Enterprise Ireland
Annual Report and Accounts 2007
Annual Report and Accounts 2007
Over the past number of years Enterprise Ireland has worked intensively in several areas within the Food sector to effect positive strategic, management development and organisational change.
Having again made the largest contribution to export growth of any industry sector in 2007, Food remains vital to Ireland’s future economic performance and success. Within the sector Enterprise Ireland’s strategic change programmes are helping clients to manage challenges and create the necessary long-term action plans to improve competitiveness and growth.
Grounded in research and analysis, strategic change work involves the creation of tailored programmes to advance the skills of owners and managers, spark product innovation, foster inter-company collaboration and encourage improvements in marketing, logistics and strategic planning – all with the aim of driving export growth. Overseas training, study or trade visits are an integral element, and Enterprise Ireland aligns internationally respected organisations such as the Danish Meat Research Institute and the Grimbsy Institute with the programmes to provide participants with global perspectives and best practice.
The Food sectors so far engaged with include Consumer Foods, Seafood, and the Pig-meat sectors. The most recent programmes involve the Bakery and Desserts and Beef Processing sectors, for which Enterprise Ireland launched new management development initiatives in 2007.
A progression of initiatives with SMEs in the Pig-meat sector has been ongoing for several years. The overall value of this sector in Ireland is €1.1 billion per annum, with €400 million of this exported. There is a high level of competition and intense pressure on all companies to develop in this sector.
Enterprise Ireland first initiated assistance for Pig-meat SMEs in 2002 with a management development programme facilitated by the University of Durham. This focused on helping 11 participant companies to develop long-term strategies for change, competitiveness and growth.
A Strategic Change programme in 2005 then addressed the need for change and growth management, helping 14 client companies to steer profitably through change and achieve sustainable export growth patterns. A subsequent Enterprise Ireland research programme found that further change in the sector was necessary and inevitable, and to address this in 2007 it launched a customised International Selling Programme concentrating on enhancing participants’ overseas selling and marketing skills. Eleven companies are taking part.
The accrued benefits to Pig-meat sector SMEs resulting from these initiatives include an 89 per cent consolidation in export growth, a 41 per cent increase in sales, and overall employment growth of 25 per cent. Clients have also strengthened management teams, introduced capital expansion programmes, improved their focus and commitment to R&D and vastly increased management confidence and the capability to tackle market issues.
