Midlands event set to help businesses transition to a low carbon economy

Businesses in the Midlands have a great opportunity to explore how the transition to a low carbon economy and the increased use of digital technologies can help their business at an event in the Midland Park Hotel, Portlaoise this Thursday, April 27.

A number of State agencies will attend and offer practical advice as well as outlining the range of supports available, including grants and loans, to help businesses on their green journey and to enhance their use of digital technology.

The Building Better Business event is being hosted by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and is open to business in the Midlands region, namely counties Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath. It is the second in a series of regional events to be staged throughout the country during this year following the inaugural event in Letterkenny last month.

A key element of the Building Better Business event will be a number of staffed stands featuring agencies and organisations including Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Offices, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, IDA, Microfinance Ireland, Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, Skillnet Ireland, Intertrade Ireland, Pobal, Midland Regional Skills and the ATIM Cluster.

They will be on hand to advise attendees on how businesses can lower their running costs by implementing energy efficiency measures, unlock new opportunities and create new green jobs, raise finance and learn how to win new business as large businesses and public sector organisations increasingly require suppliers to be more sustainable.

Staff will also be available to demonstrate the Government’s Climate Toolkit 4 Business, a user friendly tool which will estimate your business’s carbon footprint and suggest actions and supports to help reduce it

Advice will be available on how digital transformation can help business in a range of ways including laying the ground for future growth, making more productive use of time and resources, expanding markets, increasing sales, enabling better customer engagement and better use of data to inform strategy as well as improving security.

Building Better Business will also include panel discussions featuring businesses from all four counties who will be talking about the practical actions they have taken to improve their business’s bottom line. Experts will give insights into how businesses can grow and prosper by embracing the opportunities presented by transitioning to a low carbon economy and digital transformation.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney will attend and address Building Better Business and has urged businesses in the Midlands to come along and find out about the many ways they can improve their business.

“I would like to encourage businesses in Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath to come along to our Building Better Business event which will highlight how digital transformation and the transition to a low carbon economy can boost your business. Our first event in the North-West was very successful and it was great to hear from businesses who are grasping the opportunities and rising to the challenges that green and digital changes are bringing.”

Minister of State at the Department, Dara Calleary, will also address the event. He said: “As Minister responsible for the Digital agenda I would encourage businesses to come along and find out about what is on offer to them from our agencies in terms of supports, mentoring and other assistance which can make a huge difference to their business. In addition to hearing from experts, businesses can network with other businesses experiencing the same challenges and find out what they are doing to benefit from the change.”

Minister Neale Richmond added the event is extremely important for local businesses. “My engagement to date with the Retail sector has been hugely interesting and informative and there is no doubt that the effect of the digital transition on the sector has been immense and very positive. The green transition is also changing the sector and events like this are very important so that businesses can find out about the help and advice that is out there for them.”

Building Better Business will also feature an update on the Midland Regional Enterprise Plan by its Chair, Dr Anne Cusack, who will outline the progress of the plan and its impact in the areas of digital transformation and the transition to a low carbon economy.

Businesses can register their place at the event by visiting https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/