Ireland has become a member of the Europe Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA), an organisation established to enhance the European startup ecosystem.
Enterprise Ireland has been nominated to represent Ireland at ESNA and will receive policy support from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke has welcomed the announcement.
“Joining ESNA is a signal of Ireland’s commitment to helping our businesses to start and grow in a supportive ecosystem,” the minister said.
“ESNA provides us with opportunities to collaborate, share our experiences and to learn about best practices from other members.”
ESNA is a collaborative entity, dedicated to developing and implementing policies that support startups across Europe. The alliance is committed to creating favourable conditions for startups at all stages of their lifecycle, significantly contributing to the EU’s global competitiveness.
CEO of Enterprise Ireland, Leo Clancy said the agency is “extremely proud” to be representing Ireland in ESNA, making Ireland the 19th European country to formally join this Alliance.
He said Enterprise Ireland is committed to working with the Irish government to support Irish companies to start, grow and scale, and to achieve their global ambition.
“Collaboration is a hugely important element of this, and with Ireland being a member of ESNA we are part of a group that will work together on best practise policies which will support the development of companies and exports across Europe.”
Arthur Jordão, Executive Director of ESNA said, “We are confident Ireland will bring a very unique perspective to the table, supporting the economic resilience of the continent and positioning Europe as a leader in the global startup ecosystem”.