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Main Sponsor Feature: ActionPoint Thriving Limerick:
Limerick Chamber is calling you!
All company details and employee’s listed are owned by the company who is listed in the account- We urge all members to frequently update their representative listings, and company details via Member Information Centre.
Employee’s listed under each company account will receive the newsletter (issued bi-weekly). All employees listed will also receive event notifications and press releases. Please ensue you have checked your spam to ensure you are in receipt of the above.
You can list as many representatives on the Member Information Centre as you wish. This ensures a number of departments or key staff have access to Limerick Chamber benefits.
Each company can add their own events and news within the membership.
Limerick Chamber will now feature member companies on our website for a limited time with logo’s, company details, and intro segment. This will be our member highlight area. LIMERICK CHAMBER
SUMMER 2021 CONNECT
LIMERICK IN MOTION
You will also have the opportunity for profile via our Grow Your Business section a free section to input expertise content from our member companies.
EMBRACING OPPORTUNITY LIMERICK CHAMBER WORKING FOR YOU SHAPING
Our policy journey FUTURE
LIMERICK
LIMERICK CHAMBER CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY
Limerick key stakeholders share a vision of a future Limerick
We will also be offering spotlight area’s at our future events for selected number to profile and exhibit their company in the registration/networking area of our events.
Get in touch with our team if you have any idea’s, feedback, suggestions or if you would like to be listed for the above.
LIMERICK IN MOTION
Taming the Wild Atlantic for Renewable Energy
PEAS IN A POD! LOOKING FOR A BREAK FOR TWO IN LIMERICK? FROM €153 PER NIGHT! SPOIL YOUR LOVED ONE WITH AN OVERNIGHT STAY FOR 2 PEOPLE SHARING WITH A 3-COURSE EVENING MEAL AT HARRY’S ON THE RIVER, AND BREAKFAST THE NEXT MORNING. INCLUDING LATE CHECK OUT OF 1PM. While you might have cursed the wind the last time it blew your bins down the street, opportunities abound for the Mid West region when it comes to transforming the power of that natural resource into renewable energy. As Pat Keating, CEO of Shannon Foynes Port Company explained, “There’s always wind on the Atlantic, it’s a massive resource to have and it’s on our doorstep.” Keating explained that floating wind farms will provide a boon for the region when it comes to investment, job creation, and technology leadership. This type of offshore wind farm will also produce more than ten times the energy needs for the island of Ireland, allowing energy to be sold into European markets as well. Additionally, wind energy can be converted into liquified hydrogen and ammonia, which are already used as alternative energy sources for public transport options. “Producing alternative fuels such as hydrogen or ammonia on the Shannon Estuary, that is seen globally as a huge potential to decarbonize public transport,” Keating said, “It’s a huge resource just off the Atlantic that can give us green energy in spades.” The government will, however, need to update planning regulations, as planning applications cannot currently be submitted if the location is farther than 12 nautical miles offshore. As ESB recently announced a €5bn investment into a floating offshore wind farm and green hydrogen plant at Moneypoint in Co. Clare, a coordinated strategy is needed to ensure the country can capitalise on the opportunities for more investment. The Chamber is pushing for the establishment of the Shannon Estuary Task Force and has already put forward a submission to Eirgrid on ‘Our Electricity Future’. As offshore wind energy developments move forward, the Chamber has expressed the opinion that, in order to achieve There’s always wind on the Atlantic, it’s a massive resource to have and it’s on our doorstep. CEO of Shannon Foynes Port Company Pat Keating maximum economic benefit, the necessary supply chain must be developed in the region and further investment will be required. “In a recent meeting with the Tánaiste we asked for a time line for the announcement of the Shannon Estuary Task force and expect to hear by the end of the summer. This group will play an important role in the sustainable economic development of the Mid West,” said Dee Ryan, Limerick Chamber CEO. In addition to the development of offshore wind and other renewable energy projects, the Chamber expects to see knock-on sectors emerge, such as green energy data centres, which will allow the region to directly benefit from developing offshore wind farms.
10 CHAMBER CO NNECT LIMERICK TO BOOK CALL 061 463600 OR VISIT WWW.ABSOLUTEHOTEL.COM
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CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY
King John’s Castle
Step inside the walls of Limerick’s most iconic landmark – King John’s Castle. Discover the stories of ruthless King John, the noble knights, and rebellious natives. New for 2021, try your hand at the castle’s new series of medieval courtyard games including medieval archery, tug o war, horseshoe throwing, quoits, our medieval seesaw and more. On selected dates visitors also have the opportunity to descend the walls of this formidable fortress and take in stunning views over the River Shannon and Limerick City with the all new King John’s Castle Abseil Experience. For more information visit www.kingjohnscastle.com
Mozart & Strauss
THE SITE HERE IN LIMERICK IS ONE OF VISION CARE’S LARGESCALE MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS FOR THE CONTACT LENS BUSINESS.
