Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar will lead a joint Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland trade mission to Singapore to strengthen ties with Ireland's largest trading partner in south-east Asia.

The three-day mission builds on the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement and aims to build relations between the Irish and Singaporean business communities, promote Ireland as a world class business location and to promote the strength of Irish innovation, particularly in the area of fintech and health tech.

The programme includes bilateral meetings with Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Health Minister Ong Ye Kun, and Chairman of the Monetary Authority Singapore Tharman Shanmugratnam.

There will also be a visit to the Irish Pavilion at the Singapore Fintech Festival to meet with 11 Irish fintech companies showcasing at the event and their prospective and established business partners.

Furthermore, there will be a joint Enterprise Ireland-IDA Ireland client business networking event, meetings with existing and prospective IDA Ireland clients, the opening of aircraft leasing company Avolon's office in Singapore, and a meeting with leading healthcare network IHH to promote Irish healthcare technology.

"The trade mission to Singapore provides an important opportunity to promote Ireland and strengthen our business ties with Singapore. A dynamic country and an important base for Irish business to enter the wider ASEAN and Asia Pacific region," said Varadkar.

"It is the first trade mission that we have undertaken to the region since the pandemic. Building on the recently ratified EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, it provides an important opportunity to engage at Government level and with the business community in Singapore.” 

Leading the trade mission for Enterprise Ireland, Jenny Melia, head of Enterprise Ireland’s technology & services division, said: “Ireland has a very strong international reputation for starting and scaling innovative companies and this is an attribute we very much share with Singapore.

"Nearly 100 Enterprise Ireland supported companies are exporting to Singapore and this grows to 300 across the wider ASEAN region. As one of the most developed markets in the region, we see strong opportunities for business growth for Irish companies, particularly in the areas of financial services, medtech, high tech construction and business services.

"The eagerly anticipated return of the Singapore Fintech Festival provides an important opportunity to promote Irish fintech solutions to the Asian market, showcasing our innovation and expertise in regtech, payments, biometrics and tech solutions for the financial services sector. ”

Eileen Sharpe, head of growth markets at IDA Ireland, said: “This trade and investment mission is a terrific opportunity to promote Ireland as a world class business location and very much open for business, despite the challenges experienced globally over the last two years.

"It’s wonderful to have this opportunity to meet with our Singaporean clients in market and to share the strong message that Ireland is a gateway to Europe and an excellent location choice for those investors considering establishing and expanding operations in Europe.”