The second meeting for the EU Interreg RATIO (Regional Actions to Innovate Operational Programmes (RATIO) Project, which Cork Chamber is a partner on, recently took place in Cork and was attended by representatives from organisations from across the region. The project involves 9 project partners from across 8 European countries and facilitates the opportunity for regions with similar characteristics and geographies to learn from each other for the betterment of the innovation landscape across all regions and to the benefit of SMEs based in rural locations, which face a different set of challenges to research development and innovation than those in urban locations.

The recent meeting outlined learnings from the Latvia Exchange of Experiences study visit; European partner regions’ barriers to innovation; European partners’ good practices and the Action Plan which is to be developed during the course of the project.

For further information, contact Michelle or Eimear. 

As part of the EU Burden Tracker Initiative, we are looking for your input to identify specific pieces of EU legislation that create significant burdens for businesses
The legislation that has been identified this year is Regulation No. 1169-2011 on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers.

 Some aspects of the legislation that have been identified as burdensome are as follows:

• Obligation for food business operators in the catering and restaurant sector to provide allergen information
• mandatory food information (art. 9)
• storage conditions or conditions of use (art. 25)
• mandatory nutrition declaration
• restrictions to the presentation of the products (art. 34)
• fair information practices (article 7)

Date:Thursday 23^rd March
Time: 5.30pm – 7.00pm
Venue: CAB Motor Group, Monahan Road
Cost: FREE for Cork Chamber members
Book HERE

Cork Chamber is delighted to partner with CAB Motor Group to bring you a fully interactive networking evening at CAB HQ on Monahan Road.  There will be lots of opportunities to network and engage with your fellow Chamber members, as well as a chance to see the fantastic showroom of the newly crowned SIMI Dealer of the Year and maybe even a photo opp with the shiney new Ford Mustang…

CAB Motor Company was founded in 1925 and has operated as an Authorised Ford Dealership since that time.  Currently CAB Motor Company employs over 50 on the team and has state of the art facilities in the shadow of Pairc Ui Chaoimh, adjacent to the site of the old Ford Factory. A focus on customer service lies at the heart of everything they do and a genuine attempt is made to ensure that “customer service” is something which is truly unique and memorable.
 

So, it’s time to stop coasting and get into gear for the CAB Motor Group’s networking event in March!


Get a glimpse into the networking buzz here.

Date: Wednesday, 29^th March

Venue: The River Lee Hotel

Time: 10.30 AM to 1.00 PM

Cost: FREE to attend, but registration is essential

Book: HERE

With economic growth project to increase to 2.3% in 2018 (OECD, 2016), the Canadian economy is steadily expanding outside the oil and gas sector. The recently negotiated Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a new trade agreement between the EU and Canada which will make it easier to export goods and services, benefitting people and businesses in both the EU and Canada. Next week’s Canada event will take place on the same day that Article 50 will be triggered and thus, CETA is an important counterpoint of Brexit.

This seminar will offer Irish companies the opportunity to learn more about opportunities for increased Ireland-Canada trade and to hear from companies on both sides about their experiences. Hear from:

• Ambassador Kevin Vickers, Canadian Embassy Dublin
• John Roxburgh, Senior Trade Commissioner, Canadian Embassy Dublin
• Tom O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer, Brookfield Renewable
• Deirdre Giblin, Vice Chair, Ireland Canada Business Association
• Dave Austin, General Manager, Irving Oil Whitegate Refinery
• David Skelton, Chairman, Leading Edge Group   

Date: Tuesday 4^th April
Time: 7.30am – 9.00am
Venue: Cork International Hotel
Cost: €25 members / €50 non members
BOOK HERE

Cork Chamber is proud to announce Professor Patrick O’Shea, the newly appointed President of UCC as the guest speaker for the April Business Breakfast.

Professor O’Shea became the 15^th President of University College Cork on 1^st February 2017.  A UCC Physics graduate and former Vice President and Chief Research Officer at the University of Maryland in the US, Professor O’Shea was at the helm of a $500 million (€470m) per annum research and innovation enterprise. His academic, political and business acumen helped the University to become one of the leading research universities in the world.

This is an exciting opportunity to hear Professor O’Shea speak publicly about his new role in UCC and what the future holds for this prestigious and world-renowned University.

Women in Leadership Executive Lunch in Association with Network Cork

Date:Friday 28^th April 2017

Venue:Clayton Hotel Cork City

Time:12pm

More details to follow shortly

The Virtual Reality (VR) World Congress is designed to outline the latest trends in VR, including in the gaming, the mobility, the audio-visual and the health sectors. The event will afford attendees the opportunity to get to know key R&D stakeholders’ offering services to companies and to visualise state-of-the-art equipment. An Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) matchmaking event will take place at the Congress and this is designed to bring together stakeholders from all backgrounds, from R&D and start-ups working on new developments in the industry to stakeholders from various sectors looking for new solutions and opportunities.

Tickets for VR World Congress are required to access the VR World Congress Matchmaking event and our EEN UK partners can access tickets for eligible Irish businesses signing up for the matchmaking event, which will allow access to the Expo as well. Contact Eimear for further information. 

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• Flemings Restaurant: Free bottle of wine, when you book a table of four - read more
• St. Peter's Cork: 10% discount on any venue hire booked in 2017 - read more
• Four Star Pizza Cork: 14 inch pizza for only €10 - read more
• New Links Training: Train the Trainer, 10% discount on all bookings in March - read more
• J.Barter:  Go on board of a 3* Classic Cruise at fantastic prices! - read more
• Phone Pulse Ltd: Complimentary Consultation - read more
• Hollywood LED Letters: Wedding Decor Exclusive Offer - read more
• Musgrave Marketplace: Chamber Member Offers - read more

Do business with fellow Cork Chamber members through sharing an offer. Offers can be submitted through the Member Information Centre (MIC) and all current offers are displayed on our website.

• PE Global: Recruitment Open Day, March 23rd - read more
•  IERC:  6th Annual Conference, March 30th - read more
• Cork ARC Ball, March 25th - read more
• Cork County Council and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT): Business Opportunities in the Space Industry, March 30th - read more
• Mardyke Arena UCC: Night Golf in aid of Marymount University Hospital & Hospice, March 31st - read more
• The Marketing Institute presents The Futuristic Marketing Ball 2017, April 1st - read more
• CorkBIC: The 2017 Entrepreneur Experience, April 7th &  April 8th - read more
• Griffith College Cork: Free Easter workshops in Law, Business, Media and Computing for FE, 4th, 5th and 6th year students - read more