look in different rooms.”

According to O’Donovan, most people spend about €300 on a first bed for their child, often choosing a simple solid single like the Vipak Amori (€290). “It’s a fabulous bed for the money,” says O’Donovan, who finds beds that retail for less than €200 tend to wobble or creak.

Despite the huge range of high-sleepers and mid-sleepers on the market, the best seller at JellyBean is still the traditional bunk bed. “Irish people adore their bunks. They’re a very practi-cal option and great for saving on floor space if you have a few kids.”jellybeangroup.com

KIDS BUSINESS

Clockwise from top left: Susan and Rachel McQuaid of Little Dinners; Little Dinners provides balanced and nutritious children's meals; Orla Kiely's I've got a crush on you pop art print; Marie O'Donovan is the founder of JellyBean, a Cork-based company that specialises in children's furniture; JellyBean's trasman studio high-sleeper is a popular choice amongst parents with children's rooms that don’t have much space

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Montessori market and then expanded into after-school clubs.”

Up until the lockdown, they were feeding 8,000 to 10,000 children every day.

“The kids love seeing the food vans arriving to the schools,” she says. “You can hear them shout: ‘Here comes the Dinner Man’”

Rachel McQuaid studied Marketing and Advertising at DIT before joining the family business and is currently completing an MSc in Business Management. “I believe if you can edu-cate a child from an early age to sample and try out different foods, it’s an education for life. We are creating a healthier generation of children who are more aware of nutrition from an early stage. We feel that it is important to explore the link between physical and mental health and how additives and preservatives affect children’s moods and anxiety levels,” she says.littledinners.ie

Orla WalshOrla Walsh is a Dublin artist who almost literally puts the fizz into pop art. Her iconic pop pic-tures brighten up kids’ bedrooms as well as liv-ing rooms and corporate HQs all over the world. Her vivid images include a range of popular products from Coca Cola cans in alarm bell red, to Heinz Ketchup, Tayto crisps and Cadbury’s crème eggs.

They add a special splash of colour to a play-room or a kids’ den. Last month, she produced a limited-edition Barry’s teabag print with 50 per cent of all proceeds going to Spinal Injuries Ireland.orlawalsh.com

BEWARE GDPRCompanies aiming at the children’s market have to pay particular attention to the General Data Pro-tection Regulation (GDPR), according to Natasha Singh, principal consultant, privacy and data pro-tection with Gemserv.

“If your organisation is using children’s or their parents’ personal data, then it triggers the applica-tion of the GDPR,” she says. “Children merit specific protection with regard to their personal data, as they may be less aware of the risks, consequences and safeguards concerned and their rights in relation to the processing of personal data.”

The GDPR is more prescriptive about the offer of online services to children, Singh points out. “Where organisations are offering online services or infor-mation society services directly to children and rely-ing on consent as the lawful ground in the context of providing those services, the consent of a parent or someone with parental responsibility is needed for children who are under the age of 16.”

The GDPR allows member states of the EU to adjust that limit to anywhere between the age of 13 and 16. The UK has adopted 13 and Ireland has adopted 16 as the age below which consent from a parent or someone with parental responsibility is needed in relation to online services where consent is being relied upon. Organisations must also make “reasonable efforts” to verify that the person provid-ing that consent does have parental responsibilities by making use of available technology.

Singh has some advice to help business owners avoid falling foul of the legislation.

“As per the privacy by design principle, you must build in privacy from the outset and design your pro-cesses to protect their data,” she says. “One useful way of implementing privacy by design is by carry-ing out a data protection impact assessment [DPIA]

and implementing measures to mitigate risks. An organisation must carry out a DPIA before begin-ning any type of processing that is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals. Profiling children, targeting children for marketing and online services are activities which are likely to trigger high risks.”

Businesses must carefully choose a lawful ground for processing a child’s personal data, she advises. “Different considerations apply in the context of chil-dren’s personal data. Consent is one possible lawful basis for processing, but it is not the only option. Sometimes, using an alternative basis can be more appropriate and can provide better protection for children. You must document your justifications for choosing a specific lawful basis.”

Examples where consent will be needed include when sending marketing emails or texts, or dropping cookies, although the practicalities of obtaining con-sent from a parent or someone with parental respon-sibility in these contexts are likely to be extremely challenging.

“Reaching the threshold for consent under the GDPR can be particularly difficult,” she notes. “Especially if a child does not fully understand the implications of their personal data being processed, it will be difficult to demonstrate that their consent is informed and freely given. Similarly, there will often be a clear imbalance of power between a child and a controller where, in effect, a child may feel that con-sent is not really optional and, in such cases, consent cannot be freely given. Where you rely on legitimate interests, you need to give extra weight to children’s interests and need a more compelling interest to jus-tify any impact on a child’s rights and freedoms. If you are not sure whether you are fully compliant with GDPR, you should seek specialist advice.”

KIDS BUSINESS

Dublin artist Orla Walsh


s recent months have shown, even the most resistant of businesses are realising that working remotely can work. But now that the restrictions to slow the spread of Covid-19 are being

lifted, how will the emergency measures give way to a more sustained model of flexible working? Three Ireland hosted a webinar for its customers to look for answers to this difficult question.

Speaking at the webinar, Stephen Mulligan, enter-prise technology consultant with Three Ireland, noted that in September 2019 research carried out by Three found 59 per cent of workers in Ireland said they would be more productive if they were able to work remotely or from home. The research also found that a similar percentage of people were not allowed to work remotely.

“If we fast forward to the world we’re living in now, we’ve found from the CSO stats that 69 per cent of Irish companies have implemented remote working, and 31 per cent of Irish companies had the majority of their workforce working remotely,” he said.

He made the point that the current situation is “enforced working from home” rather than true remote working. Yet despite the constraints involved in working from home while confined with a family, more companies and individuals have realised the benefits of a more flexible work schedule.

Tracy Keogh, co-founder of Grow Remote, an organ-isation dedicated to promoting the concept of remote working, spoke about how her grassroots organisation had been actively canvassing organisations to pro-vide “location-less” work long before the coronavirus restrictions forced everyone’s hand. It wasn’t a prior-ity then but that has certainly changed now.

Outlining the benefits of remote working, Keogh said they include making it easier to hire highly skilled people because businesses are no longer lim-ited to recruiting someone who lives within com-muting distance of a company’s office. Other gains include savings on office rentals and productivity increases.

A particular challenge arises in a hybrid model involving some people working in the office while others are based off site. The risk is that people who aren’t in the office aren’t seen, and as a result, that their voices aren’t heard as loudly, or they miss out

on promotion opportunities, according to Keogh.That requires a change in culture, she added. In

practice, this means taking simple inclusive steps like having everyone log on to a meeting app no matter where they’re working. This puts every employee on an equal footing and avoids ‘water cooler conversa-tions’ where decisions get taken by a small group of people who are always physically in the same place, thereby excluding others from the process.

Getting this right isn’t easy, which is why Grow Remote launched a training course in remote and flex-ible working for employees and for managers. “The employee needs skills, but also the company does too – the two sides need to come together,” Keogh noted.

Adam Coleman of HRLocker explained how his company had operated a dual working model since it began in 2004, combining some employees working from home, others remotely and others in the office. Yet the extraordinary circumstances of the Covid-19 restrictions which meant going fully remote still took some getting used to. “Most of the issues that people will have faced with Covid relate to managing peo-ple. Culture is 100 per cent important when you’re managing a remote or a hybrid team.”

When a company wants to implement a remote working policy after Covid-19, or allow dual and hybrid working, it needs to give its people the skills to

The sharp increase in remote working during the Covid-19 lockdown has made many companies and employees realise the benefits of a more flexible work schedule

Making working remotely work

make it work by training them, he said. That involves practising empathy with employees and managing productivity based on people’s output, not on the number of hours worked.

This takes practice and doesn’t always come natu-rally to people who find themselves in management roles. It’s a learned behaviour to manage people remotely, according to Coleman.

