Cork Chamber call for renewed focus on infrastructure and housing to unlock county's potential 

DELIVERY on housing and transport infrastructure is key for Cork to reach its true potential, Cork Chamber president Ronan Murray has said.

Speaking at the Chamber’s annual dinner last night, Mr Murray said that he believes Cork is “on the cusp of fulfilling its true potential”, with the catalyst for success being “continued focus on key infrastructure delivery”.

Mr Murray called for renewed focus on delivery of the Cork to Limerick and Ringaskiddy motorways.

“After the successful opening of the Macroom bypass late last year, we should renew our focus on the Cork to Limerick and Ringaskiddy motorways in particular,” he said.

“The M28 is key to our port becoming a global hub and of course to unlocking the docklands for housing development.

“This continued focus on key infrastructure delivery will provide a catalyst, to ensure our city is poised to capitalise on the growth opportunities that exist in the years ahead.”

He also said the Chamber must work with elected representatives on the “delivery of high-quality, high-density apartments in the city centre and docklands, as well as the electrification of our suburban rail network”.

The Chamber president said that 2023 “is a year of opportunity for Cork”, emphasising that innovation will be key to success for the county.

“In the world we now live in, the pace of change is increasing,” he said. “Technology and geopolitics are reshaping the global economy, the Irish economy, and indeed our own city. In this new environment we have shown an outstanding ability to adapt and succeed, but to continue to do so, we must constantly innovate and continue to challenge ourselves.

“Everyone in this room has a pivotal role to play in continuing that drive towards innovation and entrepreneurism — this will be key, to our future success … Cork must continue to be a hub of fresh thinking. In this new modern era, innovation is not just for business, it is for society as a whole, as we address the various challenges that will define this decade.”

Mr Murray said innovation is evident amongst the stories of finalists in the Cork Chamber Company of the Year Awards, “where each company sought to make a difference in their respective industries”.

Company of the Year Awards 

At the ceremony, Cork Chamber announced Stryker as the overall winner of the Cork Company of the Year Awards 2023.

As the leading business organisation in the south of Ireland, Cork Chamber supports and represents the interests of almost 1,200 businesses employing more than 100,000 people across the region.

Now in their 25th year, the awards, in association with Vodafone Ireland and media partner the Irish Examiner, recognise the diversity and vibrancy that exists in the Cork business community.

Overall winner Stryker also won in the International Company category, while winners of the other three categories were LegitFit for Emerging Cork Company of the Year, M&P O’ Sullivan for SME Cork Company of the Year, and Amarenco for Large Cork Company of the Year.

Mr Murray said Stryker’s Cork campus is “a key contributor to their innovative offering of products and services that impact over 100m patients worldwide every year”.

“Not only have they grown their product portfolio to become one of the world’s leading medical technology companies, but they have also contributed hugely to the Cork economy.

“They recently invested $300m in their Carrigtwohill facility, creating capacity for an additional 600 new jobs.”

Accepting the award, Bernard O’Connor, Stryker vice-president of advanced operations and global additive technologies, said the company is proud of its success in Cork.

“Stryker’s story in Cork began with 20 people in 1998 — 25 years later we now employ over 4,000 people across six sites,” he said.

“Stryker benefits from the talent pool in Cork and works closely with our education and business partners to drive a programme of lifelong learning

There were four individual category awards presented at the ceremony which took place in City Hall. 

• LegitFit for Emerging Cork Company of the Year 2023 
• M&P O’ Sullivan for SME Cork Company of the Year 2023 
• Amarenco for Large Cork Company of the Year 2023 
• Stryker for International (& Overall) Cork Company of the Year 2023