Breakfast Business

Behind every product you pick off the shelf in a shop is a tangled and complex logistical network.  Many of us don't know how much paperwork is involved. AllMed is a freight forwarder meaning it helps get products from all corners of Europe to either supermarkets or warehouses.  The business was affected by Brexit but not in the way you think! Martin Carr is the Managing Director of Allmed which is hosting a big logistical conference in Kilkenny this week and spoke to Joe this morning on the show.

Did you know that Ireland at 1500 has the highest number of Actuaries per capita in the world.  The vast majority work for insurance companies assessing risk and probabilities. In Fact the insurance sector here is booming helped in no small part by Brexit and a reliable fiscal policy.  But many consumers complain that policy premiums have not been falling despite major reforms to cap payouts and keep insurance costs down.  So why is that? Joe asked Moyagh Murdock the Chief Executive of Insurance Ireland. 

Enterprise Ireland’s job is to support indigenous Irish companies and encourage them to grow and export.  But it also picks winners and firms with especially good prospects and refers them to a special unit referred to as High Potential Startups. Recently it handed out its prestigious HPSU of the year award. To discuss that and how it picks high calibre entrepreneurs, Joe spoke to Jenny Melia is Executive Director with Enterprise Ireland.

Aidan Donnelly joins Joe on the show to look through Friday's business news and markets.

Joe Lynam takes a run through of the main business healdines and news this morning.

Are you or your company aware of DORA or NIS2 or the Data Act yet?  They’re all tough new strictures from the EU to protect against data leaks, fraud and cyber attacks and they're coming into force soon starting with the EU-wide cybersecurity directive known as NIS2 which should have started today. But what are they and what type of companies need to sit up and be ready? We hear from Michael Cronin is MD with the Kildare based technology consultants OpenSky Data Systems.

The Danish retailers Jysk have been spreading their wings in Ireland.  They hope to have 30 outlets in this country over the next few years.  But is there a risk of market saturation and will they get enough staff to run those stores?  Speaking to Joe this morning was Roni Tuominen the Country Manager of Jysk UK and Ireland.  

Last week we had a business leader on the show who said that the civil service here simply didn't ‘get’ entrepreneurs.  It’s certainly true that risk taking and starting your own business is not for everyone.  Paul Cheek, the Executive Director of the MIT Martin Trust Centre for Entrepreneurship was a serial tech entrepreneur and now lectures in the world famous MIT about startups and innovation. Paul joined Joe this morning on the show.

Newstalk Business Editor Joe Lynam takes a run through of Wednesday's business news headlines.

According to the Banking and Payments Federation, a measly 28% considered moving their home loans over the past year, even though interest rates are now coming down.  Even though it may not be in the best interests of all its members the BPFI is launching a new website to promote switching called InYourInterest.ie and promoting a standardised salary certificate.  We got the details from Brian Hayes the Chief Executive of the BPF.

Love it or loathe it the deposit return scheme for bottles and Cans has been with us since February and the latest data from the largest Supermarket group in the land says that there is a “return rate“ of 95%. The Musgrave group which owns Centra and Supervalu, has more than 100 machines operating in its stores. But is it too soon to declare a victory and what else can be done by consumers to make shopping more sustainable? Speaking to Joe to discuss further was Owen Keogh Head of Sustainability with the Musgrave Group. 

Joe takes a look at the main business headlines this morning.

One of the world’s most famous makers of tyres is of course Michelin even though they were invented by an Irishman  John Boyd Dunlop from Belfast.  Speaking to Joe this morning was  Cyrille Roget is the Director of Science and Innovation Communications at Michelin.

The Finnish airline Finnair has 10 flights a week between Dublin and Helsinki.  It’s increased its passenger numbers from here by nearly 80% over the past 2 years alone and now it’s competing with Aer Lingus in hoping to attract visitors from much warmer climbs for so-called ‘Cool-cations’ to get away from searing temperatures in the summer.  Joe spoke to Anssi Partanen is Market Director Europe for Finnair.

Kathleen Brooks XTB brings us all the international business news.

Aquatech is the application of technologies to the growing of seafood to make it more predictable, reliable and safe. BIM the body that promotes the seafood sector has launched a new ‘innovation studio’ to promote Aquatech and the so-called “blue economy”. Caroline Bocquel is the Chief Executive of BIM 

Kate English from Deloitte joined Joe this morning to look at all the business news.

The financial services company SEI is opening its biggest European office near Harcourt Street and more than doubling its 400 staff numbers here.  The company said it picked Dublin for staff retention purposes.  SEI specialises in areas including investment processing, operations and asset management. Speaking to Joe this morning was Bryan Astheimer who is the Head of SEI’s Investment Managers Business for EMEA.

Zoom is trialing using an avatar of you to attend their platform meetings. Newstalk's Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly brings us the details.

The Irish Civil service simply doesn’t ‘get’ entrepreneurs. That is one of the claims made by the business lender GRID finance. Is there any way we can change the culture within the civil service and the investment community? With banks unwilling to lend to many start-ups and very weak capital markets in Ireland, many Irish SME‘s turn to non-bank lenders to get their funding. Derek Butler is the chief executive of GRID Finance and Derek joined Joe in studio this morning.