HRLocker increased the amount of communica-tion with employees. An all-hands call for the entire team is held every Monday, a rapid-fire sales call at 9am every morning, and on Thursday evenings the communication becomes more social, with people encouraged to bring ideas to liven up the meetings. “Checking in with people is really important but you also have to put an emphasis on fun,” Coleman advised.

Stephen Mulligan emphasised the importance of putting people before technology. “We know that technology is an enabler, but it needs to be sup-ported with policy, people and practice. By taking a remote-first approach, you’re supporting all employ-ees equally. The tools, in other words, are widely available. What will make remote working endure long past lockdown will be an emphasis on culture and policies that are inclusive of flexible working options.”


Above: Stephen Mulligan, enterprise technology consultant with Three Ireland


Fun toys for big boys and girls

o, we’ve finally been let free. We’ve flat-tened the curve, passed the plateau, and we’re coming out the other side, blinking in the summer sun. Lockdown restrictions have been eased, our radius

has been widened, and we have the opportu-nity to log off all those bloody Zoom, Microsoft Teams and GoToMeeting meetings that were a never-ending feature of lockdown life. So, we’ll be looking for gadgets geared to playtime rather than work time. It’s time to unplug the work-horses and put them back in the stable – what we want are some fun toys for big boys and girls to play with during the (hopefully) sunny and safe weeks and months ahead.

Sonos Move€389, currys.ieAh, the long summer months lie ahead, and you’ve no essential journeys to make – except maybe to get more beers and barbecue coals. Plenty of time to relax at home and listen to your favourite music, but what if you want to bring the listening party outside or to another part of the house? What you need is a good Bluetooth speaker that you can easily move from one place to the other, but can still serve as your main sound delivery unit – and the aptly named Sonos Move could be the perfect sound companion for the job. It’s been hailed as pretty much the best Bluetooth speaker around, and when you bring it out into your back garden, rest assured you’ll be bringing full hi-fi sound along with you.

Jabra Elite Active 75t wireless earbuds€229, littlewoodsireland.ieIf we get the warm weather we’re hoping for this year, then the only thing you’ll be putting on your head is a light summer hat. You certainly won’t want a big, heavy set of headphones weighing you down and making you feel clammy behind your ears. So now’s the perfect time to invest in a set of wireless earbuds, so you can bring the music with you as you walk, run, do your daily

DJI Mavic Air 2€679, photospecialist.ieWhen it comes to drone technology, DJI rules the skies at the moment, and its Mavic Air 2 is probably the best and most reliable around. There’s no use skimping on price when buying a drone – those have just basic features, and you’ll just end up with a twisted mess of cheap metal and plastic at the first sign of a summer breeze. The Mavic Air 2 is not cheap, but it’s excellent value for money, and it’s got a better chance than most of surviving the capricious Irish summer. It’s small and light, but also durable, and it’s got front and rear obstacle avoidance, so you don’t need to worry about it coming a cropper against the Spire or the side of a double-decker bus.

The drone has a 4k video camera – not too shabby – which is packed with superior shoot-ing features, including slo-mo 1080p and subject tracking, and it’ll stay up in the air for a good half hour before needing to land and refuel.

Amazon Kindle Oasis€292, amazon.co.ukIf you’re looking for a luxury e-book reading experience, go for the new Kindle Oasis, Ama-zon’s top-end reader, with a raft of extra fea-tures to ensure you get brought to book in style. The Oasis comes in either a gold or graphite finish, and there’s a nice choice of different-co-loured covers to add a touch of class.

The 7-inch display features Kindle’s signature E Ink technology that’s easy on the eyes – and, for added eye comfort, there’s an adjustable warm light that brings the display from cool blue-grey to a warmer yellow-orange. And with 32Gb of storage, you’ll have no problem lugging around all those literary doorstops you’ve been meaning to read. Best feature of the Oasis is its excellent water resistance, which means you can comfortably read on the beach, by the pool, in the bath or in the back garden hot tub (you do have a back garden hot tub, don’t you?).

workout, or simply sit in the meadow looking like something from a Hallmark calendar.

While Apple’s AirPods are the market leader in wireless earbuds, the Jabra Elite Active 75t earbuds have received rave reviews from the techie publications, which have cited their supe-rior sound, their longer battery life and their sleek, dark looks. Although they beat the AirPod Pro on sound and performance, however, they don’t cancel out noise as effectively as Apple’s flagship bud, but if you don’t mind a few ambi-ent summer noise creeping in, this shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.

Garmin Forerunner 245 Music smartwatch€359, harveynorman.ieThe Garmin Forerunner 245 Music has been a runaway success with fitness enthusiasts – it’s got all the tech you need to track your heart rate, distance etc, and it’s also got built-in music stor-age so you can have your favourite tunes right there on your wrist. It boasts up to seven days’ battery life in smartwatch mode, and six hours in GPS and music mode, so you shouldn’t need to keep stopping to charge it up. The Forerunner also supports Garmin Coach, your own pocket training regime that can give you all the data and motivation you need to achieve your PB.

Raymond Weil Freelancer Calibre RW1212€1,950, Weir & SonsFor those looking for something a little bit more traditional yet up to the minute in their chrono-graphic arm wear, there is the Raymond Weil Freelancer Calibre RW1212. Described as a must-have for any watch collector, the luxury Swiss timepiece features a 42mm stainless steel dial framed by a green satin chapter ring with silver indices and a seconds train on the outside. For those who like to see the magic in the machine, the watch features a visible bal-ance wheel which gives the wearer a view of the internal mechanical movement complete with balance wheel, hairspring and the pallet lever.

It’s time to log off the Zoom meetings and get down to some serious summer play with these entertaining gadgets, writes Kevin Courtney

Time to unplug the workhorses and put them back in the stable – what we want are some fun toys to play with during the (hopefully) sunny and safe weeks ahead

TECHNOLOGY

Clockwise from top left: Sonos Move, €389; Jabra Elite Active 75t wireless earbuds, €229; Raymond Weil watch, €1,950; Amazon Kindle Oasis, €292; DJI Mavic Air 2, €679; Garmin Forerunner smartwatch, €359


lexi-fashion is what you need in your workwear wardrobe for summer 2020. It’s a stylish combination of lighter, casual wear that suits the “the new normal” for these less

structured working days.The good thing is there is nothing

too normal about the latest creative and innovative looks for summer 2020 and whether we work from home or the office, these looser looks have a feel-good factor too.

The heady mix of summer weather, remote working and less use of public transport fortunately brings a range of floral summer skirts, midi-dresses and cotton jack-ets for womenswear and a bounty of Bermuda shorts, bright shirts and polo tops for the latest menswear.

As many of us are working from our dining rooms, studies or the garden equipped with a laptop, there really is no point in wearing formal suits and ties on the upper half of your body and then a pair of boxer shorts underneath the table. Smart casual is the best option, so you are ready for FaceTime calls and virtual meetings.

Nobody expects you to look like perfect Gwyneth Paltrow or Matt Damon on a Zoom conference call – but they will appre-ciate an effort in the wardrobe and groom-ing stakes. Just because we are not meet-ing people up close and personal does not give us a licence to dispense with a morning shower and a spray of deodorant.

Think twice about that Robinson Crusoe beard or dodgy pink lipstick if you are on cam-

to give you a coronary if you are a last-minute dotcom personality. Boutique owner Kate Glee-son is a wardrobe wizard who builds a capsule wardrobe around a core group of fashion essen-tials. She recommends snapping up a designer crisp white shirt, a pair of cool tailored trousers, a longline cardigan, funky summer trainers and a simple body top for ready-to-go workwear.

Hobbs online may be in a higher price bracket than most online shops, but it presents a super selection of luxury looks for summer. Who would have thought that mismatching different checks and gingham fabrics would work so well?

Freelancing, remote working, technology and hotdesking have permanently changed the way we work. We may have said farewell to days of gossiping around the photocopier or chin-wag-ging in an open-plan sardine-style office suite.

All this is a breath of fresh air to those who were cooped up in faraway firms and factories, miles from home. This summer, you can sell a car or a couch while having an espresso on the patio; you can make business calls while hanging the washing on the line; or negotiate a pay rise from the comfort of your living room.

Think about the company you are represent-ing and dress to reflect the philosophy if you are on screen. A stressed-out financial insti-tution undergoing a major loan restructuring won’t want to see you in a baseball cap, a beater, sloppy shorts, hairy legs and trainers – however, that same image might be perfectly fine for the advertising creatives or techie guys and gals down the road.

It’s going to be a summer of smart shorts, breezy blouses, stylish sandals, and linen jackets. A time to consider a flexible, workable future. So, loosen those shirt collars, kick off your sti-lettoes and breathe a sigh of relief.

era. For those of us who haven’t seen the inside of a hairdressers since last March – it might be a good idea to get handy with a hair scissors. There are lots of good sites that show how

to tidy up a style with step-by-step videos. When it comes to colouring though, the professional advice is to steer clear of

colouring your own hair as if it ends up a disaster there is nobody around to fix it. You may end up wearing your face mask on your head to

hide those roots.Try out some of the great

online shops to update last summer’s looks. A few printed

shirts and smart shorts can inject new life into older gear. If you are not adept at online shopping, check out size guide labels in your wardrobe. Buying online can be a weak point for men as it’s hard to guess the right sizes in more tailored shirts and jackets. So choose breezy looser linens and cooler cottons.

Dunnes Stores, River Island, Next and Penneys have always

plenty of good value gear, especially in the summer. Lennon Courtney’s vivid

fabrics and summer prints really cheer up a bland pair of trousers. Their cropped denims are also chic and look lovely with satin wrap-

over blouses.Paul Costelloe’s designer range for Dunnes has the perfect mix of flexi-fashion at affordable prices. When you consider his expertise and international reputation, we are fortunate to have him so close to home.

It’s a good idea to organise your clothes before you go to bed. Rummaging in draw-ers for bras, briefs and boxers is enough

Ditch the suits and stilettoes, this summer’s (remote) office wear is flexible and fun, writes Kathleen O’Callaghan

The ‘new normal’ for workwear

Nobody expects you to look like perfect Gwyneth Paltrow on a Zoom conference call – but they will appreciate an effort

Left: Floral tiered dress from Miss Selfridge

Clockwise from top left: Beige jacket, white t-shirt and skirt from Miss Selfridge; white lace dress with yellow bag and espadrilles from Hobb; Paris top, €30, and checked trousers, €45, from Riverisland; summer light grey suit, €87, from River Island; orange top, €12, and pink jeans, €31, from Next; navy and white ecru blouse, €17, with white jeans, €27, from Next



ith much of the world’s popu-lation stuck indoors, and the spectre of a major global reces-sion on the horizon, the launch of the Czinger 21C supercar in

March 2020 could come to be seen as the final high watermark of motoring excess.

Presented in London just before the lockdown, the Czinger 21C is in many ways a classically insane supercar. Designed to be super-light-weight, and with driver and passenger sitting one behind the other – as in a fighter jet – it boasts 1,250hp to drive its featherweight 1,250kg weight along.

Only 80 were due to be built, and even that now seem unlikely to ever be fulfilled, but the Czinger, as well as being seen as the worst-timed supercar ever, might also be a harbinger of something new for the motor industry. It’s the first 3D-printed car.

Well, not entirely, but the Czinger’s chassis is largely 3D-printed, or ‘additively manufactured’ as the more technically correct phrase might be. By adding microscopic layer upon microscopic layer of material, instead of forming metal in a press, or shaping carbon-fibre in a mould, Czinger says it is able to make a chassis that’s both exceptionally strong and exceptionally light. In fact, the 21C’s chassis, minus engine and trim, weighs just 120kg.

The 3D printing techniques used also mean items such as air inlets and cooling channels can be built into the chassis’ design, rather

than being cut in at a later stage, saving further weight and complication.

Now that’s all well and good for a multi-mil-lion-dollar hypercar, but the much more inter-esting thing is that 3D printing has the potential, if it can be sufficiently scaled-up, to revolutionise the way in which cars are built. It could make manufacturing cars more efficient, less environ-mentally harmful, faster and cheaper. It could also, following Czinger’s lead, give us lighter cars that are therefore cheaper to run and, again, less environmentally troubling. It’s a big if, though.

Thus far, 3D printing has been used for only small components, where its ability to produce light-but-strong designs has been a boon. BMW used 3D printing for a crucial bracket for the folding roof of the i8 Roadster hybrid sports car, and it was a perfect encapsulation of how 3D printing can change the way in which compo-nents are made. Instead of a big hinge, it was a spoon-shape, made of a lattice of gossamer-light aluminium strands. It looked like the foot bones of some futuristic, robotic, dinosaur and weighed hardly anything in your hand. If it hadn’t been made of metal, you’d have sworn it was organic, not mechanical.

That process is now expanding to larger, more critical mechanical components. Honda has recently teamed up with software company Autodesk to redesign and 3D-print a crankshaft component to make it 50 per cent lighter and more fuel-efficient, as part of an overall strategy to reduce the impact of the Japanese automak-

Driving the changes

MOTORING

With layoffs and corporate contractions on the horizon, car makers are re-thinking how they manufacture their cars. Neil Briscoe reports

Will 3D printing revolutionise car making?

Above: The Czinger 21C, the world's first 3D-printed car, is designed to be super-lightweight, boasting 1,250hp to drive its 1,250kg weight


er’s vehicles on the environment using smart design and advanced manufacturing processes. Crankshafts and the parts associated with them are heavy-duty mechanical components, subject to high stress loadings, so that shows that 3D printing has moved on from making small, del-icate parts.

Seat has also got in on the 3D printing game. It’s using the technology to make parts for a rac-ing car based on the new Leon hatchback. “For the new Cupra Leon Competición, we modelled the steering wheel’s centre control module, the bonnet air vents, door mirrors and the brake and water-cooling inlets” explains Xavi Serra, head of technical development at Cupra Racing.

“The main goal is to have a lot of parts in a short time. We can quickly test a wide variety of designs and furthermore, since vehicle devel-opment is now done in parallel, this technology enables us to react swiftly to any changes in the design process.”

Can the major car makers follow Czinger’s lead and start 3D-printing bigger parts, even entire car chassis, to streamline the production process? Sadly, for now, the answer seems to be no. Or at least not yet.

“Volkswagen plans to print structural car parts – up to 100,000 units per year – using HP’s Metal Jet technology on a relatively mass-scale as soon as 2021. Despite the claim, it is not clear whether this project is more economical in practice. Another technology of interest is Desktop Metal’s metal binder-jetting. The com-

pany claims its production system can achieve 20 times lower cost per part, and it targets high-volume, small-part production applications in industries including automotive, but it is lim-ited in terms of available materials for now,” says Lux Research analyst Dr Xiao Zhong.

“It is possible to print structural parts in a medium to large scale in the next five to 10 years with some of these technologies, and bind-er-jetting is likely the one [that] gets there first. We are still far away from printing an entire car chassis, not to mention on a large scale. It is for luxury cars and not about scale production. Moreover, vehicle design is a systems-engineer-ing task, which means the chassis not only has to be re-designed for 3D printing, but also has to accommodate all the relevant parts and function effectively in a road-ready mode. At this point, it is probably over a decade away.”

Prof Denis Dowling, director of the I-Form Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre at University College Dublin, agrees with that assessment. “3D printing is still in its infancy as a manufacturing process and due to uncertainty around its future, market leaders seem hesitant to heavily invest in it right now. The technology has developed considerably in the past decade and it is beginning to show itself as a potential competitor to traditional manufacturing.

