Invest in Ireland with a feature on Investing in the Arts
Breda
~Damian Carey, CEO, Schlötter Ireland
Securing Ireland’s economic future through smart, strategic investment
Global trade is shifting amid evolving supply chains and rising geopolitical risks. While we can’t control global forces, we can strengthen domestic resilience through support and targeted policies.
Ireland’s core advantages remain intact, our EU membership, skilled workforce, pro-enterprise policy environment and reputation as a trusted, open economy. The challenge now is to build on those strengths and remain competitive in a changing world.
Targeted investment in innovation and business
Targeted investment in key areas will be critical. Innovation is chief among them. While multinationals continue to perform well, I recognise the challenges faced by Irish-owned firms around financing and scaling new technologies. That is why I am committed to expanding access to EU funding, incentivising R&D and ensuring our SME sector is equipped to thrive in and across high-value sectors.
I am determined to ensure that it is easier and more cost-effective to do business in Ireland. That means tackling structural issues such as energy costs, insurance premiums and regulatory burdens. For investors, clarity and certainty matter; and I am dedicated to delivering on both.
Infrastructure is a strategic priority
Although capital investment has been ramped up, capacity constraints, particularly in construction, remain a challenge. Modernising building methods, prioritising projects with the highest economic and social returns and accelerating the planning processes are essential if we are to deliver the physical environment a growing economy demands.
Investing in skills and stability
Perhaps most importantly, we must continue to invest in our people. Skills, education and talent attraction will define our competitiveness in the years ahead. Reforming our training systems and planning for long-term workforce needs, including the right balance of domestic development and international talent, is non-negotiable.
Ireland is not immune to global pressures, but we are far from powerless. I am resolute in setting out a path forward — one that is rooted in stability, strategic investment and long-term thinking. Hence, this Government and my Department have accelerated the Government’s Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity and will host the second Annual Competitiveness Summit in July. For those investing in Ireland’s future, that clarity is both a reassurance and an invitation.
Invest in Ireland: a future-ready hub for innovation and sustainable growth
Over many years, Ireland has solidified its reputation as a nexus for global investment and innovation.
Anew strategy by IDA Ireland, ‘Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation’ seeks to build on the nation’s success to ensure that Ireland remains a leading location for smart, sustainable manufacturing and intelligent, digitised services. The strategy aims to secure 1,000 new investments, create 75,000 new jobs and deliver €250 billion to the Irish economy by 2029.
Regional investment across Ireland
Of the 1,000 new investments, we will target 55% to locations outside of Dublin. By prioritising regional development, Ireland is fostering an inclusive and balanced economy, offering opportunities nationwide and ensuring the benefits of foreign direct investment (FDI) are felt across the country.
At the core of our strategy is our partnership with 1,800 clients who employ over 300,000 across every Irish region. In supporting our clients to increase the competitiveness of their Irish operations through investment in innovation, digitalisation and sustainability, we aim to realise opportunities to safeguard and strengthen long-term investment in Ireland. Action in these areas can be transformational, providing the foundation on which businesses can thrive.
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Growth in skills and sustainability
We have set ambitious targets to help clients scale their research, development and innovation (RD&I) investments by €7 billion over the next five years, to upskill 45,000 people and reduce carbon emissions by 35%.
The strategy identifies four key growth drivers: digitalisation and AI, semiconductors, health and sustainability. These areas will create intersecting opportunities across core sectors such as life sciences, international financial services, high-value manufacturing, engineering and technology, as well as content and consumer services.
Enabling conditions for FDI
Delivering on our ambitions will also require the right conditions. Cost competitiveness, a streamlined planning system, robust infrastructure and a skilled workforce are key to sustaining this success.
IDA Ireland’s new strategy, endorsed by the Government of Ireland, underscores Ireland’s unwavering commitment to FDI and acknowledges its positive impact on Irish society. Amid global challenges such as heightened competition and geopolitical uncertainties, we will maintain Ireland’s position as a global destination for investment and, by concentrating on areas within our control, we will build on our successes to ensure continued FDI growth in the future.
