Board Minutes - April 2008
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Minutes of the 83rdMeeting of the Board of InterTradeIreland, the Trade and Business Development Body.
Tuesday 22nd April 2008 – InterTradeIreland Offices, Newry (10:30am–1.30pm)
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Present:
Board Members:
Dr David Dobbin CBE Chairman
Mr John Fitzgerald Vice Chairman
Mr Brendan Butler
Mr Ray Doherty
Ms Rosaleen Doherty
Mr Sean Gallagher
Mr Jack Gilmour
Mr Padraig MacLochlainn
Dr Gerard O’Hare
Mr Tom Scott
Executive:
Mr Liam Nellis Chief Executive
Mr Aidan Gough Director, Strategy & Policy
Mr Laurence Lord Corporate Services Director
Ms Catriona Regan Operations Director
Mr Dermot O’Doherty Senior Adviser
Ms Orla McGlennon Board Secretary
Apologies.
Apologies were received from Mr Hugh Logue and Ms Patricia McKeown.
Authorisation of Previous Minutes.
The Minutes of the 20th March 2008 Board Meeting were approved by the Board and authorised by the Chairman.
Matters Arising.
Mr Nellis updated the Board on Matters Arising from the February 2008 Board Meeting.
Chairman's Business
The Chairman advised the Board that he had been appointed to the Invest Northern Ireland Board.
Chief Executive’s Report.
Mr Nellis presented highlights from his Chief Executive’s Report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting.
- Following a letter received from Deborah Wince-Smith, President of the US Council on Competitiveness, Ireland’s bid to host the prestigious EFQM Conference next year was successful.
- A visit to Cork on 3rd April with Ray Doherty to four companies involved in our Acumen and Seedcorn programmes provided excellent feedback from the companies and some useful suggestions for improvements.
- 40 alumni of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Programme visited Cork as guests of previous finalists in the region.
- The Chief Executive’s Forum will be holding a Public Accountability for Board Members training seminar in Malone House, Belfast on the afternoon of 23rd June. Any Board member interested in attending this seminar was asked to advise the Board Secretary by Friday 2nd May.
- A successful Plastics Manufacturing Sector Breakfast Seminar was held in the Mullingar Park Hotel on 12th March 2008. The event was well attended by industry and academic representatives from both sides of the border.
- Microtrade hosted the Creative Enterprise Business Development Programme on 16th and 17th April at the Crowne Plaza, Dundalk. Speakers included representatives from the Craft Council of Ireland and the Institute of Exporting, as well as successful craft entrepreneurs.
- InterTradeIreland’s Entrepreneurship Masterclass Programme which was launched last year is rolling out again for 2008. The first Masterclass is due in the Northwest on 15th May in partnership with NORIBIC. A further four are planned before the end of the year in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Belfast. Of the five Masterclasses three will be in the ICT sector and two in the life and health sciences sector.
- InterTradeIreland was asked to provide a secretariat support to the North South Enterprise Committee. The Duke of Abercorn and Sir Michael Smurfit are co-chairs and their second meeting took place on 21st April. The group has a number of sub-groups working on areas such as a NI Business School, Biotech Industry, Tourism and the Financial Services.
- The Acumen II 2008-2012 launch is planned to take place on June 3rd and 4th in Dublin and Belfast. The launch will highlight the success of the first phase of the programme Acumen I 2003-2007 and it is hoped that Ministers from North and South will launch this new phase.
- An internal project team has been established to put in place by the end of 2008 a fully integrated technology-based performance management system that comprehensively captures inputs, outputs and impacts of InterTradeIreland projects against our key performance indicators and other relevant supplementary performance indicators.
- The managing agent for the FUSION programme recently gave a presentation on the background of FUSION to Swedish visitors from the Halland Regional Development Council. The council was very keen to investigate the FUSION Programme as one of the most successful technology transfer models between industry and academia in Europe.
- Board members were invited to attend a North/South Institute of Directors Dinner on 29th May in the Great Hall, Queens University Belfast.
Board Sub Committee/Steering Committee Reports and Programme Decisions
Fusion Sub Committee Report
With the endorsement of the FUSION Board sub-committee, the Board approved the appointment of Helix to deliver Phase III of FUSION.The Board approved the 6 projects presented by the FUSION Board Sub-Committee and the Board ratified the Terms of Reference for the FUSION Steering Committee.
