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H.E. Cleviston Haynes, Ambassador of Barbados to Ireland (2nd left front) is pictured at Shannon Airport House with Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr. Joe Kileen, Helen Downes, CEO, Shannon Chamber (left), Gurmukh Neote, BBnet (right), members of the delegation and Shannon Chamber member companies. Photograph by Eamon Ward

Ambassadorial visit highlights potential for greater links in business, education, tourism, technology and sustainability

Opportunities to build stronger business, investment and education links between Ireland and Barbados were explored during a visit to Shannon by H.E. Cleviston Haynes, Ambassador or Barbados to Ireland last week. The delegation included Minister Counsellor Kendra Holdip, deputy head of mission, Embassy of Barbados to Ireland and representatives from Invest Barbados.

The visit, which was initiated by Shannon company BBnet and facilitated by Shannon Chamber, brought together the Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr. Joe Kileen and representatives from business, tourism, education and local government to discuss areas where the Mid-West and Barbados could work more closely together and to hear details of an upcoming business mission to Barbados.

The meeting formed part of the Embassy’s ongoing efforts to deepen relations between Barbados and Ireland and was its first outreach visit to Shannon.

Discussions highlighted the similarities between the two island economies, both of which are outward-looking, internationally connected and strongly focused on tourism, enterprise, education, innovation and sustainable development.

Barbados was presented as a potential gateway for Irish businesses seeking to access the wider Caribbean and Latin American markets, similarly to Ireland providing international companies with access to the European market.

For Shannon and the wider Mid-West, the meeting provided an opportunity to showcase the region’s own strengths as an international business location.

Former CEO of Shannon Development, former president of Shannon Chamber and currently government and private sector advisor, Kevin Thompstone, highlighted Shannon’s long history as an international gateway and a centre for aviation and enterprise, together with the connectivity offered by Shannon Airport, the region’s strong multinational and indigenous business base, skilled workforce, education and research capability and the future potential of the Shannon Estuary.

Clare County Council’s head of enterprise and investment Bernadette Haugh outlined the Council’s focus on supporting enterprise, investment and sustainable economic development and highlighted a number of locations with potential for future manufacturing, technology and digital investment.

Education emerged as one of the areas offering scope for collaboration. Shannon College of Hotel Management marketing manager Sarah O’Mahony outlined the College’s international approach to hospitality education and its experience of developing partnerships with education providers overseas. Stating that the College already has strong historical connections with Barbados through its graduates, she welcomed the potential to exploring further collaboration with Barbadian education providers.

Companies present at the Ambassadorial briefing included Enterprise Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, IT managed service provider Tierney’s, specialist aircraft leasing and asset management company, Airborne Capital and digital marketing agency, Core Optimisation.

The meeting demonstrated that collaboration could work in both directions, with participants stressing that the objective should be to create opportunities for Barbadian companies and organisations in Ireland as well as supporting Irish companies seeking opportunities in Barbados. This was of particular interest to Enterprise Ireland’s regional manager Mid-West Christina Clancy.

Telecommunications and technology also featured strongly in the discussions. The meeting heard first-hand from BBnet, which is already developing its presence in Barbados and working with the Barbadian Government on opportunities in the market. Its experience was highlighted as an example of how Shannon companies can use Barbados as a base from which to explore opportunities across the Caribbean and Latin America.

Other potential areas raised included renewable energy and climate resilience, pharmaceutical development, marine research, food and drink education and the sharing of expertise in innovation and enterprise development.

The Ambassadorial visit also included a visit to Shannon Airport where The Shannon Airport Group’s director of public affairs, Caroline Kelleher gave an overview of regional strengths such as the Airport’s connections to North America, the UK and Europe, its US preclearance facilities and the concentration of aviation and technology businesses within the Shannon Airport Business Park.

Shannon Chamber CEO Helen Downes, commenting on the visit said: “The breadth of the discussion demonstrated that there is considerable potential to build a more structured relationship between Barbados, Shannon and the wider Mid-West.

“There are obvious connections in tourism and hospitality, but the discussion demonstrated potential across education, technology, telecommunications, renewable energy, enterprise development and a range of other areas. We expect the visit will be followed by further engagement as we work to turn the connections identified during the meeting into practical opportunities for collaboration,” added Ms Downes”

Details of Ireland’s first investment mission to Barbados, which takes place in November, were shared during the visit: www.investbarbados.org/events/ireland-investment-mission-to-barbados/ 

H.E. Cleviston Haynes, Ambassador of Barbados to Ireland is welcomed to Shannon Aiport by Caroline Kelleher, director of public affairs, The Shannon Airport Group (front centre). Also included on the visit (from left): Shane Thomas and Julia Hope, Invest Barbados; Minister Counsellor Kendra Holdip, deputy head of mission, Embassy of Barbados to Ireland; Helen Downes, CEO, Shannon Chamber and BBnet’s Gurmukh Neote, Carol Mahony and Gian Kaur. Photograph by Eamon Ward