Ibec and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the leading business representative groups in Ireland and the UK, have laid out their priorities ahead of this week’s UK-Ireland Summit, for which Taoiseach Micheál Martin and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet in Cork.
In a joint memo addressed to Martin and Startmer, the bodies laid out supply chains, trade and labour; energy and critical infrastructure; and security and defence as the most pressing issues facing businesses in the two territories ahead of the summit.
The organisations thanked both Martin and Starmer for their commitment to strengthening the Ireland-UK relationship and said close cooperation was critical for growth and resilience in an uncertain geopolitical and economic environment.
The latter states that safeguarding resilience across transport, digital networks, energy, labour, and supply chains, would be “essential for security of supply and business confidence,” and urged progress on the commitment made at last year’s summit to progress the European Security Exchange to share best practice while securing major supply chains.
“Our sustained growth depends on our ability to remain agile, open, and attractive places to invest. We must remain committed to our shared values of free and fair trade and a rules-based order, working together through multilateral institutions to strengthen our economic resilience and shared prosperity,” they added.
The organisations also urged the leaders to address barriers to cross-border labour mobility and consider the case for an all-island work visa.
On energy and infrastructure, Ibec and CBI called for the governments’ to help strengthen the Single Electricity Market, accelerate grid and storage capacity and ensure timely delivery of joint infrastructure projects, including the NorthSouth Interconnector and offshore wind projects.
Increased cooperation on cybersecurity will also be essential to safeguarding business, they said.
“The UK-Ireland Summit once again takes place against the backdrop of an increasingly uncertain geopolitical and economic environment. This only underscores the importance of close cooperation between the UK and Ireland to ensure we deliver both growth and resilience, but most importantly, to ensure our economies are capable of withstanding future shocks,” said Danny McCoy, CEO of Ibec.
“The business community across the island is eager to see aligned policy support from both governments to enable economic growth and widen the benefits of cross-border cooperation.
“The ongoing UK reset of post-Brexit relationships with the EU- and separately with Ireland as co-guarantors of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement- continues to be a critical foundation from which to build.”
Rain Newton-Smith, CEO of the CBI, added: “In times of geopolitical volatility, businesses need to see stability and certainty from our closest trading partners.
“The UK-Ireland relationship is one of our most important and enduring partnerships, spanning shared energy infrastructure, deeply integrated supply chains, our all-island economy and strong people-to-people links.
Danny McCoy, CEO of Ibec.
“Looking ahead, deeper cooperation will be vital to strengthening our collective security, enhancing economic resilience, and driving sustainable growth across our islands.
“The annual UK-Ireland Summit provides a timely opportunity to take stock of this increasingly strategic relationship and set out the next phase of practical, forward-looking collaboration.”
Ibec and the CBI said they remain committed to working with both governments to translate these priorities into tangible growth and security for the economies.
Photo: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheal Martin attend a business roundtable at the UK-Ireland Summit on March 6, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Pic: Phil Noble – WPA Pool/Getty Images)