“For now, 3D printing will continue to suffice as a useful tool for the automotive industry to trial new concepts, iterate design features and create unique, personalised parts for a small number of customers,” Dowling continues. “3D printing in the automotive market is expected to steadily grow in revenue from $2 billion to over $12 billion by 2028. This is as a result of more manufacturers adopting 3D printing to design parts, functional prototypes and tools. It seems that rather than 3D printing suddenly taking over current manufacturing techniques, that it will instead continue to creep into production lines over time. This has already begun by man-ufacturers taking advantage of the technologies ability to produce highly detailed, complex parts, as well as its potential for small-batch custom-isability.”

Nonetheless, something has to change. Gor-don Murray, designer of the legendary McLaren F1 supercar, says the days of the stamped-steel car are coming to an end. “I think we have reached a tipping point with stamped-steel bod-ies, and for lots of reasons that have all come together in the last few years. One of them is the inflexibility of the architecture, because there are typically 300-350 panels that make up a modern car and the tooling for that is horren-dous – in terms of time, of energy and in com-mercial cost. And it’s heavy. And then there’s the energy cost pick-up, and that’s not going to go back the other way, obviously. And on top of that we have a downturn in the economy and the buying public are very fickle.”

“So rather than try and adapt a stamped-steel car, and make them more flexible, why don’t we just start again?” Murray asks. “From my point of view, I could see how we are just going to have to change the way we think about designing cars, buying cars and using cars if we want to main-tain our personal mobility, our freedom.”

From the top: A 3D-printed racecar; Ford is exploring how large one-piece car parts could be printed for prototyping; 3D-printed steering wheel

3D printing in the automotive market is expected to steadily grow in revenue from $2 billion to over $12 billion by 2028

EXPAND OVERSEAS WITH DUBLIN

CHAMBER’S NEW FREE ADVISORY

SERVICE


Can you simply explain what a business mentor is?A business mentor is an impartial adviser who offers knowledge and tools related to areas of business management such as the definition of the business model, sales, talent attraction, finance, internationalisation or attraction of investment with the aim of helping companies to reflect and identify their main weaknesses more effectively.

Can you tell us more about the offering from Dublin Chamber’s International Department?On top of the new mentoring service, Dublin Chamber offers a wide range of services including: the Enterprise Europe Network, which is the world’s largest support network for SMEs who are looking to internationalise or would like information and advice on internationalising. We also offer Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, a cross-border exchange programme between an experienced host and an unexperienced new entrepreneur, which helps assist with peer-to-peer learning and further learnings on international markets.

Who can avail of this service? Which companies does this service suit best?Our international services are available to all companies. However, these services best suit SMEs (companies with a staff of less than 250 people) who are interested in having a free, unbiased, confidential advisory provided to their business to assist them to grow domestically or internationally.

Is there a certain sector this service would suit best?No, the offer can help companies in all sectors.

Does this service only apply to senior directors or can anyone use this service?From experience, we primarily deal with the business founder, owner or the senior business development manager. During the mentorship, important company details such as certain financial information might be requested and usually it is more senior directors or founders who can provide these. With regards to our other programmes, it must be a CEO or founder who acts as a host as part of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme.

ree advice on moving into international markets is now at hand for your busi-ness, following the launch of Dublin Chamber’s new International Business Advisory Service. The new service is

being rolled out by the Enterprise Europe Net-work (EEN) office, operated by the International Services department within Dublin Chamber. The EEN office in Dublin Chamber has a strong track record of helping Irish firms to become successful sellers in international markets. Companies which have already successfully availed of the Chamber’s service include seafood company Achill Oysters, which has experienced a five-fold increase in its turnover following an EEN-enabled expansion into the Asian market.

With the help of the Chamber’s EEN team, led by qualified adviser Maria Deady, Achill Oysters has gone from being a small aquaculture firm off the coast of Ireland to a highly successful inter-national exporter. With the Chamber’s support, it has been able to access new markets and increase its turnover from €100,000 to €500,000 . . . and growing fast.

We’ve put together a handy Q&A to let you find out more about the services we can offer and how they might benefit your company.

FAQ: Dublin Chamber’s International Business Advisory Service

Maria deady. International Project Manager at Dublin Chamber


What differentiates Dublin Chamber services from other offerings out there? Dublin Chamber’s Maria Deady is the only certified and licensed EEN business mentor in Ireland so the level of intelligence and service that we offer is unparalleled in Ireland. Being a part of the EEN Network and through her experience, Maria has vast connections across a global network.

How much does it cost?All Dublin Chamber International services are available free of charge. Typically, other advisory services offered by competitor firms are paid-for services.

Can you explain the main modules looked at through this training?The main modules looked at as part of the training include:• Talent attraction to match commercial vision: This looks at a company’s current talent pool and explores the type of talent it should aim to attract in order for the

company to attain its commercial vision.• Business models: Advice on how to determine the different types of business models a company should consider.• Internationalisation: The steps and requirements for a business to determine if they are ready to expand their business internationally.• Digital transformation: How businesses are changing to keep pace with the digitally transforming world, streamlining processes with agility and a lean perspective. • Searching for financing: The things to consider when a business is searching for financing, the documents required for investors, and what investors look for in a company.

Can this service only be used for companies who want to internation-alise?No, the mentorship service is available to all SMEs who are interested in the service.

What is the time requirement for taking part? How long does it take?There is no specific time requirement for taking part, the mentorship process is about building a relationship with the company and creating a journey for them to get the best results for the company. What participants get out of the programme is a reflection of what they put in.

Can more than one person from my company participate?Ideally the mentorship would be a one-on-one process with the business founder, owner or the senior business development manager.

If you would like to know more about any aspect of the Chamber’s International services and the help that we can offer your business, please get in touch with Maria and the team via [email protected].

Dublin Chamber’s Maria Deady is the only certified and licensed EEN business mentor in Ireland

Dublin Chamber’s International Business Advisory Service offers free advice on moving into international markets


MEMBER NEWS

FITZERS CATERING AWARDED ALL-STAR

ACCREDITATIONFitzers Catering Ltd, a Dublin based business, was awarded the coveted All-Ireland Business All-Star accreditation. This is an independently verified standard mark for indigenous businesses, based on rigorous selection criteria. The accreditation is overseen by the prestigious All-Ireland Business Foundation, whose adjudication panel is chaired by Dr Briga Hynes of the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick and Kieran Ring, CEO of the Global Institute of Logistics. Dr Hynes said the

ARKPHIRE ACQUIRES GENERIC TECHNOLOGIES - HELPING CUSTOMERS TO

SCALE THEIR IT GLOBALLYIreland headquartered IT company, Arkphire, announced its acquisition of Generic Technologies, a leading Singapore based IT Solutions and Services company. Generic Technologies is a specialist Apple Authorised Reseller and an Adobe Gold partner with annual turnover of 9 million Singapore dollars (€5.85 million). The company supports a growing network of partners and customers across South East Asia. With the combined resources of both companies, Arkphire can scale their unique service delivery model to meet the needs of the Singapore and Asia Pacific markets with a stronger and more comprehensive IT solution offering to existing and new clients.

Commenting on the latest acquisition, Chris Ambler, Head of Arkphire’s Asia Pacific business said, “We’re very excited about how we can further support our clients with the expansion of our business in Singa-pore. Generic Technologies business is a natural fit for our ambition in the Asia Pacific region. This latest development will allow us to better support the global requirements of our customers and will enable us to leverage Generic’s existing customer and partner relationships.”

He added “The current global pandemic has regret-tably created unprecedented business disruption and challenges for all of us. Arkphire is working hard to play our part in supporting our customers in this diffi-cult time by using our expertise to provide secure and effective technology solutions and services to enable and empower their workforces to work remotely as required.”

Generic Technologies has an established base of customers covering a number of multinational firms, businesses in the digital and creative sector and local SMEs.

Earlier this year, Arkphire acquired Trilogy Tech-nologies to create the largest and fastest growing Irish headquartered IT procurement and IT managed ser-vices business.

