Cork’s Next Chapter: From Ambition to Delivery
Cork has grown into a significant economic engine in its own right. Buoyed by renewed confidence, the region is shaping Ireland’s economic future.
Cork’s business community is stronger than before and ready for what comes next. Supporting that ambition with decisive action and timely delivery will be crucial.
That was the central message from attendees at the Cork Chamber Annual Dinner 2026, sponsored by AIB, which brought together over 1,000 business leaders, policymakers and key regional stakeholders for an evening of networking, collaboration and forward thinking.
Speaking at the event, Guest of Honour Taoiseach Micheál Martin reaffirmed government’s commitment to progress and economic growth:
“Cork is a region with real momentum. Its business community is investing, innovating and delivering, and that progress matters for Ireland as a whole.
“Continued partnership between enterprise and government is essential to ensuring that regions like Cork can realise their full potential and continue to play a leading role in Ireland’s economic future.”
In his address, Cork Chamber President Rob Horgan spoke of Cork’s growth trajectory to date, and looked ahead to Cork’s next chapter:
“Cork has become a global hub for life sciences, technology, services and advanced manufacturing. We have built a diverse, outward-looking economy. We have attracted international investment while growing strong indigenous enterprise. […] Ireland, and Cork in particular, relies on an open economy. Our businesses trade internationally, our supply chains cross borders, our tourism depends on connectivity and confidence, and our prosperity depends on stable, predictable global relationships.
“If Cork is to compete globally for people and ideas, we must continue to be a place of welcome, a place where those who choose to come here, whether to work, to study, to invest or to build a life, find communities that are open, inclusive and ready to share this wonderful corner of the world that we call home.”
Mr Horgan also acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead as Cork’s business community sets a course for renewed growth:
“The defining challenge of this decade is not ambition. Ireland has ambition. Cork has ambition. The defining challenge is pace of delivery. Across housing, infrastructure, transport, energy and skills, the question is no longer what we want to do, but how effectively and reliably we can deliver it.”
Geraldine Casey, Managing Director of Retail Banking at AIB, sponsors of the Cork Chamber Annual Dinner, said:
“AIB remains at the heart of business in Cork. Our commitment is to support our customers, communities, and the wider economy. We recognise that this is a two-way street: your successes are our successes, and your challenges become ours to solve with you. It is through mutual understanding and a true partnership approach that we create lasting value and shared benefit. We take immense pride in our Cork franchise; this event allows us to express our sincere gratitude to the Cork business community for their ongoing trust in AIB.”
Concluding his remarks, Mr Horgan reaffirmed Cork Chamber’s commitment to driving collaboration to realise the shared vision of a confident, optimistic and forward-looking Cork:
“This is a moment when leadership matters, across national and local government, across agencies, and across enterprise. […] Cork Chamber will continue to be a constructive partner in that effort. But we will also be a clear and consistent voice for competitiveness, for certainty, and for delivery. Because that is what the businesses we represent expect of us.”
Read the speech delivered by Cork Chamber President Rob Horgan in full HERE.
