Address by Minister McGuinness at an Irish Mobile Technology Workshop for Turkcell in Istanbul, during the Enterprise Ireland Trade Mission to Turkey

Wednesday 8th October 2008

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen, and welcome to this Irish Mobile Technology Workshop for Turkcell organised by Enterprise Ireland, the industrial development agency of the Irish Government.

As Ireland’s Minister for International Trade, I am delighted to have this opportunity to introduce to Turkcell a number of Ireland’s leading mobile technology companies who are participating in this trade mission with a view to further developing their business in Turkey. Turkey is a vibrant market in many sectors, and this is especially true in mobile telecoms, with continuing significant growth opportunities for the Telecoms operators and their vendors. The growing demand for telecommunications services in Turkey offers real business partnership and investment opportunities for Irish companies.

We know that Turkcell is the largest mobile phone operator in Turkey, with a client base in excess of 34 million customers and is the dominant player in the Turkish mobile market. I would like to extend my warmest appreciation to you and your interest in our Irish companies and the solutions they have to offer. This meeting today represents a very special opportunity for us and we fully appreciate it.

Worldwide, the mobile telecoms industry is undergoing a particularly rapid change, and we will see continued technological advancement within the industry. The lines continue to blur between mobile and fixed line services, and there are continual advances being made in the area of digital content.

Telecommunications is one of Ireland’s major high tech success stories in overseas markets. It is one of the fastest growing industries in Ireland, with exports trebling annually over the past three years. The strengths of the Irish telecommunications sector include excellent core technology, a highly skilled workforce, strong managerial skills, an impressive multinational base in Ireland and an excellent digital infrastructure into international markets.

The Irish-owned mobile telecoms sector has achieved dynamic growth in recent years, with treble-digit annual export increases. This year, the sector is set to achieve export sales of €260 million, more than double the figure for 2005. The sector is made up of high value added, knowledge-intensive companies that are investing heavily in R&D. Ireland is now recognised as a centre of excellence for the development of new and innovative telecoms technologies and this is reflected in Ireland’s growing international reputation as a key source of innovative and groundbreaking solutions in mobile communications.

Ideas and knowledge have helped transform Irish business and have been crucial in the development of the modern Irish economy. In recent years, Ireland has been investing more and more resources towards the production of knowledge, focussing on those sectors where we have a critical mass of companies and professionals.

In recent years there have been significant changes in the Irish technology environment. Science and innovation are at the top of the national agenda. An unprecedented level of investment by the Irish Government in science and technology has created a well-supported research community, giving a substantial resource for technology solutions and the basis for a stream of technology-based start-ups.

There are very strong links between our educational institutions and business in Ireland, resulting in very targeted research programmes designed to produce technology solutions to satisfy real market demand. Some of the companies here today are themselves a product of these collaborations. And some of them, including Idiro, are now enjoying business with Turkcell, which is very positive indeed.

For all these reasons, I believe that the Irish companies at this meeting today have much to offer Turkcell and I am grateful to you for giving them this opportunity to present themselves. I am confident that these contacts will prove to be of mutual benefit in the coming months and years.

ENDS/TC341