Chris Ambler, head of Arkphire’s Asia Pacific business

PINERGY BACKS CRU SME INITIATIVE TO DEFER ENERGY PAYMENTS FOR

90 DAYSPinergy, the smart energy provider, is pleased to welcome the introduction of a new Energy Sup-port Scheme for SME businesses from the Com-mission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). The CRU’s ‘Supply Suspension Scheme’ enables all ‘non-essential’ SME businesses that have been forced to close temporarily due to the Covid-19 pandemic, to avoid any estimated consump-tion charges on their bill, that in the absence of actual meter readings would ordinarily arise and become payable. In addition, network capacity charges will be lowered to zero, while standing charges will be lowered by €7.97 and €74.72 per month (excl. VAT) for DG5 and DG6 meter types respectively, for up to 90 days as and from 1 May, 2020.

Enda Gunnell, CEO at Pinergy says, “We at Pinergy are fully aware of the challenging times many of our SME customers now face in the current Covid-19 crisis. As part of our ongoing support services, we are very happy to support this new initiative from the CRU. We hope this supply suspension scheme will help relieve some of the stress faced by our SME customers during this difficult period.”

To avail of the scheme, impacted Pinergy SME business customers are advised to register on the Pinergy website at pinergy.ie/customer-info/sme

PAYPAL ROLLS OUT QR CODE PAYMENTS IN IRELAND

PayPal has rolled out the ability to use QR Codes to buy and sell goods in Ireland and 27 other markets around the globe. From local takeaway coffee shops to selling secondhand goods - the rollout of the QR code functionality in the PayPal app allows customers to buy or sell in in-person, safely and securely, and touch free.

Maeve Dorman, Vice President of Global Merchant Services, PayPal, said: “Covid-19 has changed the shop-

Enda Gunnell, CEO at Pinergy


Lennox, Ireland’s longest established supplier of personal protective equipment (PPE) and laboratory safety equipment, has warned of the risk of ineffectual PPE, as employers prepare resources for employees returning to the workplace.

Leslie Brett, Managing Director of Lennox, said: “Many may not be aware of the rigorous standards to assure customers of the quality of PPE and now, more than ever, it is vital that those standards are met. At the moment, we are consistently finding and reject-ing PPE products that do not reach those standards – from misleading or missing labels on products such as hand sanitiser to inadequately-certified masks.’’

In response to demand from corporate customers planning their employees’ return to work, Lennox has launched its Safe at Work employee PPE kits and the company is mobilised to produce up to 100,000 kits per week. The company is now best placed to deliver a

ping experience in Ireland as we know it. Not only do people need security and convenience, as always, they now need to be able to sell and buy in a way that is quick, safe and involves limited social contact. Digital payments, and this QR code functionality, allow for this and could be the means through which small Irish businesses survive during the crisis and potentially thrive in the future.”

Additionally, to continue PayPal’s efforts in assisting our customers during this difficult period, for a limited time, we are waiving our standard seller transaction fees incurred on for sales conducted using a QR Code.

Using the QR code functionality in the PayPal app is a quick and safe way to complete a transaction in-per-son utilising a PayPal wallet, eliminating the need to

handle cash. This allows the seller to minimise physi-cal interactions with the customer, while also limiting the customer’s interaction with checkout technology. There is no technology to touch or purchase – just aim a smartphone camera at a QR Code that is printed or

accreditation, which is now held by over 350 firms, is needed by the thousands of small and medium businesses which operate to their own standards but have nothing to measure them by. “We evaluate a company’s background, trustworthiness and perfor-mance, and we speak to customers, employees and vendors,” she said. “We also anonymously approach the company as a customer and report back on the experience. “The business goes through at least two interviews and is scored on every part of the process against set metrics.” The All-Ireland Business Foun-dation is responsible for overseeing the All-Ireland Business Summit and All-Star awards, ongoing All-Star accreditation, Thought Leader awards and pro-moting peer dialogue among members. The process to select the next group of Business All-Star accred-ited companies has begun and further information is available at businessallstars.ie

present on another screen.For a buyer looking to pay, customers can go to the

PayPal app, click ‘Send’ and tap the QR code symbol in the top right-hand corner. The camera will open and customers can scan a seller’s QR code and follow the prompts to complete the transaction. Sellers can create a PayPal-generated QR code.

PayPal is rolling this functionality out to 28 mar-kets around the globe including: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Swe-den, Switzerland, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States.

reliable national supply of properly-vetted quality PPE to Irish businesses. The company has also committed to donating ten customised kits for every 200 ordered to the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People until 1stAugust 2020.

Leslie added: “As we prepare for the easing of lockdown restrictions, it is more important than ever that PPE is vetted properly by those with the correct experience and technical knowledge – those who know what background documentation to look for and what raw materials should be used. We are working closely with employers to make sure they are sourcing from trusted suppliers and will advise on the training of employees about correct usage.”

The customisable kits include hand sanitiser, dis-posable and reusable masks, gloves, hand cream, and computer screen wipes. More details can be found here: www.lennox.ie/safeatwork

IRISH PPE SUPPLIER WARNS OF RISKS OF SUB-STANDARD PRODUCTS


EMPLOYERS ‘DUTY BOUND’ TO MAKE

COVID-19 UPDATES TO H&S POLICIES

Employers are being urged to update safety mea-sures, risk assessments and safety statements to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 as some employ-ees prepare to return to work.

Safe Team health and safety consultant, Paul McLaughlin, says that when they do, employers will be responsible for taking steps to protect staff from the spread of coronavirus.

He says: “Employers have a general duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of all employees. While the risk of contracting coronavirus is not one created by work, it is clearly a risk that can be increased by normal working practices. Employers have a duty to identify and take appropriate measures to mitigate. To remain compliant, avoid negligence claims or reduce risk of an outbreak within the workplace, employers must be vigilant in main-taining normal health and safety procedures while undertaking COVID-19 safety precautions,” Mr McLaughlin adds.

He outlines a “number of factors” that must now be considered by employers in the work-place. To identify shortfalls in their health and safety policies, Mr McLaughlin says employers should ask themselves the following questions:· Do you have a COVID-19 responsible person?· Have your staff (at work or returning to work) received COVID-19 training?· Have you risk assessed your premises specifically in relation to COVID-19?· Have you updated your safety statement to incorporate COVID-19?· Have you updated your control measures?· If an employee becomes ill with COVID-19, do you know what to do? Can you determine report-able under health and safety regulations?· Have you considered those particularly vulnera-ble to the virus: pregnant workers, people beyond typical retirement age and those with underlying health conditions?

Employers maintain responsibility for the health and safety of their employees when they are working remotely.

ORS is delighted to announce that it has been officially recognised as one of the Best Work-places in Ireland in 2020. ORS was recognised at the 18th annual Great Place to Work Best Workplaces in Ireland awards in the Clayton Hotel on Burlington Road, Dublin on Wednes-day 26th February 2020. This is ORS’s 2nd con-secutive year to be named as a top Irish work-place, which is assessed through Great Place to Work’s robust ‘Trust Index’ employee survey

and a thorough ‘Culture Audit’ assessment of their policies and practices.

Commenting on the recognition, John Bren-nan, Managing Director of ORS said “We are truly honoured to receive this award for a sec-ond time. He explained “As a multi-disciplinary building consultancy, we operate in a sector that is experiencing a significant skills shortage. This award allows us to differentiate ourselves in the market and attract superior talent.”

ORS NAMED AS ONE OF THE BEST WORKPLACES IN IRELAND FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR

SODEXO IRELAND LAUNCHES ‘RISE WITH

SODEXO’ GLOBAL CLIENT SUPPORT PROGRAMME

Sodexo Ireland has launched ‘Rise with Sodexo’, the Sodexo Group’s new global programme to support clients in meeting the health, opera-tional and confidence challenges resulting from the global Covid-19 pandemic when reopening workplaces.