Samantha Taylor | Junior Designer: Ellen Cahill
Jonni
Breda O’Sullivan Head of Corporate Strategy, Planning and Strategic Policy, IDA Ireland
Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
@Mediaplanet UK & IE
Why resilient businesses are past masters at the art of reinvention
Resilient businesses are able to evolve when markets change. This is easier if they have the right resources and capabilities in place to take advantage of new opportunities.
In the high-pressure world of business, it can be challenging for companies to constantly remain relevant and resilient. Times change, trends change, markets change — so you have to be supremely adaptable and agile to keep up with the competition. It’s a problem that chemical manufacturing company Schlötter Ireland has faced — and solved.
WRITTEN BY Tony Greenway
Businesses should be ready to adapt and stretch
The business (its parent company was founded in Germany in 1912) was first established in County Kildare 49 years ago to service customers in the metal finishing and printed circuit board industries. However, as these industries began to leave Ireland, Schlötter
knew it had to diversify into new technologies and markets. It did so successfully and is now a contract manufacturer specialising in bespoke high-purity chemical solutions for the medical device, semiconductor and electronics industries. It has continued to evolve and recently won an award for Best Organisational Transformation.
Damian Carey, CEO, advises any business that struggles with change: “Keep an eye on what’s happening in the marketplace,” he says. “Look at your resources and capabilities to see if you are a good fit for any new opportunities. Be ready to stretch yourself, but don’t blindly promise the earth without knowing you can deliver.”
Upskilling staff and constantly moving them forward
It’s also vital to encourage better communication between teams — something Carey ensured was happening across the business — while supporting staff with lifelong learning opportunities. Plus, make sure they are able to move up the promotional ladder. “I started here as trainee lab technician,” reveals Carey. “We’ve always engaged our people by upskilling them and constantly moving them forward. While business transformation never stops, it’s important that people enjoy the journey.”
The company’s transactional customer/supplier relationship has also changed. Now, its customers are advocates for the business. This has been achieved by fostering trust with closer collaboration and a focus on quality control.
No room for complacency in business
Schlötter Ireland is now working closely with industry bodies such as IDA Ireland to implement lean methodologies which provide a roadmap to its digital transformation; and it’s investing in green technologies, such as installing photovoltaic cells which produce 20% of its energy needs. Yet, even with its Best Organisational Transformation award, Carey insists the company won’t rest on its laurels. “There is no room for complacency,” he says. “In business, nothing stands still.”
Ireland: a gateway to EU innovation and investment
Amid geopolitical uncertainty, investment often stalls. This is evident across the global life sciences sector, where investment declined 41% from 2023 to 2024, according to EY.
In Ireland, deal volume rose over the same period, but total value dropped sharply by 86%, reflecting a broader global hesitancy — yet highlighting opportunity.
Ireland’s strategic investment appeal
Ireland continues to draw investment thanks to its size, skilled workforce and ease of access to senior decisionmakers, including government leaders. One of Ireland’s greatest strategic advantages is its EU membership. Businesses benefit from access to the single market, the €95 billion Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and alignment with digital transition initiatives. Together, these elements help companies stay competitive, even in turbulent times.
The power of the single market
Home to 450 million consumers, the EU Single Market is the world’s largest, and Ireland remains its only Englishspeaking member. For spin-outs and multinationals alike, access to this market offers unique growth opportunities. Ireland already benefits from the single market’s free movement of goods, capital, services and people, attracting top talent from across Europe. The 2024 Enrico Letta report, Much More Than a Market, calls for a ‘fifth freedom’ — of knowledge, research and innovation. If implemented, this could rapidly advance AI, genomics and biotech. Early investors stand to benefit from this evolving knowledge economy.
Driving innovation through EU programmes
There are a multitude of opportunities for Irish businesses to join European innovation initiatives via Horizon Europe, the world’s largest R&I funding programme. EIT Health, an integral part of Horizon Europe’s Pillar III, has a footprint across 18 countries via local teams that connect health innovators with European opportunities, such as the Industry-led Pact for Skills Partnership and European Partnership for Personalised Medicine. To date, EIT Health has supported 3,200 companies (122 in Ireland) to access European markets.
