As all-island trade hits record high, InterTradeIreland launches new corporate strategy
With all-island trade at a record high of €17/£14.6 billion, InterTradeIreland today, Wednesday March 25th launched an ambitious three-year strategy to further unlock the full potential of economic collaboration and prosperity on the island of Ireland.
Strategically aligned to the Programmes for Government in Northern Ireland and Ireland, the 2026-2028 Corporate Strategy sets out InterTradeIreland’s ambition to maximise all-island economic opportunities and build a more connected, competitive and productive economy across the island.
Anchored in four strategic priorities, the new strategy sets out InterTradeIreland’s aims to Lead All-Island Economic Collaboration, Boost Competitiveness and Productivity, Drive All-Island Trade and Accelerate Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Growth, with a clear and ambitious vision.
Welcoming the new strategy, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD said:
SMEs are at the heart of communities across the island of Ireland, providing employment opportunities and contributing significantly to economic growth. InterTradeIreland’s three-year strategy will position the cross-border market as a springboard for trade, sales and business growth. This, coupled with InterTradeIreland’s commitment to support all-island collaboration and clustering, is the key to building a more diversified, resilient, competitive, and globally connected economy.
Minister for the Economy, Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA said:
I am encouraged by InterTradeIreland’s ambitious plans to create a globally competitive all-island ecosystem and its renewed efforts to support indigenous SMEs, drive enterprise growth, innovation, investor readiness and trade across every county in Ireland. The strategy reaffirms our shared commitment to boosting all-island prosperity and aligns with my vision to increase productivity, good jobs, regional balance and drive decarbonisation.
For over 26 years, InterTradeIreland has consistently demonstrated the tangible benefits of cross-border economic collaboration. Many of the over 65,000 businesses supported through its programmes to date are now competing globally, with a majority of cross-border traders going on to export off-island.
Furthermore, research from InterTradeIreland’s All-Island Business Monitor shows that businesses that export cross-border outperform their peers on key measures including growth, profitability and sales.
InterTradeIreland’s track record illustrates that it has the expertise, connections and networks to support indigenous businesses to build their export, innovation and entrepreneurship capability to scale and grow.
Speaking about the launch of the Corporate Strategy, InterTradeIreland’s Chief Executive Margaret Hearty said:
Our 2026-2028 Corporate Strategy marks a defining new phase for InterTradeIreland and will directly contribute to Programme for Government commitments North and South. Collaboration has been the foundation of our impact to date. InterTradeIreland plays a unique role in connecting SMEs, policymakers, and experts across the island to address shared challenges and maximise economic growth. Our Corporate Strategy sets out how we will deepen support for businesses by opening doors to new market opportunities, strengthening innovation capability, and linking entrepreneurs with the funding, networks and expertise required for growth. We invite every business and organisation to engage with us and be part of this shared success story.
InterTradeIreland was established in 1999, under Strand Two of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. It is funded by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in Ireland and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland. It has a direct legislative mandate to lead all-island economic collaboration and is uniquely positioned to accelerate economic growth across the island.
To download a copy of InterTradeIreland’s new Corporate Strategy, visit Corporate Plans | InterTradeIreland