We look forward to welcoming back Jörg Widmann for Mozart & Strauss at UCH in September. The ICO emerge from darkness into light with Mozart’s C Fugue. The healing Adagio Kilkenny Arts Festival 2021 As orchestra-in-residence at Kilkenny, the ICO is excited and delighted to collaborate this year with the amazing traditional singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh in Róisín Re-imagined. Sean Nós singing is enjoying a revival. Kilkenny Arts Festival and the Irish Chamber Orchestra have co-commissioned special arrangements from six leading Irish composers including Cormac McCarthy, Paul Campbell, Linda Buckley, Sam Perkin, Niamh Varian-Barry and Michael Keeney. Produced by Dónal O’Connor, Roisin Reimagined explores the connections between classical and traditional music, reimagining these timeless songs for a new era. We hope this online performance stimulates new interest in the Classical Sean Nós repertoire. It will be streamed from 13 August for a limited period. www.kilkennyarts.ie/programme/roisin-reimagined reminiscent of a French overture is filled with bold, expressive progressions whilst the Fugue, rolls on relentlessly to its close. Richard Strauss’s post-war masterpiece Metamorphosen is seen as an impassioned heart cry for the death of German culture. The title was inspired by Goethe’s essay On the Metamorphosis of Plants, and his ravishing composition evokes themes of rebirth, growth and transformation. There are strong parallels to the music as we emerge from the trauma of Covid with a huge sense of renewal and hope. See www.irishchamberorchstra.com for concert details in due course. University Concert Hall www.mgraccountants.ie | info@mgraccountants.ie Limerick 061 208050 Ennis 065 682 9544 Nenagh 067 53822 McKeogh Gallagher Ryan is the largest independent group of accounting and tax professionals in the Midwest. Our services are personal, client-focussed and partner-led. Our expert teams of tax consultants, auditors, accountants and advisors are ready to discuss your needs. For a quarter of a century University Concert Hall has been entertaining the people of Limerick and the wider Mid-West Region. In that time the venue has hosted some of the biggest names in comedy, music, theatre and family entertainment while also supporting, and providing a platform for local and community organisations. While UCH is currently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions, Friends Memberships are a great way to continue to support the venue and the Arts in the local community. Friends also enjoy a host of benefits include no booking fees, priority booking and discounted tickets. As UCH works towards re-opening, Friends will enjoy all of these perks for some big name acts in 2022 including the High Kings, Imelda May, Jason Manford and Spring Operas. For full details on becoming a Friend of UCH or to see what’s on visit uch.ie 39
In June 1996 Johnson & Johnson Vision Care started operating in Limerick with 60 employees. Over the last 25 years, the company has gone from strength to strength and is now one of the largest contact lens manufacturing facilities in the world, with a workforce of 1,600 people. According to John Lynch, Plant Leader, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, the operations in Limerick play a fundamental role in supporting Vision Care’s mission to change the trajectory of eye health around the world. “Our aspiration at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care is to bring improved eyesight to people around the world through the research, development and manufacturing of new medical device technologies. The site here in Limerick is one of Vision Care’s largescale manufacturing operations for the contact lens business. “Our teams in Limerick are serving patients today with our current portfolio and are also working to deliver new breakthroughs in contact lens technology for the future”. The Johnson & Johnson Vision Care operations in Limerick have had a significant impact on the county over the years, offering high quality, skilled jobs. Vision Care provides 1,600 jobs in the areas of manufacturing, quality, engineering and support functions. The company has a strong focus on career progression through continuous education. From certificate to doctorate level programs, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care has supported 300+ employees in developing skills in new technologies since 2016. To strengthen the early-career talent pipeline, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care leads an industrywide apprenticeship and graduate program, locally sponsoring 30+ trainees per year. JOHNSON & JOHNSON VISION CARE – Celebrating 25 Years in Limerick The Vision Care team has a strong culture of championing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Recently the team was recognised amongst the 12 winners at the third annual, company-wide, Johnson & Johnson DEI Honors Ceremony. Vision Care Ireland was awarded a DEI Honor for Building our Diverse Workforce – in acknowledgment of their work to build a more diverse and inclusive
technician workforce in Ireland. Since opening in 1996, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care has put down deep roots in the Midwest region. The company is committed to supporting the local community and employees are very active in fundraising, corporate social responsibility, and sponsorship activities. The employees at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care are passionate about supporting local charities and have supported multiple organisations down through the years through fundraising and volunteering. According to John Lynch, the company will be marking the 25year anniversary and taking the opportunity to thank colleagues past and present, “It has been an incredible journey since Johnson & Johnson Vision Care opened in Limerick in 1996. 41 of the employees that started here on the opening day 25 years ago are still working with us today. We will be marking the 25 years with a celebration for our workforce. We also want to take the opportunity to thank colleagues past and present, our suppliers and the community here in Limerick and the greater Midwest region for all their support. We look forward to many more successful years here in Limerick”.
www.limerickchamber.ie 21
Are you interested in being apart of our next edition of Chamber Connect Magazine due out August/September 2022?
