Poll: Do you think the next Government needs to do more to help Irish startups?
As our European peers up their game, a group of entrepreneurs is worried we have fallen behind.
THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN is well underway and with it there are plenty of promises coming from political parties who could be given a mandate to implement changes.
A group of 50 Irish entrepreneurs, including Intercom founder Des Traynor and Teamwork’s Peter Coppinger, have released an open letter to the next Government calling for high-growth, innovation-led business to be given greater priority.
In a signed letter, the group said that since the 1960′s Ireland has been attracting foreign direct investment and acknowledged the successful policy of low corporation tax.
“When it comes to backing home-grown innovation, Ireland has taken a piecemeal approach to policy for startups. Our agencies are doing a great job for enterprise, but they’re doing so in the absence of a political focus on startups. Meanwhile our European peers are doing everything in their power to grow their startup ecosystems. We have now fallen behind,” the letter said.
With a nod to policies and supports implemented in France, Portugal and Britain, the group believes Ireland needs a more strategic industrial and enterprise policy.
Keeping this in mind, we are asking Fora readers this week: Do you think the next Government needs to do more to help Irish startups?