Accelerating the digital transition
Ireland’s appeal as a hub for data-driven innovation is reinforced by aligning with EU digital strategies. The European Strategy for Data (2020) aims to create a single market for data across 14 sectors via data-sharing infrastructure frameworks. Anonymised datasets will be made available for research, innovation and policymaking. The first of these, the European Health Data Space (EHDS), is designed to accelerate breakthroughs in digital health, pharma and personalised medicine. With its strategic EU position and dynamic research ecosystem, Ireland offers a powerful platform for forward-thinking investment.
ImageprovidedbySchlötter
Damian Carey CEO, Schlötter Ireland
Paid for by
Schlötter Ireland
Elaine Murray Public Affairs Lead, EIT Health Ireland-UK
Building on the success of Ireland’s global businesses
In a new twist on a highly successful formula, Enterprise Ireland is working with a number of Ireland’s homegrown multinational companies to win new investments for this country.
These companies have been courted by other countries seeking inward investment for many years, and this new initiative sees Ireland actively competing in that space for the first time.
Highlighting Irish-owned multinational companies
“Enterprise Ireland is best known for supporting SMEs as well as the international food and drinks industry,” says Alan Hobbs, head of the organisation’s recently established Global Irish Business Unit. “But we felt there was an opportunity to put our value proposition to Irishowned and headquartered multinational companies.”
The Global Irish Business Unit is tasked with stimulating investment and deepening Enterprise Ireland’s relationships with these companies. The primary objective is to expand their activity in Ireland and embed them into various aspects of the Irish entrepreneurial and research ecosystems. This includes establishing new connections between those companies and potential Irish suppliers and research partners, as well as winning new investments which might otherwise have gone elsewhere.
Establishing centres of excellence in Ireland
The new unit’s work is already bearing fruit. “We are in active discussions with five or six companies about establishing centres of excellence to serve their global operations in areas like digitalisation, research and development, HR, finance and sustainability,” Hobbs points out.
“These are mobile investments that could go anywhere in the world but could provide significant numbers of jobs here.”
A novel feature of the initiative is an investment mission in Ireland later in the year, led by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke. “We regularly conduct overseas trade and investment missions in conjunction with IDA Ireland to communicate how great Ireland is for investment. We are now going to do the same thing with our homegrown multinationals and make the pitch for Ireland to their senior leaders right here in Ireland.
According to Hobbs, the overall approach is much the same as that taken by IDA Ireland in relation to FDI. “Very often, it’s the simplest and most obvious things that are the most successful,” he concludes.
What Ireland needs to compete in a global innovation economy
Ireland’s innovation success is built on more than tech; it’s about equipping people with the skills to thrive in tomorrow’s economy.
As a small, open economy, Ireland has long understood the benefits of being part of a large, dynamic ecosystem. The Celtic Tiger’s success was built on the nation’s ability to connect the talents of its citizens to global demand, attracting jobs and investment.
To enhance competitiveness, this connectivity needs to extend to innovation. In its latest report, the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council highlights the potential of the European Single Market to enhance growth and scaling for Irish firms; the challenges of building and retaining a skilled labour force; and the opportunities afforded by technological change and innovation.
Bridging gaps through innovation
Realising this potential and addressing these challenges relies on close collaboration between entrepreneurs, industry and academia within Ireland — but more importantly, across Europe and beyond. Such collaboration is not easy; there are gaps in business culture, risk appetite, priorities and information, but we must overcome them.
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology, through its nine thematic Knowledge and Innovation Communities, mobilises public and private resources to bridge such gaps. Galway-based Luminate Medical accessed a global network of mentors and prospective users across Europe and the United States to fine-tune its quality-of-care-enhancing device and attract investors and customers. Dublinbased Wellola created a patient-facing digital platform and partnered with Fisiolink in Italy to jointly offer a complete cloud-based medical solution.
Skills for a shared future
On a larger scale, Trinity College Dublin and the University of Galway are training workforces across Europe in medtech, pharma and digital health as part of EIT Health’s Pact for Skills. Generation Ireland, as one of 12 Irish members of the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative, is helping a million people build skills in cloud services, cybersecurity and data engineering.
Twenty-first-century innovation is so complex that no country or organisation can succeed alone in developing the required range of knowledge and skills and scale them to market. Yet, by collaborating, we can turn innovation into a true driver of competitiveness.
