1. Irish Enterprise Policy: Upwards, Outwards, Onwards
Seán Ó Riain 
Department of Sociology Maynooth University 

2. Enterprise Policy: What is it good for?
Growth in Export-Based Employment
(DJEI data; after Barry and Bergin, 2016)
Helping Firms to Export
Fostering Organisational Capabilities in the Economy (and therefore Productivity) – Firm Building
Nurturing Complex Worlds of Production and Innovation – Ecosystem Building
Crowding Out Speculation and Rents – Economy Building
Fostering Capabilities in Society – Society Building
2009 to 2015
Irish Manufacturing
16,582
Irish Services
14,034
Foreign Manufacturing
-6,007
Foreign Services
19,120

3. Ireland’s Enterprise and Development Challenges
Foreign Investment
Socio-Economic Model
Property-Finance

4. Foreign Investment and Indigenous Enterprise
Corporate Profits in Ireland 2015:
“Real” Irish activity – $58bn “Real” Foreign activity – $10bn Profit shifting by Foreign firms (mainly US) – $106bn
Torslov, Wier and Zucman (2018; Table 2)
Persons Engaged in Ireland: Foreign Firms: 38,085 Irish Firms: 43,925

5. Beyond Property and Finance: Making Capital Work Investment (gross physical capital formation)
1995
2000
2007
2010
2015
Manufacturing products
16.0%
14.1%
13.0%
16.7%
19.5%
Building and construction
1.4%
1.7%
1.5%
0.0%
0.2%
Market services - Dwellings
37.6%
34.8%
32.0%
17.9%
9.2%
Market services - Roads
4.3%
4.1%
4.8%
6.1%
1.8%
Other market services
23.1%
28.2%
44.3%
58.9%
Non-market services
6.6%
7.4%
7.1%
7.9%
5.6%
Agriculture,forestry and fishing
5.3%
2.8%
2.6%
1.9%
Fuel and power products
4.4%
5.1%
3.7%
6.2%
3.1%
Total Capital Formation
16,480
30,334
50,326
31,447
53,160

6. European at Last? Jobs in the “Irish Model”
2007
2012
2017
Agriculture, forestry and fishing (A)
5.2%
5.7%
5.0%
Industry (B to E)
13.5%
12.7%
Construction (F)
10.4%
4.5%
6.0%
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (G)
14.9%
14.7%
13.8%
Transportation and storage (H)
4.3%
4.4%
Accommodation and food service activities (I)
6.3%
6.5%
7.6%
Information and communication (J)
3.9%
Financial, insurance and real estate activities (K,L)
4.9%
5.5%
4.8%
Professional, scientific and technical activities (M)
5.8%
6.1%
Administrative and support service activities (N)
4.6%
4.0%
4.2%
Public administration and defence, compulsory social security (O)
Education (P)
6.2%
7.4%
7.5%
Human health and social work activities (Q)
10.8%
13.6%
12.6%
Other NACE activities (R to U)
4.7%
5.4%
Not stated
0.4%
0.2%
0.3%
Total Employment (000s)
2,233
1,893
2,231
European at Last? Jobs in the “Irish Model”
> EU15 avg
< EU15 avg

7. Ireland’s Enterprise and Development Opportunities
Firm and Ecosystem Upgrading
Linking Enterprise and
Social Projects
Remaking Finance and Investment

8. Enterprise Policy in Ireland
Firm and Ecosystem Development
Technology, Innovation and Learning
Labour
Capital
SFI Research
FDI and Venture Capital
STEM Graduates
Enterprise Ireland
Supports for ‘Making Winners’

9. Moving Upwards, Outwards and Onwards
Upwards: Improved Investment in Upgrading and Innovation
Capital: Using public banks to drive productive investment
Labour: Learning workplaces
Learning and Innovation: Research programmes focused on indigenous firms
“Indigenous-proofing” Enterprise Policy
Outwards: Extending the Footprint of Enterprise Policy
Capital: Local banks and patient investment and working capital
Labour: Breaking the “Low Learning Trap”
Learning and Innovation: Innovation pathways across educational institutions, agencies and sectors
Regional Enterprise Policy Networks
Onwards: Linking Enterprise and Social Development
Driving and legitimating the development of the financial system, labour market and social provision – looking beyond markets
The value of organisational learning, even if exports don’t grow
Mission-Oriented Innovation? Big Bang or Ongoing Interaction
E.g. sustainable construction; community care provision; learning pathways across institutions