Forming relationships is critical when developing business ventures, and few things bring people together like sports.
Georgia Tech will kick off its football season Saturday against Florida State in Ireland, which government leaders on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean see as an opportunity to strengthen corporate ties.
The Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin won’t feature a formal Georgia delegation, but Enterprise Ireland CEO Leo Clancy said Peach State executives traveled well during Georgia Tech’s last visit to the Emerald Isle in 2016. He expects equally robust attendance this year, adding that company and government officials get the chance to rub elbows with some of Ireland’s corporate giants and innovative startups.
“We’re a small country, so our innovation can often be underestimated,” said Clancy, whose government agency works to grow Irish business and trade. “We’ve got lots of companies working as partners with large U.S. firms.”
With $5.5 billion in total trade last year, Ireland ranks as Georgia’s 11th-largest international trade partner, says the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Since 2010, Irish companies have invested more than $272 million in the state and announced more than 3,200 jobs.
The state estimates there are 130 Irish-owned facilities in Georgia, employing roughly 10,400 Georgians. Those companies include consulting giant Accenture, which acquired Peachtree Corners-based Insight Sourcing earlier this year and operates a technology hub in Midtown. Kerry Foods, meanwhile, operates a $137 million manufacturing plant in Rome.
Companies from Ireland and Georgia also participated in one of 2024′s largest mergers. Sandy Springs-based WestRock and Dublin-based Smurfit Kappa formed a new paper and packaging giant called Smurfit Westrock in July, a merger valued at about $20 billion.
Clancy said sports are helpful accelerators for forming business relationships, as such events bring together alumni, universities, companies and government officials. Georgia Tech has partnerships with two Irish science and data companies, Output Sports and Orreco. Then-Gov. Nathan Deal traveled to Ireland in 2016 to attend the game and court economic development opportunities.
About 39,000 Americans traveled to Dublin to attend the 2023 Aer Lingus Classic featuring Navy and Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish, like Georgia Tech’s 2016 opponent Boston College, have well-known connections with Ireland and Irish transplants, but Clancy said he was impressed by the turnout from the Peach State’s business community.
“We found last time with Georgia Tech, we were really surprised by the strength of the Atlanta and Georgia community that came for the game,” he said. ”... The Atlanta contingent was hugely strong, and that goes to the strength of the Georgia Tech brand and the alumni.”