Acumen Steering Panel
The Board approved the 9 projects presented by the Acumen Steering Panel. The Board ratified the Terms of Reference for the Acumen Steering Committee.
Innova
The Board ratified the Terms of Reference for the Innova Steering Committee.
Equity Network Steering Committee Report
A draft Terms of Reference is in the process of being finalised and will be presented at the next Board Meeting for ratification. The Board gave approval to go to tender for Sponsorship of the All Island Seedcorn Competition. The Board gave approval for the Sunday Business Post media campaign for 2008 Seedcorn Business Competition. The Board approved the use of the Ramada Hotel, Belfast for the Seedcorn Competition Final.
Go-2-Tender
The Board approved the appointment of Envision as Managing Agents of the Go-2-Tender
Communications Sub Committee
With the endorsement of the Communications Sub Committee, the Board ratified the appointment of DCP as PR consultants following a recent competitive tender.The Board ratified the appointment of Elmhouse Creative as design and print consultants following a recent competitive tender.The Board ratified the Communications Sub Committee Terms of Reference and sponsorship delegated
authority levels. It was noted that the Communications Sub Committee had approved a sponsorship proposal from the University of Stirling in partnership with the Centre for Cross Border Studies for a Financial Sector Seminar on Financial Services in the sum of £5,585 (including VAT) on the 15th May in the Hilton Hotel, Belfast.
Equity Network 2008 Business Plan
Ms Maura Moore and Margaret Hearty of InterTradeIreland joined the Board meeting to present the EquityNetwork 2008 Business Plan. Their presentation covered the following areas:
2007 Key Outputs
- Private Equity Conference Dublin
- All Island Seedcorn Business Competition
- Business Angel Networks
- Advisory Service
- Education and Awareness
Equity Network Market: Business Stages and Funding Stages
2008 Budget - £852,800
The Board approved the EquityNetwork Plan of Activities and associated total budget of £852,000 inclusive of VAT.
North-South Round Table Group (NSRG) – Extension to Contract
A formal request has been received from the Joint Chairs of the North-South Round Table Group seeking a renewal of InterTradeIreland’s ongoing administrative support, along with its funding for the provision of an independent Secretariat being provided for a further 12 months. The Board approved in principle the extension to the CPD contract to D’Arcy Smyth Associates for a further 6 months but deferred the decision until after a clarification meeting between the Chairman, Chief Executive and the Joint Chairs of the NSRG.
Third Party Proposal from Intel & Centre for Competitiveness
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) All Island Network
Mr Gordon Welsh of Economic, Planning & Environmental Consultants (EPEC) joined the Board for this agenda item.
Mr Gough gave a presentation outlining the information and education programme on RFID and related track and trace technologies, targeted at businesses across the island aiming to:
- Improved competitiveness of enterprises, North and South by helping them leverage benefits of RFID
- Improve cross border collaboration and encourage business relationships through active network
- Increase number of enterprises providing RFID solutions and services to capture share in growing UK and EU market
- Position island as centre of excellence
The proposed activities would include:
- Growing existing All Island RFID network to 250 members
- Run programme of information and educational events
- Develop a portal
- Develop pilot programme to support 5 companies adopt RFID
After discussion, the Board rejected the Intel /Centre for Competitiveness RFID proposal but asked that a proposal to undertake a strategic all-island policy propositions paper on the adoption of RFID to be presented to the next Board.
Corporate Services Report.
Accounts.
The Board noted the Accounts for March 2008.
Other
- The Board approved an extension to the Innova Letter of Offer to Itronik & Hunter Apparel
- The Board approved an extension to the Innova Letter of Offer to Andor & FBM
- The Board approved an extension to the Innova Letter of Offer to Fusion Antibodies and Opsona Therapeutics.
- The Board approved a re-allocation of funding from “labour” to “technical consultancy” to the Innova Letter of Offer to Itronik & Hunter Apparel.
The Board approved three requests to go to Tender:
- Investment Pitch Master Classes for 2 years
- Business Plan Markers for Seedcorn
- Gravity Model
2008 Business Plan Progress Report.
The Board noted the contents of the progress report
Gap Analysis
There was insufficient time to allow for the scheduled presentation of the preliminary results of the Gap Analysis, which was deferred to the May 2008 Board Meeting.
Any other business.
The first meeting of the Strategy Group was organised for Wednesday 28th May at 2.30 pm in the InterTradeIreland Office.