Bank of Ireland UK launches Enterprise Week October 5 – 12, 2018

Bank of Ireland UK helping local businesses achieve greater competitiveness

New Business Performance Seminars launched in partnership with the Centre for Competitiveness

Pictured at the launch from left are: Alan Bridle, Economist & Market Analyst Bank of Ireland UK; Gavin Kennedy, Head of Business Banking (NI) Bank of Ireland UK and; Bob Barbour, Director and Chief Executive, Centre for Competitiveness.

2 October 2018

Bank of Ireland UK today announced a partnership with the Centre for Competitiveness, to deliver a series of seminars that will provide local companies with advice and information on how they can improve their business performance and enhance their competitiveness.

The seminars, run by the Centre for Competitiveness, the not-for-profit business improvement organisation, will urge businesses to look beyond Brexit and focus on performance enhancing strategies such as benchmarking, innovation, digitisation and the adoption of specific legal approaches to ensure they can maintain a competitive edge.

The announcement came as Bank of Ireland UK prepares for its sixteenth Enterprise Week, which will take place from October 5 – 12, 2018 with the theme ‘Helping Businesses to Thrive.’

Gavin Kennedy, Head of Business Banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK said: “We are delighted to have joined forces with the Centre for Competitiveness to provide these new, practical and timely seminars for local businesses, particularly those in the manufacturing and agri-food sectors.”

Outlining some of the challenges local companies currently face – a shifting economic landscape with the as yet unsettled question of Brexit, continued rapid technological advancement, a shortage of skilled talent and the repricing of labour – he urged businesses to focus their efforts on things they have in their control to ensure they can compete now and into the future.

“Through these seminars and our packed programme of Enterprise Week events we want to empower businesses in Northern Ireland to act now. There is no better time for businesses to have a strategic re-think. As we look ahead to a post–Brexit economy, it is vital that local companies look at ways to improve their competitiveness and take action.

“Productivity in Northern Ireland continues to stubbornly fall short of both the UK and European average. If local businesses are to compete successfully they must focus their efforts on the fundamentals of business such as strong leadership, innovation, export and attracting and retaining skilled labour.

“Adopting and embracing a digital strategy is an imperative. Our own day to day lives benefit enormously from technology – in business, digitisation has the potential to be transformative with greater efficiencies through automation, delivering quality through performance measurement and providing a first class customer experience – all of which can help local companies to prosper.”

Bob Barbour, Chief Executive of the Centre for Competitiveness said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Bank of Ireland UK on this series of positive, constructive and empowering seminars hosted by industry for industry and supported by Forde Campbell LLC. Companies in Northern Ireland are likely to face a much tougher competitive landscape post-Brexit regardless of the sector in which they operate. There is a lot that businesses can do right now to prepare themselves for the challenges after 29th March 2019 and that’s what we’ll explore during the seminars.”

Speakers at the five free-to-attend seminars include:

• Bob Barbour, CEO, Centre for Competitiveness, who will highlight the importance of driving competitiveness through digitalisation;
• Alan Bridle, UK Economist & Market Analyst, Bank of Ireland UK, who will provide an economist’s perspective of the post-Brexit commercial landscape for local businesses;
• Rory Campbell, Director, Forde Campbell and co-sponsor of the seminar series who will lead businesses through the legal implications of Brexit for business;
• Colm Higgins, Queens University Belfast Northern Ireland Technology Centre, who will throw a spotlight on innovation strategy and support in an ever-evolving landscape, and
• Susie Cleland, Deputy CEO, Centre for Competitiveness, who will look at creating a sustainable culture of innovation in SMEs.

At each seminar guests will also hear powerful testimonies from local companies that have adopted competitive strategies to great effect including supply chain excellence and energy efficiency, aswell as productivity and competitiveness in the food industry.

Gavin Kennedy concludes: “As a leading business bank, our Enterprise Week initiative demonstrates our continued commitment to provide much more than finance to local companies who want to realise their growth ambitions.

“Once again we will support local businesses with a variety of events that provide important networking opportunities as well as the chance to be inspired, share learnings and develop new skills.”

The seminar series will take place in Craigavon, Coleraine, Dungannon, Belfast and Derry/Londonderry.

Enterprise Week event highlights include:

• Cyber Resilience Awareness 10 October, Flax House, Belfast with Paul O’Brien, Bank of Ireland Fraud Operations, Dublin
• Cyber Resilience Awareness 10 October, The Lodge Hotel, Coleraine with Paul O’Brien, Bank of Ireland Fraud Operations, Dublin
• Succeeding in Your Game 11 October, Canal Court, Newry with Sean Cavanagh, 5 time All Star Winning Tyrone Gaelic Footballer, Lizzie Colvin, Ireland Ladies Hockey player, Tommy Bowe, Ulster, Ireland & British & Irish Lions Rugby player and Gavin Kennedy, Bank of Ireland UK
• Supporting Your Business to Thrive 11 October, The Tannery, Moira with Lisburn Castlereagh City Council, Invest Northern Ireland and Digital by Emma
• Brexit & Beyond 11th October, Malone Lodge, Belfast with BDO Brexit Taskforce, Alan Bridle, Bank of Ireland UK
• Cyber Protection & GDPR Awareness 12 October, Greenvale Hotel, with Detective Constable Sam Kinkaid Cyber Crime Unit, Paul O’Brien, Bank of Ireland Fraud Operations, Dublin and Alan Bridle, UK Economist & Market Analysis, Bank of Ireland UK
• Meet the Buyer @ Connecting for Growth Bank of Ireland UK in partnership with the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce & Industry 7 November, Crowne Plaza, Shaws Bridge, Belfast Make a pitch to private sector buyers across a range of sectors.

For more information head to www.bankofirelanduk.com/business

Media contact:

Catherine Agnew at Smarts Communicate
T: 02890 395500
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E: Catherine.agnew@smartscommunicate.com