16th October 2025
L-R: Margaret Hearty, Chief Executive at InterTradeIreland, Minister Peter Burke, Caitriona Morden, Manager at ATIM (Advanced Technology in Manufacturing), Eoin Byrne, Manager at Cyber Ireland and Carroll Gibbons, Divisional Manager at Enterprise Ireland
Today Minister Peter Burke addressed over 200 delegates from over 25 countries at the TCI Global Conference. The Conference, being held for the first time in Ireland and on a cross-border basis, explored opportunities presented by global connectivity, all island collaboration and shared economy ambition and the role which collaboration through clusters can play in this regard. TCI awarded the conference to the island of Ireland, supported by the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme and with the support of both governments in each jurisdiction and the collaborative partnership between InterTradeIreland, Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is providing €2.3 million over the next six years for the initial 3 clusters as part of Programme for Government and Action Plan on Competitiveness, to be supplemented with Shared Island Funding.
Speaking about the conference, Minister Burke said,
"This Conference is timely, coinciding as it does with the announcement of our new International Impact Clustering Programme which will initially fund three pilot clusters with funding of €2.3 million over 6 years to be supplemented with Shared Island Funding. Last month, I launched our Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, outlining 85 actions to protect the future of our economy in an uncertain global climate. It recognised clustering as a key tool to drive innovation, attract global investment, promote international visibility and support place-based growth. This builds on the commitment in the Programme for Government to have 5 clusters of scale to build competitiveness, which in turn is underpinned by the strong all-island focus which is a key foundation of the Programme for Government.
“Two of those pilots will be Cyber Ireland and Advanced Technology in Manufacturing (ATIM), and it is anticipated that there will be a third pilot in the semiconductor sector. Cyber security is essential given ongoing global threats in this area and the need to promote a sustainable supply of talent and dissemination of knowledge to serve the needs of industry in Ireland. ATIM was established to support the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry, another key strategic priority. The semiconductor sector is critical, particularly in light of the Chips Act, our recent National Semiconductor strategy and the sectoral focus on chips in the Draghi report. We look forward to working closely with InterTradeIreland on the International Impact Clustering Programme.”
Caitriona Morden, Manager of ATIM (Advanced Technology in Manufacturing) said,
“Since 2021, the ATIM Cluster has grown into a powerful connector—bridging gaps across industry, academia, and government to build a robust, collaborative manufacturing ecosystem. We’ve delivered impact regionally, across the island of Ireland and gained strong international traction through strategic partnerships, innovation-led initiatives, and talent development programmes. As we look ahead, I’m proud to work with the Government of Ireland and our agency partners to unlock new opportunities and position advanced manufacturing as a cornerstone of sustainable economic growth.”
Speaking about Cyber Ireland’s selection as a pilot Eoin Byrne, Manager, said
“Ireland's cybersecurity industry is critical to providing national cyber resilience and underpinning the growth of our digital economy. This announcement also recognises the importance of the cybersecurity sector in its own right as a key economic sector and the potential for international growth. Cyber Ireland aims to position Ireland as a cybersecurity industry leader in Europe, supporting industry through workforce development, innovation and collaboration. We are already collaborating on an all-island basis with the Northern Ireland cybersecurity cluster, where in June this year we launched a joint research report and signed a landmark memorandum of understanding.”
ENDS
Editors notes
The TCI Network
The TCI (The Competitiveness Institute) Network is the leading global network of people and organisations working in clusters and innovation ecosystems around the world. The TCI’s membership includes cluster organisations and business networks, cluster regions and communities, development agencies, government departments and ministries, multilateral organisations, academic institutions and private companies. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is a member of the TCI network.
Advanced Technology in Manufacturing (ATIM)
The Advanced Technologies in Manufacturing (ATIM) Cluster is Ireland’s industry-led cluster dedicated to driving innovation, competitiveness, and sustainability in the manufacturing sector. Established in 2021, ATIM is hosted by the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).
In April 2025, ATIM launched its Impact Report and Strategy for 2025-2027, marking a new phase of growth and positioning the cluster as a national and international catalyst for advanced manufacturing.
Cyber Ireland
Cyber Ireland is the national cyber security cluster organisation that brings together Industry, Academia and Government to represent the needs of the Cyber Security Ecosystem in Ireland. Cyber Ireland aims to enhance the Innovation, Growth and Competitiveness of the companies and organisations which are part of the cluster.
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