Sep 29 2009
12 Enterprise Ireland-supported Companies Visit Region to Engage with Local Clean-tech Leaders
Representing the best of Ireland's clean-tech innovation, the CEOs of 12 Irish companies will visit Silicon Valley this week to engage with the region's clean-tech influencers, establish connections with strategic partners and showcase their technologies to local innovators, municipalities, utilities and venture capitalists. Within the technology mix there are new-generation bio-fuels, inventive solar solutions and a unique technology to harness ocean energy and deliver electricity to the on-shore grid. There are also software technologies for energy monitoring and control, and a novel approach to manage household and industrial waste.
Some of the entrepreneurs are exploiting Ireland's distinctive maritime and climatic conditions and its abundant natural resources like grass and peat; others are finding inventive ways to turn low-value agricultural by-products into high-value renewable energy. All are tapping into the country's talent bank to develop and commercialize alternative energy solutions and discover new ways to optimize energy efficiency.
The delegation is being led by Enterprise Ireland (EI) the Government's export engine for innovative technologies and services created by Irish companies. Growing the indigenous clean-tech sector -- currently valued at approximately $4 billion -- is a priority for the Irish Government both to boost the nation's export-led economy and address its environmental imperatives. The visiting CEOs are important partners in the national effort to meet the country's ambitious environmental goals. Moreover, in addition to advancing Ireland's eco-agenda, their companies' technologies are also being deployed across the world.
Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, said, "Ireland, as an open economy, has a strong base of export-focused companies offering innovative and quality products and services across many industry sectors. Clean-tech is an area of strong priority in Ireland and a national effort is underway to address the challenge of climate change, develop renewable energy capability, mainstream environmental considerations and comply with environment legislation."
Minister Coughlan continued, "This is Ireland's first dedicated clean-tech trade mission to Silicon Valley. It includes 12 Irish clean-tech companies with a proven product or service that is backed by a strong commitment to research and development. These companies are all dynamic and innovative, offering advanced and flexible solutions. This visit is aimed at helping them to secure key technical, financial and market partnerships in the US."
Calling Silicon Valley the nerve center of global clean-tech ingenuity and a top target market for Ireland's clean-tech products, Sean Davis, Enterprise Ireland's Senior Vice President, Clean-tech, Industrial and Life Sciences, said, "We're delighted to be visiting the region this week and meeting with some of the world's most innovative clean-tech companies. We share much in common with Silicon Valley: a fast-growing clean-tech sector, a research community dedicated to high-potential R&D projects, no shortage of technical brains, and the entrepreneurial mindset required to turn a great idea into a high-value product."
Source: http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/