A lot happens at Ibec. From the events and VIP briefings we host with political and business leaders to our political engagements and campaigns we run on your behalf. Here we show some recent updates from our CEO, Danny McCoy.
CEO Update: European business agenda takes centre stage in Dublin
Friday, 22 May
The latest CEO Update to Ibec membership from Danny McCoy
As I outlined in an opinion piece in The Irish Times on Monday, Europe- particularly over the past year- has rightly moved to strengthen bilateral partnerships and rapidly accelerate its trade agenda.
This is essential to secure the economic future of both Europe and Ireland against the backdrop of a swiftly changing trading and technological landscape. I noted that Ireland must use its upcoming EU Presidency to act as a leading voice for an EU that continues to support a rules-based international trading system and maintains close dialogue and cooperation with key trading partners like the US, while remaining well-aligned with Europe’s need to pursue new trading alliances.
For Ibec, a significant milestone ahead of the Presidency occurred this week. We hosted BusinessEurope’s Council of Presidents, welcoming 42 national business federations from 36 countries in the EU, European Economic Area and EU’s neighbourhood. The delegation met with Helen McEntee, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence, and Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, to discuss priorities for the incoming Presidency and to hand over the Dublin Declaration, which outlines BusinessEurope’s expectations. They also discussed the role of the European Parliament in EU international trade policy with Barry Andrews MEP.
As noted in the Dublin Declaration, delivering decisive action to put the European economy back on track is more urgent than ever. BusinessEurope President Fredrik Persson emphasised that, “Important efforts have been made to put competitiveness at the top of the agenda, but companies have not yet felt the effects. The Irish Presidency will be crucial in turning ambition into action.” You can listen to Fredrick speaking on BusinessEurope’s priorities both on our Ibec Responds podcast here and on Newstalk wit Joe Lynam here
In terms of Irish competitiveness challenges, we as a business community were once again reminded this week of the significant technological disruption happening right now as a result of AI. What we are witnessing is 'creative destruction' in real time. On one hand, we see technological disruption where AI replaces labour to perform existing tasks more efficiently; on the other, we see the emergence of new market opportunities that redirect capital and human resources. While both forces reshape the employment landscape, the latter holds the key to long-term productivity and new job creation.
However, navigating this transition is not a passive process. We must actively manage the displacement caused by automation while positioning our workforce to capture these new markets. Ireland is well-positioned to do this through initiatives like the National Training Fund to unlock a resilient, AI-ready workforce capable of shifting from disrupted roles into new market opportunities. We must now choose whether to remain passive observers of technological change or become active architects of tomorrow’s workplace. Our ability to be a net beneficiary as result of AI will come down to how we manage this skills transition.
This will be very much front and centre of our Budget campaign, which will be launched on Tuesday.
Regards,
Danny McCoy, CEO, Ibec
Walk the Walk / with Reputation Inc
“Walk the Talk”, a new series from Reputation Inc featuring conversations with leaders in business and broader society, delving into the intersection between business and reputation.
The episode, featuring Ibec CEO Danny McCoy, is presented in in four bite-sized video clips, exploring a range of topics including strategy, reputation, leadership, sustainability, and culture.
