Two well established global export companies based in Ireland’s Northwest will travel to Boston this month on a trade and investment mission. Both companies from organic cosmetics, food and clinical research industries are confident that their export businesses will grow from the contacts they will make on this focussed “Gateway to Growth” trade mission.
Algaran Seafoods is a seaweed company situated in South West Donegal along the North Atlantic Coast of Ireland, Co. Donegal. Algaran hand harvest their seaweed locally with maximum respect and care for the marine environment then carefully process it at low temperatures and test it for heavy metals and pollutants. A range of organic seaweed powders for the food industry as well as a line of Organic Cosmetics and Soaps is manufactured and packaged, which are sought after from companies and individuals sourcing natural and organic cosmetic products and fine food specialists across the globe.
Commenting on behalf of Algaran, Rosaria Piseri, Managing Director said “This is Algaran’s first trade mission to the US and although we are known already in the States for supply of our natural organic seaweed cosmetics products and raw material dried sea weed powder products, which is highly sought after amongst vegan food producers, we are confident that we will increase our export from Ireland to the USA. To date, we have already made contacts which have turned into potential clients, by networking through social media and our online shop and now we welcome the opportunity to meet high profile food and cosmetic distributors from the US face to face.”
Clinical Translational Research Centre (C-TRIC), based in Co. Derry, Northern Ireland are also travelling to meet potential partners in the life science and health care sectors. C-TRIC promotes and facilitates translational and clinical research, which aims to reduce both time and costs associated with research and development of innovative health technologies, medical devices and therapeutics.
Commenting on the forthcoming trade mission, Barry Johnston, Commercial Manager C-TRIC, said “Our team at C-TRIC are already working successfully with two US based companies. Our clients at home and abroad are benefiting from C-TRIC’s knowledgeable areas of streamlining processes, of taking developments from their laboratories and taking them to the market place through a focused “bench to bedside” approach. We facilitate partnerships between academic researchers, clinical practitioners through to industry and we are looking forward to increasing our profile in this industry in the States.”
Algaran’s brand has grown extensively worldwide since the company was established in 2004 and they currently sell directly to Holland, Belgium, Italy, US and Canada through their online shop. As Algaran produce high quality products to a niche market they are very excited to be given this opportunity to gain brand awareness in the US.
Algaran’s online shop products are particularly of interest to individuals and spa companies looking for a product that is natural and organic. They are particularly interested in connecting with the hotel industry in the U.S. as their liquid gels with seawater from the Wild Atlantic Coastline is proving very popular across Europe. They also intend to meet organic food producers who would be interested in their natural dried seaweed powder.
C-TRIC is situated on a major acute hospital site in Northern Ireland allowing for co-localisation of clinicians, academics and industry experts. This makes C-TRIC an ideal partner for staging clinical research and trials. They draw on the expertise of the nearby Ulster University campuses who are highly rated in the field of Biomedical Sciences, Bioengineering, Connected Health and ICT. C-TRIC strongly complements this University’s research and innovation capability in personalised medicine and hopes to grow partnerships with universities, hospitals and clinics in the US.
Both these companies have carried out extensive Health and Life Science studies and the wellness industry globally welcomes natural organic materials like the Algaran which can be consumed as a food product, used to enhance skin and focusing on clinical translational research in the health sector these companies are primed and ready to provide services and products from North West Ireland to across the US.
15 businesses from across the Northwest region of Ireland will be participating in an overseas trade mission with a view to expanding or further expanding their business in the US market this coming November. This follows on from an initial successful trade mission in 2016 to Boston by Donegal County Council, Derry City and Strabane District Council along with other participating organisations including, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Invest NI, Ulster University, Letterkenny Institute of Technology and the North West Regional College from North West Ireland.
This mission has a trade and investment focus as well as an educational focus and is building on the work done since 2008 on developing the Northwest’s cultural, political and economic linkages with the City of Boston and the wider Massachusetts knowledge corridor. Businesses from Ireland’s Northwest, participating in this mission are from a range of sectors including the creative digital, agri-food, advanced manufacturing and life sciences sectors.
Photo Caption : Rosaria Piseri, Managing Director, Algaran Seafoods and Barry Johnston, Managing Director C-Tric