Brexit left its mark on EU–UK trade. In the first half of 2021, UK exports to the EU fell by almost 16%. But according to Denise McQuaid, co-founder of AwakenAngels, tech companies in Northern Ireland are now benefitting from closer access to the Republic of Ireland, which remains a part of the EU and is often a launching off point into the US market.
“Northern Irish companies now are really seeing the benefit of being attached to Ireland from a Brexit point of view,” McQuaid tells UKTN.
Described as the “Delaware of Europe” by McQuaid, Ireland is uniquely positioned as the only English-first language country in Europe. This in turn attracts investment plus export opportunities into the US and Europe....