Ireland’s unique geopolitical edge fuels FDI and startup growth
Today, Ireland boasts a diverse range of sectors, including technology, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and services.
Our geographical position offers access to the EU and UK markets. We serve as a strategic gateway to the continent’s single market, providing Irish-based businesses with access to over 450 million consumers. Additionally, close trading ties with Britain ensure that products can reach millions of people within a matter of hours.
Balancing FDI with entrepreneurship
Our highly educated and skilled workforce also ensures that companies operating here have access to the very best talent. This, coupled with an outward-looking business-friendly environment, has been a key driver in attracting and retaining high-value foreign direct investment (FDI) and helped with the development and growth of many successful home-based startups.
These entrepreneurial enterprises have played a significant role in driving Ireland’s indigenous growth and sustaining economic momentum in recent times. In an economy heavily reliant on FDI, fostering a strong indigenous economy and supporting the entrepreneurs behind it is crucial. This approach not only balances the industrial mix but also serves as a buffer against global economic uncertainties in the current climate.
Making Ireland a startup hub
With the support of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Enterprise Ireland, Ireland has developed an enterprise policy that excels at scaling these small to mediumsized indigenous exporting businesses. We can go further. Learning from Chile and their ‘Start Up Chile’ model, we should encourage startups from all nationalities and industries to come to Ireland. Here, they will have the opportunity to coalesce and learn from global multinationals, innovate alongside their homegrown peers and gain access to co-financing and mentorship. I believe that this approach offers Ireland the opportunity to be at the very centre of a global entrepreneurship culture and to continue to grow and prosper as the world economic order evolves.
Alan Hobbs Head of Global Irish Business, Enterprise Ireland
Stefan Dobrev Chairperson, Governing Board, EIT
Simon McKeever CEO, Irish Exporters Association
How Ireland is helping drive green innovation in the semiconductor sector
Thanks to a strong talent pipeline and a supportive and encouraging business environment, Ireland has proved to be a rewarding location for companies in the technology industry.
What makes the island of Ireland an ideal environment for tech companies? The more you investigate, the more reasons you find, says Martin O’Keeffe, MD of Infineon Technologies
Semiconductor Ireland, a company that makes semiconductors for everything from cars and green industrial power to security in internet-of-things applications. It now operates Research and Development Design Centres and Corporate Supply Chain functions across its sites in Dublin and Cork.
Harnessing Ireland’s talent pipeline
From an R&D perspective, one of the factors driving Infineon’s investment in Ireland was — and is — the country’s extraordinary talent pipeline. “We have the youngest population in Europe,” notes O’Keeffe. “It’s also a very well-educated population, thanks to the strength of Irish universities and their focus on STEM subjects. When a company invests considerable capital in a new location, it wants to know that the investment will last. Ireland’s excellent talent pipeline provides that reassurance.”
Supportive ecosystem for semiconductor companies
Ireland also has a supportive business ecosystem. For example, IDA Ireland — the country’s inward investment agency — has been a strategic partner to Infineon during its Irish expansion activities. “IDA Ireland offers foreign businesses
unique support and collaboration, either helping them to invest in Ireland for the first time, or grow the investment they have already made,” explains O’Keeffe. “Working as a collective, we’re able to emphasise the importance of our industry and lobby for easier access to talent and funding.”
Other investment incentives included Ireland’s ease of doing business and its positive, can-do attitude. “People here are able to understand a challenge quickly and flip it into a solution,” says O’Keeffe. “In addition, we’re an open-minded country which respects different nationalities. Irish people are also adept at network-building and using their connections to spot market trends and navigate choppy waters. Plus, in the agile business ecosystem that has been created here, companies are seen as adaptable. This, in turn, encourages new investment.”
Just last year, the company announced plans to significantly expand its R&D presence in Ireland with 100 new jobs. “As a business, our main areas of focus are decarbonisation and digitalisation,” O’Keeffe says.
“These megatrends are key to the automotive sector, which is one of our biggest revenue streams. As a result, I expect our investment in Ireland to continue in the years ahead.”
The EU Single Market is the world’s largest, and Ireland remains its only English speaking member.