As part of the new programme, Sodexo Ire-land is supporting clients to re-configure and build their workplace of the future. Sodexo possesses operations, technical advice, and sub-ject matter expertise across a range of services that includes infrastructure build, facilities and estate management, food services, wellness ser-vices and space transformation. The company

is uniquely positioned to support its clients in the management of their work environment to a new standard as they prepare to reopen or restart safely following the lockdown.

Drawing on lessons learned from its col-leagues in China, Sodexo’s experts have iden-tified the new needs of clients and employees across all the markets it serves. This approach brings together five specific solution areas:

Prepare with an expert risk assessments and restart process

Protect people and places through services ranging from disinfection to contactless services

Enable teams to perform at their best with services for both on-site and home workers with healthy and sustainable food offers, grab & go solutions, retail and digital convenience and meal cards

Support employee wellness and communica-tion

Optimise workplace experience and energy management for maximum efficiency – applying world class sustainability principles in all we do while respecting commitments in terms of envi-ronmental responsibility


WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING...

Dublin Chamber on... Pride month, Dublin City Council

to waiving public realm furniture charges, Selling Online in 2020 Guide and

remote working made easy

Dublin Chamber’s vision for Dublin is of a mod-ern capital city that is diverse, vibrant, inclusive, compassionate and caring. A city that is globally renowned for its economic vitality and quality of life. We believe that quality of life includes ensuring people feel accepted, empowered, val-ued and supported in the community in which they live and work.

The make-up of the Dublin business commu-nity has change markedly over the past 30 years. It will continue to do over the next 30 years and Dublin Chamber will seek to play a pivotal role in its positive development. The business com-munity across the Greater Dublin Region now employs people from 200 different countries. Indeed, about one in every six persons living the Dublin region was born outside of Ireland. The Dublin region is a place where people are wel-come regardless of their ethnicity, skin colour, or religion.

As the voice of the business community in the Dublin region, we are proud that so many peo-ple from all around the world have chosen to make Dublin their home. Some of our newest industries are the most diverse, bringing people with a variety of skills from all over the world. Employment legislation protects people from discrimination, but we know true diversity and inclusion is much more than that. Similarly, we

are keen to understand any business issue that arises or that acts as a barrier to aspects of inclu-sion such as labour market participation. Dublin Chamber will continue to work to ensure that any such issues are resolved.

Dublin Chamber has actively addressed and promoted gender diversity over the years and our support for diversity generally has increased in recent years. Core to the Chamber’s Dublin 2050 initiative has been the progression of the diversity and inclusion debate and we are active in ensuring that the voices of minority groups in Dublin are heard. In 2019, we ran a Reputation Survey of Dublin, asking thousands of interna-tionals for their views on Dublin and how the city can be improved as a place to live, work, study and visit. The key messages identified via the survey continue to be delivered to Government.

We are delighted to once again this year carry the Pride colours on the front door of our building on Clare Street. This feature brought great colour to the street last year and won-derful engagement from passers-by. We are proud to enhance our door even further this summer in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. We hope that this small act will help send out the message that Dublin is a place that everyone can call home. Because a diverse Dub-lin is a #BetterDublin.

DUBLIN CHAMBER UNVEILS DIVERSITY DOOR FOR PRIDE MONTH

ONLINE SELLING TIPS LAUNCHED

Dublin Chamber has published a new guide to help Irish SMEs start selling online and improve their web presence.

Dublin Chamber said the ‘Selling Online in 2020: Tips for Traders in Ireland’ guide is being launched at a crucial time, with many firms looking at their online presence due to the impact of Covid-19. The guide was produced by the Chamber in partnership with ECC Ireland.

The Chamber is urging businesses which don’t already sell online to grasp this “missed opportunity” as soon as they can.

COUNCIL MOVE ON FURNITURE CHARGES

WELCOMEDublin Chamber welcomed the move by Dublin City Council to waive charges on the placement of tables and chairs within the public realm.

Dublin Chamber said the move will help many cafes and restaurants in the city to reopen and recover more quickly.

Dublin City Council announced that applications are now being taken from businesses who would like to expand into the public realm. Under the Govern-ment’s Covid-19 reopening plan, it will be possible to put out tables and chairs, once permission has been granted by the council, from Phase 3 onwards.

Dublin Chamber’s Head of Communications Graeme McQueen said: “We welcome the construc-

tive and positive move by Dublin City Council to waive charges on tables and chairs for a period of six months. Social distancing requirements mean that many cafes and restaurants will be extremely tight for space when their premises reopen for customers at the end of June. Being able to expand out into the street, where deemed appropriate by the council, will provide a badly-needed release valve for busi-nesses. We are aware of a strong appetite amongst consumers for outdoor eating and drinking in Dub-lin, so this move should lead to increased trade and a more vibrant city centre over the second half of the year. The availability of more outdoor seating will give people an opportunity to experience the summer in Dublin in a different way.”

Mr McQueen added: “There are many areas of the city where the addition of outdoor seating and tables will be possible. In some cases, this will require a reimagining of how we are using the street space that’s available to us. This a great opportunity for the business community and the council to work together to ensure that space is being used in the most appro-priate way that benefits all users of the city.”

REMOTE WORKING MADE EASY WITH NEW GUIDE

A new advice guide has been launched to help busi-nesses and workers embrace smarter working prac-tices. The Dublin Chamber Smarter Working Guide, compiled by the business group in consultation with dozens of companies already embracing smarter work practices, provides a step-by-step guide to help over-come many of the barriers and issues that may arise with home and remote working.

The Chamber said the guide will provide useful guidance for firms – particularly small firms – trying to adapt to smarter working practices as a result of Covid-19. The guide also shows how flexible working can be part of their business into the future. The pur-pose of the guide is to break down some of the mys-tique around smarter working and to provide practical examples of how to get smarter, faster.

Topics covered in the Dublin Chamber Smarter Working Guide include: the need to set clear key performance indicators; advice on working hours; how to get buy-in from management; the rules around contacting employees out of hours; flexi-time and job-sharing. The guide also contains information on workplace flex-ibility options, steps for implementa-tion, and potential pitfalls. The guide includes case studies from a number of large and small companies, includ-ing Ervia and Emovis, offering prac-tical and easily deployable examples of how smarter working can and does work for firms.

Dublin Chamber said recent feedback from members has identified that being able to offer remote and home working is a major positive when it comes to attracting and retaining staff. Smarter working practices are now expected by employees, the Chamber said, with those slow to adapt being left at a significant disadvantage when it

The fourth edition of the Chamber’s guide provides advice on key issues such as privacy statements, terms and conditions, withdrawal periods and product qual-ity.

Irish consumers now spend about €2 billion a year online, a figure that is predicted to grow consider-ably over the coming years. However, many firms still aren’t making the most of this growth, with just one in four companies able to process sales online.

Dublin Chamber’s Head of Operations Linda McNulty said: “Not being set up to sell online is a missed opportunity for Irish firms. Increasingly, we find that Irish consumers are looking to buy from local firms. However, the nature of online shopping dictates that when a person can’t buy what they want in Ireland, they will go online and buy from abroad.

“This new guide will act as a helpful companion for any firms seeking to either make the first step into

the world of ecommerce or those seeking to improve their web presence. There’s also lots of helpful legal advice in the guide too which will ensure that busi-nesses who trade online remain in line with the latest consumer laws.”

Ms McNulty added: “Part of the solution to getting more firms selling online is to make it easier and less intimidating for them to get started. Selling your products through a website is a simple, low-cost way of entering the European and global markets and to servicing more customers in the domestic market. This guide will help inform businesses on what they need to know to make the transition to online trad-ing.”

The guide was compiled by the Enterprise Europe Network at Dublin Chamber of Commerce and by ECC Ireland and can be downloaded free from the Dublin Chamber website.

comes to recruitment.Smarter working helps improve the work-life bal-

ance of the employee and can make Dublin work bet-ter by reducing congestion at peak times.

