Minister Burke Leads Trade Mission to US West Coast for IDA Ireland

Irish Minister Seeks to Strengthen Economic Ties on US West Coast

In a bid to bolster economic collaborations, Ireland's Minister for Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment, Peter Burke TD, has embarked on an important trade and investment mission. The mission, orchestrated by IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, targets key sectors on the West Coast of the United States.

Accompanying Minister Burke on this mission are Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland, and Aidan McKenna, Enterprise Ireland’s America’s Regional Director. Over the week, they aim to engage with major clients within the technology and Fintech industries, which are crucial to both nations' economies.

The United States stands as Ireland’s largest foreign direct investment (FDI) source, boasting over 900 operations that employ more than 210,000 individuals. This constitutes nearly 10% of Ireland's workforce. Notably, US West Coast entities contribute significantly, with 275 operations employing 67,000 people in key innovation sectors such as technology, life sciences, Fintech, and engineering.

A significant highlight of the mission is the official opening of IDA Ireland’s new Palo Alto office, symbolizing a strategic relocation within Silicon Valley, a world-renowned center for innovation.

Minister Burke stated: “The trade mission provides an opportunity for me to engage directly with U.S. companies, both IDA clients and prospective investors, and exchange views on the current business and trade landscape, while focusing on key growth opportunities. The scale of bilateral FDI investment highlights the depth of the economic ties between both countries and the continued partnership and commitment by US companies in Ireland.”

Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland, remarked: "This week is about deepening our relationships at the highest levels and discussing Ireland’s many advantages across talent, track record and access to the European market. As part of this trade mission, we will be meeting with clients to strengthen our ongoing partnerships in support of their international expansion and operations.

Competition for foreign investment has never been as intense and trade missions serve to increase awareness of Ireland’s attractiveness as a place to invest. IDA Ireland’s strategy, Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation 2025-29 is focused on strengthening long-term investment, scaling cutting edge innovation, driving sustainable change and maximising regional growth. I look forward to discussing and sharing perspectives on the global investment landscape and Ireland’s proposition to enable and support ongoing international investment opportunities.”

Aidan McKenna, Regional Director, Enterprise Ireland added: “Despite the new US-EU trade tariffs on goods, the US is and will continue to be an important primary export market for many Irish exporters. Enterprise Ireland client companies are scaling rapidly in the USA, which is now the second largest export country for client exports, with €6.6bn exports in 2024. The trade mission this week will look to further support Enterprise Ireland clients to scale in the market, particularly in the tech sector, which holds strong growth potential for our client companies, as the number 1 market for Irish technology and service exports.”