We were delighted to co-host the Global Horizons: Trade & Economic Forum alongside the Kennedy Summer School and Wexford County Council at the Brandon House Hotel.
This impactful event explored Ireland’s evolving economic landscape. From the bailout just 12 years ago, through Brexit and Covid, Ireland’s journey has been a testament to resilience — now ranking second-highest in Europe for GDP per capita. While progress has been strong, significant challenges remain.
The panel discussions, expertly moderated by Mark Redmond, focused on key forces shaping Ireland’s future:
- Decarbonisation – Legally binding targets require transformation across energy, housing, transport, and agriculture. While challenging, this shift presents major opportunities in offshore wind, green tech, and sustainable finance. Missing these targets could cost Ireland up to €24 billion in EU fines.
- Digitisation – As Europe’s digital hub, Ireland must embrace AI and automation while managing broadband, cybersecurity, and data centre demand to stay competitive.
- Deglobalisation – Inflation, shifting trade patterns, new tariffs, and emerging global alliances are reshaping Ireland’s international trade and competitiveness
- Debt – Despite recovery since the financial crisis, public spending pressures persist, with corporate tax revenue heavily reliant on a small number of multinationals.
Key challenges highlighted included planning bottlenecks, high costs and delays in delivering large-scale infrastructure (roads, grid, water, housing), and a lack of funding and support for entrepreneurs.
On the topic of AI, the panel explored whether it will unlock entirely new industries or primarily drive efficiency gains. Either way, it’s already reshaping how we work.