- Elaine Murray, EIT Health Ireland-UK
Martin O’Keeffe MD, Infineon Technologies Semiconductor Ireland
Sponsored by Infineon WRITTEN BY Tony Greenway
Announcing 100 new jobs in Infineon Ireland: Taoiseach Micheál Martin visited the Infineon Ireland leadership team (Brenda Barrett and Martin O’Keeffe) along with representatives from the IDA and Infineon Headquarters
Why ‘going circular’ reduces waste and gives businesses a competitive edge
Businesses ‘in the know’ understand the importance of implementing circular economy practices, particularly good waste management practices. To assist businesses on this journey, numerous resources are now available.
Circular economy activity boosts competitiveness and is relatively easy to implement. “Consumers and suppliers are now more environmentally aware,” agrees Sinéad Ní Mhainnín, Connacht Ulster Regional Waste Management Planning Office.
Sustainability attracts talent “Consumers seek out companies that can provide them with products and services that are truly sustainable,” says Ní Mhainnín. More businesses are now recognising this trend and recognise that actions to enhance the circular economy can be a powerful
staff recruitment and retention tool because Millennials and the Gen Z generations in particular want to work for companies that reflect their values. “Many potential staff candidates now ask: ‘What are your sustainability policies or climate action goals?’” says Ní Mhainnín.
Improving business recycling practices
Businesses understand how important it is to adopt circular economy practices, including good waste management. “There is significant potential for businesses to increase their recycling rates,” says Ní Mhainnín. “We know from an EPA survey that over two-thirds
of the contents of the general waste commercial bins should be placed in either the recycling or food waste bins.” Various free resources are now available to help businesses improve waste segregation and increase their recycling rates.
Link between net zero and the circular economy
There’s another reason for businesses to participate in Ireland’s transition to a circular economy: the link between climate change and waste is significant, and actions can be implemented to address this. All actions, large and small, are important. Even small individual actions can make a big overall difference. “In the workplace, staff can bring their own reusable cups and also ensure that they separate all their recyclable waste,” says Ní Mhainnín. “These are simple individual actions, and businesses can also help make this easy for their staff by having the right, consistent resources in place. Utilise Ireland’s official guide to waste management, MyWaste.ie, where numerous resources and information are available free of charge. It can assist businesses and their workforces in this endeavour,” says Ní Mhainnín. Free materials are available, including posters, bin labels, guidance brochures and animations on good waste management practices.
Sinéad Ní Mhainnín Connacht Ulster Regional Waste Management Planning Office, MyWaste
Learn more: mywaste.ie/ business
Sponsored by MyWaste
Explore
creative career paths for young people in Ireland
Being appointed Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport was a great honour. This role spans various agencies, including the Arts Council, Screen Ireland and RTÉ, with huge potential for growth and modernisation in many spaces.
Participation in the arts is crucial for child development, enhancing education and wellbeing. As a former teacher, I believe it’s vital to inform young people about the diverse career opportunities in the arts and creative sectors.
Cinema and the arts rising Film and television production involves collaboration among lots of different creatives across various roles. The same goes for radio, theatre, literature and visual arts, offering hundreds of engaging job opportunities.
Irish cinema has entered a dynamic era, just think of successful films like An Cailín Ciúin and the recent Academy Award nominations. The introduction of a new games tax credit and enhancements to Section 481 have further bolstered our creative industry and made us more attractive for big players. Additionally, we’ve celebrated international successes such as the Booker and Fedora prizes.
Backing future industries
My department is targeting fresh areas of potential, including commercial design, gaming and virtual reality. I met with really enthusiastic representatives of the gaming industry in San Francisco in March, and my officials are developing a new, more focused unit to aid the development of the gaming sector in Ireland.
I’m excited to announce a new initiative promoting creative careers. This autumn, my department and its agencies will host a career event in the RDS to showcase available job opportunities and relevant courses.
Inclusion in the arts
My goal is to ensure that all young people, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, are aware of the thriving career landscape in the cultural and creative industries. I hope to meet many of you there and encourage you to consider creative careers as a rewarding pathway to pursue through your working lives.
