Chamber: Cork's future is bright

Confidence in “Cork’s bright future” continues to drive foreign direct investment and indigenous investment in the city.

That was the sentiment of Cork Chamber President Ronan Murray during the chamber’s 204th AGM this week where he spoke about the resilience of Cork businesses in the face of uncertainty created by war on our continent, energy prices and wider inflation.

He said: “Our members sought to embrace sustainability through energy efficiency and renewables, rather than reducing headcount. It really speaks volumes to the confidence businesses have in both the Irish and indeed Cork’s economy, in its people, its talent and ultimately its business environment that it continues to attract global companies and spurs indigenous entrepreneurs to invest in our city region.”

A vision for the city’s future was mapped out by Mr Murray who described Cork as a “lighthouse city with sustainability at its core”.

He said advancements needed to progress the city in areas such as infrastructure were a top priority for Chamber: “Cork has the potential to be a global renewable energy hub and the Chamber ensured that at the highest levels of Government, the investments needed to develop the port and energy infrastructure to deliver on this promise were prioritised.”

In a rapidly changing global economy President Ronan Murray stressed the importance of evolving and innovating to stay competitive.

“The rapid development of AI and the urgency of climate action means Cork will need to display continued agility to remain ahead of the curve,” he said.

“We do need to accelerate the harnessing of our natural advantages like offshore wind and continue to attract the best and brightest to our city region,” he added.

Ronan Murray pledged that Cork Chamber would continue to work tirelessly to secure the necessary investment needed in housing and infrastructure. “We need to continue to work with Government and our elected representatives to deliver the investments in housing and infrastructure that will make sure our city region is attractive to talent and investment and position ourselves to be at the forefront of a fourth industrial revolution.”

The 204th AGM also saw the announcement of Rob Horgan of Velo Coffee Roasters as Cork Chamber Vice President.

“Rob has been a great asset to the team, the board and membership in recent years. I have no doubt he will continue to be in the years ahead,” said Mr Murray.

Newly elected board members were also announced on the evening, Michael Harte of Dairygold and Maria Desmond of Enable Ireland.

Concluding the 204th Cork Chamber AGM, Ronan Murray finally, expressed thanks to outgoing board members, former Cork Chamber President Paula Cogan of Cognate Health, Pankaj Agarwal of PepsiCo, Deirdre Waldron of Fuzion Communications, Niall Kenny of AB Sales, and Clair Murphy of Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals.