Ireland's indigenous exporting companies — the businesses that Enterprise Ireland exists to support — generated €36.75 billion in export sales in 2025. That is a record figure, representing 7 per cent growth on 2024, and it reflects an export base that has been quietly but consistently building scale across international markets for the past decade.
The number matters beyond its size. It represents the output of Irish-owned companies — not the multinational sector that dominates headline GDP and corporation tax figures — and is therefore a more reliable indicator of the underlying health and competitiveness of the indigenous Irish economy.
Where the Growth Is Coming From
The export growth in 2025 was broad-based across sectors and markets — but several areas are worth highlighting specifically.
Irish digital and fintech exports to the ASEAN region — Southeast Asia — grew by 13 per cent in 2024, contributing to overall Enterprise Ireland client exports of €480 million to the region. The ASEAN market represents one of the most significant medium-term growth opportunities for Irish technology and financial services companies, and Enterprise Ireland has been actively building its presence and client support infrastructure in the region.
The Canadian market produced another record year. Enterprise Ireland client exports to Canada reached an all-time high of €585 million in 2024 — CAD 954 million — representing 32 per cent growth over the past three years. Approximately 300 Enterprise Ireland client companies now regularly export to Canada across digital technologies, life sciences, fintech, agritech and education. In 2024, 55 Irish companies entered the Canadian market for the first time.
The United States remains the dominant export market for Irish-owned companies, and Enterprise Ireland's network of offices across North America continues to provide the market intelligence, introductions and commercial support that Irish companies need to compete effectively in the world's largest economy.
Ireland Day 2026 — Positioning Beyond Big Tech
The export growth figures formed part of the backdrop to Ireland Day 2026, held at the New York Stock Exchange in March — a high-level event at which Ireland made its case to American investors and business leaders as a technology and innovation partner rather than simply a low-tax location for multinational operations.
The event's central message was clear: Ireland aims to move beyond its role as a base for US Big Tech and position itself as a key player in the next phase of global technology development — in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, green energy and advanced manufacturing.
On AI specifically, the Irish Government announced at Ireland Day that it is covering 50 per cent of investment costs for research and innovation projects, and that caps on data centre development have been removed to meet future infrastructure demand.
In semiconductors, Ireland already has significant scale — the sector spans 130 companies, generates €13.5 billion in exports and employs approximately 19,000 people. The long-term ambition is a central role in the EU's target to capture 20 per cent of global chip production.
The €50 Billion Target
Enterprise Ireland's five-year strategy sets a target of €50 billion in export sales from its client companies by 2029. That represents growth of approximately 36 per cent from the current record level — ambitious but not implausible given the trajectory of the past five years.
Achieving it will require Irish companies to continue scaling into new markets, to build the management capability to operate at greater scale, and to invest in the research, development and innovation that creates durable competitive advantage in international markets.
Enterprise Ireland's strategy commits to supporting 1,700 new Irish-owned exporters trading globally by 2029 — broadening the base of companies participating in international trade rather than relying solely on the growth of existing exporters.
What This Means for Irish Businesses
The export figures are not merely a national economic statistic. They represent a commercial ecosystem in which Irish companies are competing and winning in markets across North America, Europe, Asia and beyond.
For businesses considering international expansion, the message from the 2025 data is clear: the market for Irish products and services internationally is real, growing and accessible — particularly in technology, life sciences, fintech and agri-food, where Irish companies have built genuine competitive reputations.
Enterprise Ireland's Get Exporting programme — free to access and specifically designed for businesses making their first steps into international markets — is the logical starting point for any Irish company with international ambitions that has not yet taken that step.
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