Cork Businesses Urged to tap EU Network for International Growth
-Call comes as more than 700 Enterprise Europe Network advisors and partners meet in Dublin during Ireland’s EU Presidency-
Cork businesses are being urged to tap into Enterprise Europe Network to reach new markets, find international partners and access specialist expertise.
The call comes as the Network holds its 2026 Annual Conference at the Croke Park Conference Centre from 11 to 13 November, under the theme ‘An Agile Network in a Changing World’. The conference brings together more than 700 of the advisors, partners and EU policymakers who deliver the network’s services across Europe, to share expertise and shape how the Network supports businesses. The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) and the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) are organising the event, supported by Enterprise Europe Network Ireland, a consortium led by Enterprise Ireland with the Local Enterprise Offices, Dublin Chamber and Cork Chamber.
Ireland hosts the conference during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Access to the Single Market and new trade partnerships are central to the competitiveness of Irish business. Discussions will focus on how the network helps SMEs reach markets in Europe and beyond, manage the green and digital transition, and secure the finance and partnerships they need to innovate and scale.
Conor Healy, CEO, Cork Chamber, said, “International growth is one of the greatest opportunities for SMEs in Cork and across Ireland. Internationalisation is about more than finding new markets. It is about the partnerships, technology, access to funding and expertise that make a business more competitive at home and abroad, and Enterprise Europe Network opens that door for Irish SMEs.
“Since 2008, the Network in Ireland has supported more than 2,000 SMEs. Cork Chamber is proud to be one of the Irish partners supporting this conference and we encourage businesses across Cork to explore what the network can offer them.”
Monica Valdes, Enterprise Europe Network Advisor, Cork Chamber, said, “Through Enterprise Europe Network, we connect Cork SMEs with advisors in more than 50 countries. We work with businesses to find the right partner, whether that is a distributor in a new market, a supplier, a technology provider or a research collaborator. We also help them navigate the rules and opportunities of the Single Market and access innovation funding. Our core services are free.
“The Annual Conference brings together the people who deliver that support across Europe. The connections and expertise shared in Dublin will come straight back to the businesses we work with here in Cork.”
The conference’s opening and closing sessions will be livestreamed at een.ec.europa.eu, so businesses can follow the discussions.
SMEs interested in international opportunities can contact the Enterprise Europe Network team at Cork Chamber on EEN@een-ireland.ie.
ENDS
About Enterprise Europe Network
Enterprise Europe Network helps businesses innovate and grow internationally. It has more than 450 partner organisations in over 50 countries and is co-funded by the European Union under the Single Market Programme.
Enterprise Europe Network Ireland
Enterprise Europe Network Ireland has operated since 2008. It is delivered by a consortium led by Enterprise Ireland, with Cork Chamber, Dublin Chamber and the Local Enterprise Offices. It has supported more than 2,000 Irish SMEs. Enterprise Europe Network Ireland won Best Agency Support to Business at the Chambers Ireland InBusiness Awards 2025. In client surveys, 83% of businesses seeking to expand internationally said the Network helped them do so.
Enterprise Europe Network Annual Conference 2026
11–13 November 2026, Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin
https://een.ec.europa.eu/news/enterprise-europe-network-annual-conference-2026-agile-network-changing-world