How homegrown training is fuelling Ireland’s creative surge on the world stage
Ireland’s cultural presence on the global stage is thriving. From acclaimed screen performances to celebrated theatre productions, Irish voices are earning worldwide recognition.
Training grounds for a new generation
The Gaiety School of Acting holds the distinction of being Ireland’s longestestablished full-time professional actor training institution, offering, since 1986, a comprehensive two-year programme that has been a steady force in developing professional talent. Its conservatory-style training equips students not just with craft but with the resilience needed for long-term creative careers. To ensure broad access, the school holds auditions in Cork, Athlone and Belfast each year, as well as at its Dublin base, identifying emerging talent across the country and breaking down barriers to entry.
Lifting horizons, unlocking potential
The school’s vision of ‘lifting horizons’ extends well beyond performance. Through workshops, outreach and partnerships with schools and community groups, it encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to see the arts as a viable and valuable path — often where it hadn’t been imagined before. Today, hundreds of its graduates are working professionally in the arts; not just as actors, but as directors, writers, casting professionals, producers and comedians. Many are building sustainable, creative lives in an industry that increasingly values flexibility and range.
A creative force, at home and abroad
The list of notable alumni includes Colin Farrell, Aidan Turner, Daryl McCormack, and Olivia Wilde — artists who have brought Irish performance to global audiences, but the school’s legacy is broader.
Rising stars like India Mullen (Normal People, Brassic) and West End performers Callum Maxwell and Aisling Kearns represent the next wave of Irish-trained talent. Behind the scenes, casting director Louise Kiely (another alum) has played a key role in shaping productions like The Banshees of Inisherin and Normal People.
An evolving creative ecosystem
What’s emerging is a dynamic, evolving ecosystem — one where stories, collaboration and adaptability matter more than ever. As digital platforms and international co-productions redefine the landscape, Irishtrained artists continue to stand out. Often, their journeys begin in rehearsal rooms like those in Essex Street, where horizons are lifted, and the real work quietly begins.
Minister
Irish schools unlock creativity each year through national programme
Learn about the Creative Schools programme, bringing access to creativity and arts participation to school communities.
Each year, in Ireland, about 350 schools from every county are active in the Creative Schools programme. Led by the Arts Council and working with our partners in the Department of Education and Creative Ireland, the programme inspires schools to explore creativity and experience all its benefits.
Although each school participating in Creative Schools receives similar supports — a grant to support activity, a Creative Associate to support them and training for a school coordinator — each school will end up with a different creative school’s plan and will have experienced all sorts of different events, workshops and visits along the journey. It must be unique as every school is different in size, scale, location, priorities and strengths.
Creativity embraced through encouragement Recently, Craughwell National School in County Galway told us how being part of Creative Schools had impacted them; principal Clare Urquhart said the programme gave them a new interest in creativity.
“Creative Schools opened the door to creativity for us. You can get caught up in the pressure of the myriad subjects that we have to cover. But every child, regardless of academic ability, will engage with creativity at their own level. That’s the beauty of it, and that’s why we’ve embedded it. It is really thanks to Creative Schools; it gave us that first little push in the right direction,” says principal Urquhart.
Staff rediscovered creative confidence
Craughwell National School has around 320 pupils, drawn from 19 different nationalities. The school is busy year-round with sports and other activities, but Creative Schools gave not just the pupils but the staff an opportunity to benefit from creative experiences.
“The highlight from my Creative Schools journey was seeing the effect it had on staff. Seeing them come out of their shells and out of their comfort zone and shaking off cobwebs in relation to creativity and embracing the skills that they already had,” shares Liam Mitchell, Director, Galway Education Support Centre. Creative Schools is open to all primary, post-primary and special schools as well as Youth Reach centres.
and CEO,
Patrick O’Donovan TD,
for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media
Will Wollen Director
Gaiety School of Acting - The National Theatre School of Ireland
Mags Walsh Programme Director
Creative Schools, The Arts Council
Purpose meets potential: rethinking arts–business collaboration?
Arts and business sectors have great collaborative potential but often miss opportunities — arts leaders may lack engagement strategies while businesses undervalue the arts’ role in innovation and social impact.