Launching the guide, Mary Rose Burke, CEO of Dublin Chamber, said:

“We’ve been working on the Smarter Working Guide for the past few months. It’s timely release should help businesses in dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak. Through member feedback, we recognised that smarter working, in all its

forms, will be an essential part of the modern world of work. However,

some businesses highlighted the need for a simple guide that they can easily exe-

cute. We hope that this will provide help to lots of companies at this very difficult time for them and their staff.”

The Dublin Chamber Smarter Working Guide can downloaded free from the Chamber website.



SmartSimple Software SmartSimple Software empowers philan-thropic, research, government and insti-tutional communities to maximise the impact of their giving and funding activ-ities. With offices in Ireland, the United States and Canada, SmartSimple supports more than 225,000 monthly active users across 192 countries globally. Almost all of Ireland’s scientific research funding appli-cations flows through Platform3.Powered by Platform3, SmartSimple’s proprietary configuration-based cloud platform, it delivers GDPR-compliant grants management, research administra-tion and scholarship management systems for foundations, research institutions, gov-ernment agencies, higher education insti-tutions and corporate enterprises.

Affirma Affirma is a global IT, business and creative services firm dedicated to top-tier client satisfaction. We understand that as companies progress, they often come across business problems that are time-consuming and require technology that businesses may be unfamiliar with. As technology experts, Affirma helps companies find the right solution, so they don’t take away time from their employ-ees’ or day-to-day operations. The com-pany wears many hats: it is a marketing consultant, SharePoint power developer, data analytics expert, salesforce specialist, BPO provider and more. Its teams provide a different perspective, bringing in fresh ideas that add value to your organisation, and it has worked on thousands of projects and within hundreds of different markets

and can jump on any project and execute it accordingly.

WhereWeLearnWhereWeLearn is a global educational charity. Delivering to the world the capa-bility in which every human being can experience the joy of education for free in a global context. Supporting students, teachers, trainers and educators of all forms, the charity provides a variety of simple-to-use educational and commu-nication tools. Enabling real social con-nectivsim and working with social media, it helps change how people interact with learning. Linking to material pub-licly available already on the internet, WhereWeLearn.com utilises the world-wide web of information, including les-sons and tools for helping your business and staff.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Ireland (IICC) The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Ire-land (IICC) is a free elective association of Irish, Italian and other national eco-nomic operators, whose objective is the strengthening of cultural and economic ties between Ireland and Italy.The IICC was launched in January 2020 and serves members from across a range of prominent business sectors. The IICC works closely with the Italian Embassy in Ireland and other Irish and Italian state

MEMBER PROFILESagencies. It provides important and timely information and advice to its members, who come together to collaborate and exchange ideas and expertise around technical, regulatory, political, economic, and business issues that impact on their business.

TOSK Global Ventures LimitedTOSK Global Ventures Limited is an Irish-based import and export company estab-lished to provide quality products and services in Europe and other countries it operates in.

The company primarily trades agri-cultural commodities from Africa. It has acquired a world-class solution to meeting our customers’ and stakeholders’ needs which is globally unrivalled in our areas of operation.

TOSK has a presence in the product ori-gin and buying countries, which allows the company to supervise product processing and work with clients directly at the same time.

TOSK Global Ventures puts in hard work to make sure it provides its custom-ers with good quality products at reason-able prices.

DepaulDepaul is a leading cross-border homeless charity which supports people experienc-ing homelessness and those who are at risk of homelessness. Depaul provides spe-cialist support to the most vulnerable in our society through both accommodation and community-based services. Last year, Depaul helped more than 4,800 men, women and children experiencing home-lessness, including women leaving prison, people residing in Direct Provision, young

people, people with entrenched addiction issues and people suffering from mental health difficulties. Since being established in 2002, Depaul has gone on to become a leading voice within the homeless sector and now currently provides more than 30 services across the island of Ireland.

Studenthouse.comStudenthouse.com is an Irish-based stu-dent accommodation marketplace with more than 8,600 rooms available coun-trywide with a primary focus on Dublin, Galway, Cork and Belfast. The platform enables students to find and compare a variety of rooms based on their housing preferences, budget, study location and other relevant criteria for each individual student. Studenthouse.com also partners with universities, educational institutions, and companies to secure optimal accom-modation for their students and interns. The platform is free to use and its ‘student first’ approach strives to ensure that stu-dents secure accommodation that’s specif-ically tailored to their needs at the lowest available market price.

HOZARTHOZART was established as a trading and distribution company in 1994. In the years following, HOZART expanded from its origins to become an organisation involved in distribution, trading and act-ing as an agent for various suppliers for a vast range of products. HOZART conducts its business through its international net-work and its business is mainly focused on below-listed industrial sectors: chemical industries, polymers and plastics indus-tries, and industrial equipment.

NEW MEMBER PROFILES


MCO MCO is a multidisciplinary strategic design and project management company with more than 20 years’ experience of designing and delivering projects across the sustainability, health and cultural sec-tors.We collaborate to explore new ideas, encourage curiosity, and unlock potential, balancing creativity with pragmatism to solve complex problems simply.We help clients make real change happen through connected thought and creative action – as the people we work with say, we’re thinkers and doers.We focus on some of the big challenges that people care about, aiming to make the world a better place, one project at a time.

SalesforceSalesforce is the No 1 CRM, bringing companies and customers together in the digital age. Founded in 1999, Salesforce enables companies of every size and indus-try to take advantage of powerful technol-ogies – cloud, mobile, social, blockchain, voice, and artificial intelligence – to con-nect to their customers in a whole new way. The Salesforce Customer 360 is an integrated CRM platform that unites marketing, sales, commerce, service and IT departments. The company is a leader on Fortune’s World’s Best Workplaces list, and Forbes has ranked the company one of the world’s most innovative companies for nine years in a row. For information, please visit salesforce.com.

Virgin Media BusinessVirgin Media Business provides the fastest broadband speeds and connectivity solu-tions for entrepreneurs, businesses and the public sector. Whatever your business does, you’ll need to communicate with your customers and colleagues. You’ll need access to a phone. And you’ll need to get online – that’s where they come in. With some of the fastest and most reliable broadband speeds in the country, not to mention phone options, its solutions are designed to support your business needs.

WhereWeLearn45 Church Fields,Ashbourne,Co Meath,A84 XT67087-653 3460wherewelearn.com@WhereWeLearn

Tosk Global Ventures11 Grove CourtGrove RoadDublin 15D15 EY23toskglobal.com

10 Central CelbridgeCo Kildare 10centralgroup.com

Lennox Laboratory Supplies Ltd John F Kennedy DriveNaas RoadDublin 12 01 460 7625lennox.ie

Spartan Spaces Victoria25 Wilton RoadVictoriaLondonSQ1V 1LW0044-7824 468 555spartan.com

MCO Projects 2nd Floor121/122 Capel StreetDublin 1 D01 V3P001-887 0630mco.ie

Salesforce.com Block A, Atrium BuildingBlackthorn RoadSandyford Industrial EstateDublin 18 D18 F5X201-440 3500 salesforce.com/eu

HOZART International LimitedEnterprise HouseO’Brien RoadCarlow

EMA Aesthetics LimitedPalmerston HouseFenian StreetDublin 2 D02 WD37 01-905 8810

The Italian Irish Chamber of Commerce CLG The Exchange 4th Floor Georges DockIFSCDublin 1D01 P2V6 01-556 6136

Shannon Heritage – Malahide Castle and Newbridge House & Farm MalahideCo Dublin01-866 6780

SmartSimple Software Ireland Ltd1 Grattan Business ParkClonshaugh Business & Technol-ogy ParkDublin 17D17 HR64

Studenthouse.com 5 Mount Street Upper Dublin 201-437 0675studenthouse.com


Businesses get free access to digital marketing courses

usinesses in the Dublin region are being given an opportunity to enhance their digital skills through a new partnership between Dublin Chamber and

the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI).Dublin Chamber has struck an exciting

new partnership with the Digital Mar-keting Institute, which will see Chamber members provided with free access to the institute’s suite of world-class train-ing courses.

Dublin Chamber said the deal comes at a critical time for companies as they seek to adapt to a rapidly changing world. The Chamber said it had sought access to the DMI’s courses for its members in response to feedback from firms regard-ing their need to upskill to help them fur-ther their digital capabilities in response to the challenges posed by Covid-19.

There are no incremental fees for Chamber members and no limit to the number of staff from member organisa-tions who can get access to these valued online resources.

The deal provides Chamber mem-bers with unlimited access to the DMI’s resource hub, which includes more than 500 assets, ranging from toolkits, tem-plates, how-to-guides, video demos, live webinars, short courses, case studies and career development tools.

Individuals can access up to 10 classes from the DMI’s award-winning pro-gramme, offering advice on areas such as:• Staying relevant: Social media market-

ing for business.• Making your mark: Search engine opti-

misation. • Being found: Paid search advertising.• Boosting sales: E-commerce. • Finding audiences: Digital and social

selling for sales teams. • Embracing digital and getting ahead:

Digital strategy and planning.Companies can learn important skills

such as: how to grow and engage a com-munity around their brand using social media; how to execute pay-per-click cam-paigns using Google Ads while tracking conversations through analytics; how to

learn key sales concepts underpinning effective website optimisation, website traffic generation, conversion rate opti-misation and analytics.

DMI chief executive Ken Fitzpatrick said: “It’s a critical time in business as we collectively recognise the urgent need to pivot with business and marketing talent, making them adaptable to emerging tech-nologies and shifting customer demands. We are delighted to partner with the Dub-lin Chamber to provide ongoing learning, training and certification opportunities for always-relevant digital acceleration as it delivers a clear pathway to business and career success.

“Marketers are struggling with how to future-proof their organisations in the light of a skills challenge. Those organisa-tions that come out on top will be diligent about ongoing employee development to build agile teams that can easily adapt to an era of constant change.”

Dublin Chamber chief executive Mary Rose Burke said: “The importance of hav-ing a strong digital presence has never

Digital Marketing Institute chief executive Ken Fitzpatrick and Dublin Chamber chief executive Mary Rose were joined by Chamber member company Verve, The Live Agency’s Eva McCarthy to celebrate the new partnership between Dublin Chamber and the DMI which will give businesses in Dublin free access to world-class marketing courses and resources


been higher. The Covid-19 pandemic has required many firms to speed up their adoption of digital techniques in order for them to keep their business func-tioning. Activities such as social media, online advertising, website optimisation, paid search and analytics are now hugely important for companies given the high levels of remote working that is taking place, combined with the need for social distancing and the reduced levels of phys-ical meetings and interactions.

“The difficulty that many firms have is that they don’t have the digital skills required to take their business to the next level in each of these areas. At the same time, we know that budgets are tight for many companies currently, so this free access to DMI’s resources could not come at a better time.”

“We are proud to be working with the DMI to deliver businesses with the kind of help they need to recover from the current crisis and to push their busi-ness on.”For more details see dublinchamber.ie.

What businessperson do you most admire?Over the course of my career, I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from two great leaders, Maurice Pratt and Pat Gunne.

What is your guilty pleasure?Pouring a glass of wine, putting in my head-phones and listening to The Doors.

How do you unwind?I like walking and recently I have taken up cycling. It is a great way to see the local coun-tryside and get some fresh air.

How much money is in your wallet?Not a penny, I have been compared to the Queen in that I never carry cash. You may find some dollars in there as I travel to NYC for work quite a bit.

The last book you read?I read What I know For Sure, by Oprah Winfrey. I enjoyed it, especially the chapter on resilience and the importance of removing the element of fear when faced with difficult decisions.

What is the best business advice you’ve ever been given?Trust my gut instinct, not to be afraid to make mistakes and by surrounding myself with good people the risk of making mistakes is lessened.

Who is the most famous person in your con-tacts list?Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton. I had the honour of welcoming Secretary Clinton to Bar-retstown for our 25th anniversary. She was so lovely and spent the afternoon meeting our campers and staff at Barretstown.

How do you manage your work-life balance?I am not very good at this. I do tend to bring work home with me. I love what I do so it can be difficult for me to disconnect but it is something I’m working on.

The last film you watched?The last film I went to see in the cinema was Bohemian Rhapsody, I loved it and thought Rami Malek played an excellent Freddie Mercury.

What is your favourite possession?A video of me dancing with my dad in my kitchen. Dad passed away in 2019 and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about him – he was a huge influence on my life.

What’s your most memorable holiday ever?There are two holidays that stand out for me – one was Universal Studios in Orlando, many years ago when my daughter Millie was eight years of age. I refused to go on a roller coaster and she called me a scaredy cat in front of every-

Dee Ahearn, chief executive, Barretstown


one in the queue! Last year, I went on a cruise, it was fabulous, and the best part was no mobile coverage on days at sea, I got very used to not being glued to my phone.

What social media do you use? Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. I use these platforms to share the work we do at Barret-stown.

If money were not an object, what would your fantasy purchase be?I should probably answer this question by saying I’d clear my mortgage but in all honesty I know I would go out and buy a fully loaded Range Rover Vogue.

What is the first website you look at every morning?Generally, it’s the news websites closely followed by checking my emails.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?Unfortunately, I am an early bird, try as I might I generally can’t sleep past 6am.

If you were Taoiseach for a day, what would you do?I would look at the real impact of charities like Barretstown, the invaluable services provided to communities all over Ireland and calculate their value to the State and fund this work where pos-sible.

What person do you most admire?I take my inspiration from the seriously ill chil-dren we serve at Barretstown – on a daily basis they amaze me by rising to overcome their indi-vidual challenges. I am so proud of our campers, their resilience and hope.

What’s your favourite place in Ireland and why? The west of Ireland, the rugged west coast and that howling wind coming in off the Atlantic – there is nothing like it.

Anything you would like to plug?Inspired by the strength and resilience of our campers, we’ve launched a Rising to the Chal-lenge fund to help us deliver our therapeutic residential and outreach programmes to over 8,000 seriously ill children and their families currently on our waiting lists when it is safe to do so. To make these extra programmes happen, we urgently need donations.

If you can, please donate today and help us to Press Play on childhood via our website barret-stown.org. In the meantime, we will continue to serve our campers virtually through our online interactive platform, ‘Barretstown Live’, deliv-ering our programmes safely into our campers’ homes.

Barretstown chief executive Dee Ahearn with former US secretary of state Hilary Rodham Clinton

MSc in Executive LeadershipWould you like to advance your career with an internationally recognised qualification?

The MSc in Executive Leadership from Irish Times Training is accredited

by and delivered in partnership with Ulster University. This two-year course combines a personal and professional journey to excellence in leading people and organisations, providing access to networks of local, national and global

academics and executive thought leaders. Year one of the course includes a 5-day study trip to Boston College and leads to a Post-Graduate Certificate in

Executive Leadership.

For more information call us at 01 4727101 or visit irishtimestraining.com

ITT-Full page BusinessIrelandSupplement.indd 1 30/06/2020 14:57

EirGrid is transforming the power system for future generations.At EirGrid, we manage, plan and develop the electricity grid, bringing power to everyone throughout Ireland. Now, in support of government policy, we have made a commitment to ensure that 70% of the country’s electricity will be generated from renewable sources by 2030. We are working to reduce Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels and make decarbonisation a reality, providing a safe and reliable electricity supply in a way that secures the future for those who follow us.

Find out more at www.eirgrid.com/strategy2025/

The current. The future.

169224 Eirgrid Power System 275x340.indd 1 30/06/2020 14:31

reopening ireland · united states and china, but there is still a gap to close with some...

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