The Irish Trade Board (ITB) has reported good progress in its latest drive to promote Irish companies as a competitive supply source to the multinational sector. Since January, more than 250 multinational companies have signed deals to use both small and large Irish companies, said Mr Oliver Tattan of the ITB yesterday.
"Industrial multinationals," he said, "have proved to be the most receptive, with retail chains, airlines and aerospace companies increasingly using Irish suppliers."
This follows an international marketing campaign by the ITB aimed at boosting Irish exports by 9 per cent this year.
Mr Tattan said that while export figures have tended to indicate relatively sluggish demand, this tends to pick up towards the end of the year.
The ITB yesterday launched a marketing kit aimed at promoting the competitiveness of Irish businesses to the multinational sector.
The board is particularly focusing on the clothing, textiles, electronics and computer software sectors. Multinationals with which it has initiated negotiations include Daimler-Benz, Bosch, L'Oreal and Mitsubishi.