The arts and business disconnect stems from a lack of shared language, limited cross-sector understanding and few spaces where both sides can explore new ways of thinking and doing. As a result, partnerships that could be transformational for organisations, communities and society never get off the ground.
A not-for-profit strategic consultancy for cultural capital
At Business to Arts, we make it easier for businesses to back the arts and for artists to engage with business. We are the only organisation dedicated to the intersection of commerce and culture. For 37 years, we’ve served as a vital link between the business community and the arts in Ireland, making us a trusted partner to countless organisations and individuals.
Business to Arts and Bank of Ireland’s Begin Together Arts Fund, confidence grew, postures shifted, and imaginations opened. Strategic investment connected artists, educators and communities, proving that when the arts are funded with purpose, they don’t just inspire change. They create it.
Purposeful partnerships start here
We act as a translator between two worlds — connecting artistic creativity with strategic ambition and shaping a more imaginative, resilient future for both.
We act as a translator between two worlds — connecting artistic creativity with strategic ambition and shaping a more imaginative, resilient future for both.
In one of Cork’s most disadvantaged areas, SampleStudios’ Creative Careers Programme helped students see artistic futures as real and reachable. Funded through
Now is the perfect time for corporate Ireland to support the arts
The Abbey Theatre is helping corporate Ireland to cement their business relationships, new and old, by driving more meaningful connections. Learn why business leaders are backing the National Theatre of Ireland.
In a world driven by complete digitisation, theatre offers people the opportunity for a live, shared experience. Marie Lawlor, Head of Fundraising and Philanthropy at the Abbey Theatre, explains how their original mission 120 years ago is becoming more important than ever.
“Theatre makes us feel part of something bigger than ourselves. It helps us to reflect, shift perspectives and understand each other more deeply,” says Lawlor. “In an age dominated by screens, the unique live shared experience of theatre is more important than ever. We use theatre as a platform to not only bring joy and the human connection but also to talk about challenging topics, to drive meaningful change within society.”
We’re growing the role of the private sector in supporting the arts, making business-arts partnerships a visible, valued and vital part of Ireland’s cultural ecosystem. One expression of this is our annual Business to Arts Awards (mark your calendars: 8 September, National Concert Hall), where we celebrate partnerships powering real impact.
We’re building a future where private investment in the arts is not only more common but more purposeful, strategic and transformational. Whether you’re a business leader looking to deliver on your purpose or a brand seeking an authentic cultural connection, we can help turn good intentions into lasting impact.
Influence beyond the stage
With an established community and education department within the theatre, outreach efforts extend far beyond the stage. The Abbey Theatre prides itself on working with children, adolescents and marginalised groups. “Theatre helps young people build confidence, communication skills and the ability to think critically, all of which are skills that they can carry into the working world,” explains Lawlor.
With the recent success of their patron-funded performance ‘In Real Life,’ they have helped to address the very topical subject of children’s online social media presence. In a project they hope to take nationwide, they have created not only a tailored
performance for children aged 8–12 years old, but they have also created helpful resources for teachers to continue the conversation. “Children are under pressure to curate perfect online personas,” Lawlor says. “This piece helped them question those behaviours and feel less alone, and it was met with extremely positive feedback from both students and teachers.”
Strategic partnerships with a purpose
Partnering with Abbey Theatre is about cultivating long-term, valuesaligned relationships. They listen to a company’s ESG goals and co-create ideas which have a real social impact. From community outreach, to education projects and artist development programmes, they are creating impactful partnerships, not transactions.
“We see a lot of business relationships shift to something more meaningful after a night at the theatre, discussing things from a new perspective drives more meaningful connections,” she adds. Now is the perfect time to be associated with Ireland’s National Theatre. Lawlor explains: “Irish artists are being recognised globally across film, literature and theatre. Backing Irish culture like the national theatre, isn’t just good corporate citizenship—it’s a strategic investment in long-term brand equity, customer engagement, and community goodwill.”
Louise O’Reilly CEO, Business to Arts
Marie Lawlor Head of Corporate Partnerships and Philanthropy, Abbey Theatre, The National Theatre of Ireland
Sponsored by Abbey Theatre, The National Theatre of Ireland
Amharclann na Mainistreach, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann