Ireland Digital Transformation Strategy

Ireland’s National Digital Strategy - “Harnessing Digital - The Digital Ireland Framework” – is the blueprint to drive and enable digital transition across the Irish economy and society. It prioritizes four pillars - the digital transformation of business, investment in digital infrastructure, digital skills development, and the digitalization of public services.

The strategy sets ambitious targets to digitize Irish businesses, with most SMEs having the necessary digital capability alongside strong engagement in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big data among most enterprises by 2030. The focus is on key productive sectors such as construction, advanced manufacturing, and agriculture, together with financial services, healthcare, transportation, and fintech. Expanding Ireland’s innovative start-up community remains a priority.

Digital infrastructure is focused on improved broadband nationwide to bridge the gap between rural and urban areas, as well as the improvement of international high-speed connectivity between Ireland and other nations. Digital skills development is considered critical to deepening and accelerating digital adoption across the industry, enterprise, and Irish society. A new Schools Digital Strategy has also been launched alongside plans to educate and assist skill development among middle-aged and older adults born before the age of digital.  The strategy sets out a commitment for almost all public services to be consumed online by 2030 to enable widespread access and inclusivity. Digital adoption across public sector services is expected to achieve significant improvement in service quality.

The strategy has been broadly welcomed by the Irish business community while leading U.S. digital vendors are already proactively engaging with Irish end users across all four pillars.  New and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Connected Health, Cloud Computing, Big Data, and Quantum Computing are at the forefront. The strategy offers strong potential for U.S. SMEs offering innovative and leading-edge digital solutions to capitalize on digitalization initiatives across Irish business and government sectors.

For more information on digital sector opportunities in Ireland, please contact Padraig O’Connor at U.S. Commercial Service Ireland.