Irish companies are opening new offices, creating jobs and helping to deliver some of Greater Manchester’s biggest building projects, as a major trade mission led by Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Government’s trade and innovation agency, gets underway today, underlining the North of England’s growing pull as a base for Irish companies.
Irish business confidence in the North of England is clear: 38% of Irish companies plan to significantly increase investment in the region, and one in five (20%) intend to hire here in 2026. This is according to Enterprise Ireland’s 2026 UK Market Sentiment Survey.
The trend reflects a deeper shift. The UK is Ireland’s largest and most strategically important export market, and Irish business has evolved from a traditional export model into a deeply embedded, operationally committed presence at the heart of the UK economy. In the North of England, that means Irish companies are not simply selling in. They are embedded in the region, expanding their footprint, driving jobs growth, local spend and social value, and delivering major construction, energy and digitalisation projects that bring shared prosperity to both the UK and Ireland.
Led by Niamh Smyth, Ireland’s Minister of State for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation, the mission brings 40 high-growth Irish companies to the city across construction, engineering, digital technology, manufacturing and the creative industries, with three new Manchester presences and a series of contract wins announced during the visit.
Leading the trade mission, Minister for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation Niamh Smyth, said: “The Irish Government’s Market Diversification strategy reflects our ambition to build a more resilient, competitive and globally connected Irish economy. Ireland’s connection with Manchester and the North of England is long-standing and continues to strengthen year on year. You can see this in the influx of Irish companies opening here, the jobs they are creating, and the major projects Irish firms are helping to deliver, from the Etihad Stadium expansion to the University of Manchester. These companies are bringing partnership, innovation and delivery expertise that drive growth on both sides of the Irish Sea.”
New arrivals to Manchester
- Kavaleer, the Irish animation studio, is opening its first-ever overseas office in Manchester, creating 20 jobs and launching a new international co-production.
- Osborne, one of Ireland’s leading recruitment and talent solutions providers, has expanded its international footprint with the opening of its first UK office in Manchester. Strategically located in the heart of Northwest England, the new office will serve as a hub for supporting clients and candidates across the UK. Osborne plans to create 10 new jobs in 2026, with significant further job creation and growth anticipated as the business establishes and expands its presence in the UK market.
- Construction consultancy KSNPM is expanding its UK presence through the establishment of a Manchester base, supporting a growing client pipeline and backed by strategic investment from Fexco, the Irish multinational financial and property services company.
- Glanua has opened a new office serving the Northwest in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, with a team of 10 already in place and a further five roles currently being recruited as the company continues to expand its UK operations, bringing total employment in the UK to 239 people.
Delivering on landmark regional projects
These new arrivals join a roster of Irish companies already well established and delivering across the region:
- Sisk, who is operating nearby in Warrington, is cementing its reputation as a trusted delivery partner for the UK’s most complex and high-profile programmes. They are currently continuing work on the £300 million expansion of Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium and development of the Club’s 365 day-a-year entertainment destination, including a new hotel and fan zone. They are also in the process of completing the first residential developments in the next stage of Ancoats’ regeneration in Manchester and have been delivering a state-of-the-art Children’s Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
- Following its acquisition by Activ8 Energies in 2025, Northwest England-based Low Carbon Energy has been rebranded as Activ8 Energies, an SSE company operating under the SSE Energy Solutions brand. The rebrand marks a significant milestone in Activ8’s UK growth strategy, combining Low Carbon Energy’s 17 years of experience serving businesses across the region with Activ8’s 20 years in business delivering renewable energy solutions, while supporting continued investment, job creation and the delivery of commercial solar projects across the UK.
- Techrete, a leader in low-carbon architectural precast concrete façade systems, is delivering façades across 23 blocks for the University of Manchester’s Fallowfield student accommodation scheme, at 3,300 bedrooms, set to become Europe’s largest Passivhaus development. Its 4,200 insulated sandwich panels will be central to achieving the Passivhaus standard, with a third party-verified reduction of up to 35% in CO2eq/m2, showcasing the Irish company’s capacity to deliver at scale through modern methods of construction and offsite manufacturing.
- xWave, an award-winning Irish digital health company, is accelerating its growth across the UK, with deployments including a major rollout through the Yorkshire Imaging Collaborative, spanning 24 hospitals and 2.7 million people, and contracts now secured with 22 NHS Trusts since entering the UK market in 2023. The company, which delivers AI-driven software solutions across clinical decision support, order communications, triage and audit, is now planning to create 30 new jobs over the next three years to support its continued UK expansion.
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Portfolio Lead for Economy, Business and Inclusive Growth, said: “Greater Manchester is one of the UK’s most ambitious and open city regions, and our international partners are central to that ambition. Irish companies have become valued contributors to our economy, investing here, creating jobs and playing an important role in delivering the landmark projects shaping our future. We warmly welcome this trade mission and look forward to seeing that relationship grow even further.”
Irish companies double down on growth in the North of England
North of England a major hub for Irish business: now the second-largest UK region for Irish companies (20%), behind London (23%).
- A strategic corridor of growth: combined with the Midlands, the North–Midlands Corridor accounts for 36% of Irish business presence, forming a key industrial heartland for engineering, construction and manufacturing.
- Strong investment momentum: 38% of Irish companies plan significant investment increases in the North, above the UK average, directly aligned with the region’s priorities including data centre development, high-voltage grid upgrades, AMP8 water infrastructure and manufacturing supply chains across Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield.
- A key destination for job creation: one in five Irish companies plan to create jobs in the North of England in 2026, making it the second most targeted UK region for hiring.
- The UK as a key growth strategy: this regional expansion supports a broader trend, with 67% of Irish companies that have a UK presence planning workforce growth, positioning the North, Midlands and Scotland as priority growth regions aligned with UK infrastructure and local development ambitions.
That regional growth sits within a strong national picture: Enterprise Ireland’s client companies exported €11.1 billion to the UK in 2025, up 10% on 2024, with the UK now accounting for 29% of Enterprise Ireland clients’ total exports.
Overall, Irish business sentiment is strong in the UK. Across the 2026 survey, 95% of Irish companies ranked the UK as a critical or very important market, and Irish firms collectively employ around 150,000 people across the UK (Source: British Irish Chamber of Commerce), reflecting a trading relationship that is strong, enduring and accelerating.
Deirdre McPartlin, Head of UK, Nordics and New Exporters at Enterprise Ireland, said: “Our survey captures the extraordinary depth of Irish companies’ commitment in the UK, hiring, investing and growing year on year. It also shows that alignment between Irish capability and the UK’s most ambitious growth priorities has never been stronger, meeting the UK’s most critical needs in infrastructure, energy, digital transformation, AI and healthcare. Through our offices in Manchester, London and Scotland, we support Irish companies at every stage of their UK journey, from first steps to full-scale operations, and work with UK industry to connect them to world-class Irish delivery partners.”
The trade mission programme includes a site visit to the Etihad Stadium with John Sisk & Son, where work is underway on Manchester City’s £300 million expansion, alongside attendance at the Global Offshore Wind Conference in Manchester Central, where Enterprise Ireland clients will exhibit at the Ireland Pavilion. The itinerary also features contract signings and business announcements, a Business Leaders Lunch, and bilateral meetings with Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, and Paul Dennett, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester.