Events
Press Release Ireland France Business Awards 2024
Tom Dolan, Guest of Honour at the Ireland France Business Awards 2024
Tom Dolan was the guest of honour at the 2024 Ireland France Business Awards which took place on board the Paquebot on the Seine on 14th November. The Awards recognise Irish and French companies that have made an exceptional contribution to the development of trade and investment between Ireland and France.
The Awards are organised by NetworkIrlande, the France-based business network for French and Irish companies, the Ireland-based France Ireland Chamber of Commerce and both the Embassy of Ireland in Paris as well as the Embassy of France in Dublin. Kingspan were the patron sponsor for Thursday’s event.
At the Awards this year, the winners were:
- Best Irish Company in France sponsored by Primark: Smurfit Westrock
- Best French Company in Ireland sponsored by IDA Ireland: AXA
- Franco-Irish Business - Newcomer of the Year sponsored by Stripe: Access Earth
Andrew Coffey, CEO of Smurfit Westrock France said: “We’re delighted and honoured to receive the ‘Best Irish Company in France’ award. I’m proud of the significant presence that Smurfit Westrock has established in this country thanks to our talented and dedicated team of over 6000 employees and it’s been a great year for the company. I’d like to thank the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce and NetworkIrlande for this prestigious award and look forward to continuing to play our part in the thriving economic relationship between Ireland and France.”
Marguerite Brosnan CEO of AXA Ireland said: “AXA has had a sustained and growing presence in Ireland for over 25 years and our commitment to the island remains steadfast so it is an honour for us to be recognised as the Best French Company in Ireland 2024. Our ambition is powerful yet simple - ‘to act for human progress by helping protect what matters’ and we are committed to delivering on this ideal for our customers and communities throughout the island of Ireland.”
Matt McCann, CEO of Access Earth said: “Accessibility is about creating a world where everyone, regardless of ability, can fully participate. France has a unique opportunity to lead the way in access and inclusion, setting a global standard for what true inclusivity looks like.”
Niall Burgess, Ambassador of Ireland to France and Honorary President of NetworkIrlande, said:
“The business relationship between Ireland and France is flourishing as never before, producing significant results for both countries. The Ireland France Business Awards is an important occasion to both celebrate this and to build on it, generating new momentum in this thriving relationship.”
France is Ireland’s seventh largest export market and our third highest source of imports. In 2022, Ireland had a two-way trade in goods and services with France of €30bn. .
Richard Dujardin, President of NetworkIrlande, said: “The annual Ireland France Business Awards is a highlight of the Franco-Irish business calendar. This year’s Irish nominees span energy production, refrigeration, packaging, financial services, software development and animation. The diversity of the nomination list testifies to the depth of Ireland’s business footprint in France.”
Áine Murray, President of the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce, said: I am honoured once again as President, to represent the members of the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce here in Paris this year. I am hugely encouraged and enthused at the growing support for the promotion of Business between our two Nations. I am equally pleased to note the increased interest and participation from such excellent companies in this most prestigious Awards ceremony.
My congratulations to the NetworkIrlande team for a superbly organised event and we look forward to welcoming you all back in Dublin in 2025.
An inaugural Ireland France Economic Forum took place in tandem with the business awards. Building on the current momentum in our economic and trade relationship, this first forum was a valuable exchange between Irish and French senior policymakers and business leaders, exploring new avenues for Franco-Irish cooperation towards a more innovative, green and competitive European future. It builds towards Irelands next Joint Plan of Action with France.
Among key participants in the dialogue were Mathieu Landon, economic advisor to President Macron, former French Minister for Ecological Transition Barbara Pompili, Ireland’s Secretary Generals for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Declan Hughes, and for Environment, Energy and Climate, Oonagh Buckley. Stripe, ECOCEM, Amarenco, Akara Robotics, AQMetrics brought perspectives from the franco-Irish business community.
The forum was organised in partnership by Embassy of Ireland in France, the Embassy of France in Ireland and the Irish and French economic state agencies Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Business France with support from NetworkIrlande and the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce. Going forward this new forum will take place annually alongside the business awards, alternating between Dublin and Paris.
Ireland ranks 15th as a source country for foreign investment in France in 2023. Irish investors hold almost €4.1 billion in assets in France.
Total Enterprise Ireland Export amounted to €1.82bn in 2023, an increase of €210 million from the year before.
ENDS NOTES TO THE EDITOR
- NetworkIrlande and the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce (FICC) host the Ireland France Business Awards alternatively in Dublin and Paris.
- NetworkIrlande is a dynamic Franco-Irish business network whose mission is to strengthen business relationships between Ireland and France by enabling members to share knowledge and ideas, to create business development opportunities, and to communicate shared interests to key decision makers.
- NetworkIrlande provides the Franco-Irish business community with excellent networking opportunities through the organisation of a comprehensive range of activities including high calibre speaker events, business forums and professional development seminars, showcase functions as well as advisory support services.
- With over 160 members, from global multinationals to SME’s to individual professionals, a multitude of industry and service sectors are represented in the organisation.
- NetworkIrlande works closely with the state agencies, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Bord Bia and the Embassy of Ireland. H.E. Mr. Niall Burgess, Ambassador of Ireland to France, is the Honorary President of NetworkIrlande.
- Founded in 1978, the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce (FICC) is a bilateral organisation that supports, enables and empowers strategic partnerships within the Franco-Irish business community in Ireland. It is the third largest bilateral trade association in Ireland with 170 member companies and is represented by over 300 senior French and Irish executives.
- The Chamber provides a range of business services and networking events to encourage and facilitate the establishment of new French companies in Ireland and new Irish companies in France.
- FICC is part of a network of 120 French Chambers located in 95 countries worldwide with 38,500 members.
- FICC works closely with the Embassy of France in Ireland and the Franco-Irish business community, including Business France, the French Trade Advisors in Ireland and the current French Ambassador, Céline Place and her team.
- Kingspan is the global leader in high-performance insulation and building envelope solutions, with operations in over 80 countries globally. Its mission is to accelerate a net zero emissions future built environment with the wellbeing of people and planet at its heart.
France and Ireland are important economic partners:
- Ireland has a two-way trade in goods and services with France for 2022 of €30bn.
- France is a significant import partner for Ireland, our 3rd largest, accounting for 12% of Ireland’s imports of goods in 2023. France was Ireland’s 7th largest goods export partner, accounting for 3% of total Irish goods exports in 2023. Exports of goods totalled 6.8 billion, while imports totalled €17.2bn in 2023.
- Medical and Pharmaceutical Products is the single largest category of Irish exports to France, accounting for approximately half of exports in 2023, while Other Transport Equipment (a non-road vehicles such as trains, boats and airplanes) is the largest category of import from France, accounting for approximately 60% of goods imports value in 2023.
- Ireland has a significant two-way trade in services with France, with a total service trade value of over €19.6 billion in 2022.
- In 2022, France was Ireland’s 4th largest services export partner, accounting for 4.1% of total Irish services exports, and 9th largest imports partner in 2022. NetworkIrlande France Ireland Chamber of Commerce Ireland-France Joint Plan of Action 2021-2025 Ireland's Strategy for France 2019-2025 Tom Dolan Racing
France Ireland Chamber of Commerce
Ireland-France Joint Plan of Action 2021-2025
Ireland's Strategy for France 2019-2025
