The Irish ambassador Kevin Kelly paid an introductory visit to Groningen Seaports on Tuesday 18 February. Mr Kelly was shown around Eemshaven and introduced to the chemical cluster in Delfzijl. In recent years, Ireland has worked on construction projects all over the world, including in Eemshaven. Irish companies have gained a good global reputation for designing, building and equipping complex data centres such as Google in Eemshaven.

More Irish cooperation

In the years to come Groningen Seaports expects to cooperate more and more intensively with Irish companies. This concerns not only data centres, but without a doubt the circular sector as well. “Ireland is highly active in the recycling industry and is fully committed to the circular economy. This is also one of the spearheads of our company. That’s why we’d like to get in touch with Irish parties operating in that field to see if and how we can reinforce each other,” says CEO Cas König.

To give an example, Groningen Seaports has recently been working closely with the Irish organisation The Planet Calls, whose mission is to make the oceans plastic-free by 2030 by promoting new technologies. These technologies – which include an independently sailing drone that sucks up plastic – will be tested in Delfzijl and Eemshaven from next autumn onwards. Groningen Seaports is joining Irish partners to consider ways of building future data centres from recycled building materials.

The Irish Advantage

Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government agency for trade and innovation, promotes cooperation between Irish and Dutch companies. In terms of size, the Netherlands is even the second export market in the euro zone for companies supported by Enterprise Ireland.

“Irish companies take a unique approach to their partnership with customers worldwide. Irish workers are among the most flexible and highly skilled in the world. Their forward-looking mentality means that product, service and process innovation are always high up on the agenda. They have demonstrated their ability to meet the needs of internationally operating market leaders, which is how they clearly deliver the Irish advantage,” said Richard Engelkes of Enterprise Ireland.

Small countries with a big impact

The Irish ambassador was impressed by the developments and the potential of the Groningen seaports and sees many opportunities for Irish companies in the port area. This is also because the two countries are like-minded and are open to cooperation. “That cooperation is strengthened by the fact that we’re both small countries, but with a big impact,” Engelkes adds. In the coming months Groningen Seaports will be further intensifying its contacts with the Irish.

The Irish ambassador Kevin Kelly (second from the left) visited Eemshaven and Delfzijl