Enterprise Ireland trade mission arrives in Manchester today as client exports reach record €11.1 billion, up 10%

• Minister Niamh Smyth leads trade mission as Irish companies expand across the North of England
• Kavaleer, Osborne, KSNPM and Glanua open new offices in the North of England, as Irish companies deliver major projects across construction, energy, sustainable development and digital health in the region
• Sisk leads Manchester City's £300 million Etihad Stadium expansion, while Techrete supplies the façades for the University of Manchester's Fallowfield development, set to become Europe's largest Passivhaus scheme

Enterprise Ireland client exports to the UK reached a record €11.1 billion in 2025, up 10% in a single year, as Minister Niamh Smyth leads an Enterprise Ireland trade mission to Manchester today. The UK now accounts for 29% of Enterprise Ireland clients' total exports and is a key strategic market for exports. The trade mission brings 40 high-growth Irish companies to the city across construction, engineering, technology, manufacturing and the creative industries, with three new Manchester office openings and a series of contract wins announced during the visit.

According to Enterprise Ireland's 2026 UK Market Sentiment Survey, the North of England is now the second-largest UK region for Irish companies, accounting for 20% of their UK footprint, behind only London (23%). Combined with the Midlands, the North–Midlands Corridor represents 36% of total Irish business presence, forming a key industrial heartland for Irish engineering, construction and manufacturing companies.

Investment momentum in the region is strong. 38% of Irish companies surveyed plan significant investment increases in the North of England, above the UK average (22%), directly aligned with the region's most ambitious priorities including data centre development, high-voltage grid upgrades, AMP8 water infrastructure and manufacturing supply chains The region is also a key destination for job creation, with one in five Irish companies surveyed planning to hire there in 2026, making it the second most targeted UK region for expansion.

Leading the trade mission, Minister for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation Niamh Smyth, said: “The Irish Government’s Market Diversification strategy reflects our ambition to build a more resilient, competitive and globally connected Irish economy. Ireland’s connection with Manchester and the North of England is long-standing and continues to strengthen year on year. You can see this in the influx of Irish companies opening here, the jobs they are creating, and the major projects Irish firms are helping to deliver, from the Etihad Stadium expansion to the University of Manchester. These companies are bringing partnership, innovation and delivery expertise that drive growth on both sides of the Irish Sea.”

Jenny Melia, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, said: "Enterprise Ireland client exports to the UK reached a record €11.1 billion in 2025,   reflecting a relationship that has matured over decades. Our client companies are not only trading with the UK, but they are also embedded in it, while cooperating to build energy infrastructure, developing digital systems and delivering large-scale construction and water projects, delivering economic benefit for both our economies. The scale of ambition has never been stronger, demonstrated in the rate of our client companies winning new business and expanding in the UK. Our teams across Manchester, London and Scotland support Irish companies at every stage of their UK journey, from first steps to full-scale operations and work with UK industry to connect them to world-class Irish delivery partners.”

New arrivals to Manchester

Kavaleer, the Irish animation studio, is opening its first-ever overseas office in Manchester, creating 20 jobs and launching a new international co-production.

Osborne, one of Ireland’s leading recruitment and talent solutions providers, has expanded its international footprint with the opening of its first UK office in Manchester. Strategically located in the heart of Northwest England, the new office will serve as a hub for supporting clients and candidates across the UK. Osborne plans to create 10 new jobs in 2026, with significant further job creation and growth anticipated as the business establishes and expands its presence in the UK market.

Construction consultancy KSNPM is expanding its UK presence through the establishment of a Manchester base, supporting a growing client pipeline and backed by strategic investment from Fexco, the Irish multinational financial and property services company.

Glanua has opened a new office serving the Northwest in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, with a team of 10 already in place and a further five roles currently being recruited as the company continues to expand its UK operations, bringing total employment in the UK to 239 people.

Delivering on landmark regional projects

These new arrivals join a roster of Irish companies already well established and delivering across the region:

Sisk, who is operating nearby in Warrington, is cementing its reputation as a trusted delivery partner for the UK’s most complex and high-profile programmes. They are currently continuing work on the £300 million expansion of Manchester City's Etihad Stadium and development of the Club's 365 day-a-year entertainment destination, including a new hotel and fan zone. They are also in the process of completing the first residential developments in the next stage of Ancoats’ regeneration in Manchester, and have been delivering a state-of-the-art Children’s Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London

Following its acquisition by Activ8 Energies in 2025, Northwest England-based Low Carbon Energy has been rebranded as Activ8 Energies, an SSE company operating under the SSE Energy Solutions brand. The rebrand marks a significant milestone in Activ8's UK growth strategy, combining Low Carbon Energy's 17 years of experience serving businesses across the region with Activ8's 20 years in business delivering renewable energy solutions, while supporting continued investment, job creation and the delivery of commercial solar projects across the UK.

Techrete, a leader in low-carbon architectural precast concrete façade systems, is delivering façades across 23 blocks for the University of Manchester's Fallowfield student accommodation scheme, at 3,300 bedrooms, set to become Europe's largest Passivhaus development. Its 4,200 insulated sandwich panels will be central to achieving the Passivhaus standard, with a third party-verified reduction of up to 35% in CO2eq/m2, showcasing the Irish company's capacity to deliver at scale through modern methods of construction and offsite manufacturing.

xWave, an award-winning Irish digital health company, is accelerating its growth across the UK, with deployments including a major rollout through the Yorkshire Imaging Collaborative, spanning 24 hospitals and 2.7 million people, and contracts now secured with 22 NHS Trusts since entering the UK market in 2023. The company, which delivers AI-driven software solutions across clinical decision support, order communications, triage and audit, is now planning to create 30 new jobs over the next three years to support its continued UK expansion.   

Overall, Irish business sentiment is strong in the UK. Across the 2026 survey, 95% of Irish companies ranked the UK as a critical or very important market, and Irish firms collectively employ around 150,000 people across the UK (Source: British Irish Chamber of Commerce), reflecting a trading relationship that is strong, enduring and accelerating.

The trade mission programme includes a site visit to the Etihad Stadium with John Sisk & Son, where work is underway on Manchester City’s £300 million expansion, alongside attendance at the Global Offshore Wind Conference in Manchester Central, where Enterprise Ireland clients will exhibit at the Ireland Pavilion. The itinerary also features contract signings and business announcements, a Business Leaders Lunch, and bilateral meetings with Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, and Paul Dennett, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester.

ENDS

For reference, please contact: 

Niamh Horan, International Communications, Enterprise Ireland 

Niamh.horan@enterprise-ireland.com 

press@enterprise-ireland.com

Notes to Editor: 

About Enterprise Ireland

• Enterprise Ireland is the Irish Government’s trade and innovation agency, responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. It supports Irish companies to start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets, thereby creating jobs and sustaining economic growth. Enterprise Ireland has 42 international offices, including three in the UK (London, Manchester and Edinburgh), and works with more than 2,100 client companies active in the UK market, supported by a team of over 30 Market Advisors providing on-the-ground expertise. www.enterprise-ireland.com
• The 2026 Enterprise Ireland UK Market Sentiment Survey was conducted in February 2026 among Enterprise Ireland client companies exporting to the UK. 196 responses were received across Engineering & Manufacturing, Software, Construction & Built Environment, Life Sciences & Health Tech, Consulting & Professional Services, Fintech & Financial Services and other sectors.
• Irish companies employ in the region of 150,000 people in the UK (source: British Irish Chamber of Commerce).
• The full survey report is available to the media on request.
• Interviews with Enterprise Ireland spokespeople and client companies are available on request.