In today’s dynamic business environment there is no doubt that the demand for SMEs to adopt digital technologies is ever-increasing. Pressure from competitors, suppliers, and indeed customers exist, all demanding changes in how SMEs deliver their goods and services. So where does such a journey begin for companies in Ireland and Northern Ireland and is it worth it?

Data from InterTradeIreland’s latest Business Monitor survey (Q2 2022) reveals companies that export cross border are outperforming companies that do not, with 41 per cent enjoying rapid to moderate expansion. This is almost double compared to non-cross border traders (21 per cent).

Indeed, over three quarters of cross border traders (78 per cent) describe themselves as profitable compared to 51 per cent of firms that do not sell into the opposite jurisdiction.

Digi Manufacturing is a new cross-border cluster collaboration between the IDEAM Cluster and Manufacturing NI to foster new strategic value chains and enhance the digitalisation and green transition uptake of manufacturing SMEs to become more competitive. The Digi Manufacturing project is being delivered with support from InterTradeIreland’s Synergy initiative, a cross-border cluster initiative that aims to scale cross-border collaboration among SMEs and other players such as universities, third sector organisations, and government agencies using cluster and networking supports.