Get involved and gain profile! Share news with the midwest, gain profile and showcase expertise- get involved today and contact
cmoloney@limerikchamber.ie or dgraham@limerickchamber.ie
Chamber Connect is available to members via Limerick Chamber Offices based 96 O’Connell St Limerick. Our Magazine is hosted on www.limerickchamber.ie The magazine is shared across Limerick Chamber Social Channels and to all visitors to Limerick Chamber offices.
An edition is also issued to all Strategic Partners and Members with high footfall.
Our launch edition of Chamber Connects garnered 9,160 Impressions, with 722 digital reads, over 400 copies were issued within the Chamber Membership.
90% of Irish businesses are behind on their Digital Transformation Journey
ActionPoint’s H2 2021 Digital Transformation Index Report reveals key insights into the digitalisation of businesses
ActionPoint, Ireland’s leading digital transformation services fi rm and a member of the Viatel Group, have revealed data from the second half of last year to highlight where Irish businesses currently are with implementing their digital strategy.
In February 2022, the Irish Government launched Harnessing Digital - The Digital Ireland Framework. In their report, ambitious targets were set out for the digitalisation of Irish businesses, including the goal to have 90% of SMEs at basic digital intensity by 2030 and 75% enterprise take-up in cloud, AI and Big Data. Of the remaining 90% of companies surveyed by ActionPoint, over half would be considered “digitally purposeful” i.e. they have well-documented IT plans, understand and utilise data and are in a strong position post-covid to strengthen their digital strategy.
However, the report found that there still remains a high level of Irish businesses far from this point of digital maturity, with 37% of Irish businesses defi ned as digitally ‘reactive’. These identifi ed as having somewhat clear IT priorities and being reactive to their IT needs rather than taking a proactive approach, which is needed in a fast changing environment. There are fears that such companies can be left behind compared to competitors who are proactively looking at ways to strengthen their digital presence and ensure both customers and employees have a meaningful experience.
ActionPoint’s H2 2021 Digital Transformation Index Report, which surveyed 248 respondents across a mix of small, mid-size and large Irish companies across 18 industries including Financial Services, Technology and Manufacturing and Construction found that only 10% of Irish businesses are currently digitally ‘strategic’ or ‘optimised’ when it comes to digital maturity. This means that they have a digital led business strategy and are at the peak of their digital transformation journey.
25%
of respondents are using advanced analytics
David Jeff reys, CEO, ActionPoint
Digital Transformation & Employee Experience
Employee Experience (EX) covers a broad fi eld that is infl uenced by culture, physical workspace and of course, technology. Technology is now the epicentre of the majority of businesses and EX technological solutions such as software, learning tools and user experience and design elements impact how employees view you and your workplace. More and more, this experience is having an infl uence on whether employees choose to stay with your company long-term or not.
Considering the current recruitment market, it may come as a surprise that only 15% of organisations are investing in EX technology solutions. It’s crucial that businesses ask themselves why EX is not a bigger motivator for technology investment as it is fast becoming a key metric to a company being considered an attractive, progressive place to work.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic resulting in a shift to a remote or hybrid model of work, only 51% of respondents are eff ectively using ‘Collaboration & Communication Platforms’ in their business which empower employees to communicate seamlessly while working together on projects online.
Digital Transformation and the power of data
There were mixed results when it came to organisations using analytics to understand customers better, with 41% of respondents noting that they “had used analytics to better understand the customer” and a third of respondents saying they were unsure if it assisted them. However, by utilising technology 51% of respondents believed it improved customer loyalty.
Speaking on the survey results David Jeff reys, CEO and Co-Founder of ActionPoint said, “The Covid-19 pandemic forced Irish businesses to digitalise and re-evaluate their IT needs from an internal as well as customer-facing perspective.
“Around a quarter of respondents are using advanced analytics which is encouraging as companies look to harness customer data to adapt and improve products and services. For the rest, there are some quick-wins in the area of Data Intelligence using tools like PowerBI.”
“A real positive from these results is that Irish companies are aware of the critical nature of data and information security. This is obviously something that has been a prominent topic for a number of years and of course, will continue as we do more of our business virtually. The fact that a high percentage of Irish businesses also believe they are GDPR compliant is also to be welcomed and goes to show that Irish businesses are taking the right steps as they progress on their digital transformation journey.”
“However, with the Government’s national digital strategy, ‘Harnessing Digital – The Digital Ireland Framework’, it has set the bar very high and our report demonstrates that there is still a lot of work to be done to close the gaps within the market. This includes businesses designing and implementing digital skills plans for their current and future employees and an overall more proactive approach to IT needs including more sophisticated CX tools, a digitally empowered Employee Experience and working towards a data-led business model,” concluded Jeff reys.
Respondents to ActionPoint’s survey included C-Level Executives, Board Members, Company Directors and Business Owners from right across the country.
