Business diary for the week ahead

For your diary

MONDAY

Indicators: Irish consumer confidence (Sept); German Markit manufacturing PMI (Sept); Euro zone Markit manufacturing PMI (Sept); UK Markit/CIPS manufacturing PMI (Sept); US Markit manufacturing PMI (Sept).

TUESDAY

Meetings: Predict Conference (RDS, Dublin 4).

Indicators: Irish exchequer returns (Sept); Irish unemployment rate (Sept); Japanese consumer confidence (Sept); UK construction PMI (Sept).

WEDNESDAY

Results: Monsanto; Tesco.

Meetings: Predict Conference (RDS, Dublin 4); Courage to Succeed Conference (Mansion House, Dublin 2).

Indicators: Irish Investec services PMI (Sept); Irish industrial production (Aug); UK Markit/CIPS services PMI (Sept); Euro zone Markit services PMI (Aug); Euro zone retail sales (Aug); US MBA mortgage applications (Sept 30); US balance of trade (Aug).

THURSDAY

Meetings: Retail Ireland Summit (Guinness Storehouse, Dublin 8); CIF annual conference (Croke Park, Dublin 3); Dublin Chamber annual dinner (Convention Centre, Dublin 1).

Indicators: Euro zone retail PMI (Sept); US initial jobless claims (Oct 1); German factory orders (Aug).

FRIDAY

Meetings: Abbey AGM (Grand Hotel, Malahide, Co Dublin).

Indicators: Irish inflation rate (Sept); US non-farm payrolls (Sept); US unemployment rate (Sept); German industrial production (Aug); UK Halfiax house price index (Sept); UK industrial production (Aug).

John Simpson to address Dublin Chamber dinner

Lobby group Retail Ireland has lined up futurist Patrick Dixon and Musgrave Group chief executive Chris Martin as speakers for this year's summit, which takes place in Dublin on Thursday.

The event will explore the rapidly changing retail environment, and other speakers include Brown Thomas talent development manager Gretta Nash Cadden, Eason head of marketing Brendan Corbett and Peter Mark director of professional development Cathal Keaveney.

Elsewhere on Thursday, more than 1,600 people are expected to attend the Dublin Chamber of Commerce annual dinner. BBC’s World Affairs Editor John Simpson will be the keynote speaker on the night, and will address the audience about his career watching and analysing the behaviours of people and societies around the world.

Dublin Chamber president Derry Gray said John Simpson is one of the best-known and most-respected journalists in the world.

“John has spent the best part of 50 years commentating on the biggest global events and interviewing some of the world’s most controversial leaders including Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, Yasser Arafat, Colonel Gadhaffi and Robert Mugabe.”

Mr Gray will outline the initial findings of the Chamber’s ongoing work to produce a new long-term vision for Dublin out to the year 2050, at the dinner.

Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Simon Coveney will also address the audience, about meeting Dublin’s future housing needs.

Irish Medtech Excellence Awards

With medtech exports totalling €12.6 billion, Ireland is the third highest exporter of medtech products in Europe.

Almost 30,000 people work in the sector in Ireland, with 18 of the top 25 medtech companies located here.

Against this backdrop, the Irish Medical Devices Association (IMDA) is calling for applications for the Irish Medtech Excellence Awards, with the closing date this Friday.

The award categories are Medtech Company of the Year, Emerging Medtech Company of the Year, Academic Contribution to Medtech, eHealth Innovation of the Year, and Medtech Partner/Supplier of the Year. IMDA director Sinead Keogh said the global market is expected to reach €475 billion by 2018 and there is a unique opportunity for dynamic Irish companies to take the lead.

“That’s why we’ve introduced two new awards that recognise strategic growth areas.”

She said the digital economy is estimated to be currently worth €12.3 billion or 6 per cent of GDP in Ireland, and the new eHealth Innovation of the Year Award will recognise the public health impact and market potential of new technologies. “Nearly half of the medtech companies in Ireland specialise in contract design, development and/or manufacturing. The Medtech Partner/Supplier of the Year Award will recognise the contribution of these companies in making Ireland’s medtech ecosystem successful,” she added.

Abbott Diagnostics, Cook Medical, Nypro Healthcare, Lake Region Medical, Aerogen and Baxter Healthcare, are among the previous recipients of the awards.