HollandUKTrade

The Great Hall at Queen’s University Belfast was the venue for the largest ever gathering of Dutch industrialists and their local business partners to be held in Northern Ireland.  A forty-five strong Dutch contingent attended the sixth New Years Trade Dinner organised by the Northern Ireland – Netherlands Trade and Export Society (NI-NL) on Wednesday 1st February 2012.

NI-NL is a not for profit platform supporting partnerships in trade, enterprise and investment between the two countries. The annual Trade dinner, which rotates between Belfast and Amsterdam, was hosted by H.E. Pim Waldeck, Ambassador of The Netherlands to the United Kingdom, and coincided with a Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation Trade Mission to the province.

Over 110 Northern Ireland exporters, importers and distributors and their Dutch guests who had flown into the province, heard from a range of speakers including Ambassador Waldeck, Minister Arlene Foster and NI-NL Founder Steve Murnaghan as to how the activities of NI-NL continued to nurture significant bi-lateral trade activity in 2011.

In his annual address Murnaghan told the audience how over 250 companies had participated in NI-NL events in 2011 and, as is tradition at the New Year’s Dinner, toasted the continued success of trade links with the Lowlands. Minister Foster also welcomed the Dutch interest in strengthening bi-lateral trade relations with Northern Ireland.

Peter van Laarschot, Deputy Director of Projects at BAM Rail BV,  who have a joint venture with construction company FP McCann Ltd for upgrading local railway lines explained the impact of  their work on tourism and the economy in the province. Van Laarschot also explained how their attention to Corporate Social Responsibility plays a significant role in their projects in UK, Ireland and continental Europe.

His words were echoed by Ambassador Waldeck who confirmed that, ‘Sustainability lies at the heart of increasing competitiveness while at the same time helps us to manage our global natural resources. The Dutch government is committed to achieving sustainable economic growth by working in collaboration with business, civil society and research organisations, and by supporting private initiatives that increase sustainability.’

As well as celebrating 2011 Trade successes a number of new business partnerships were announced during the dinner. For example, Total Mobile signed a deal with Aenova BV, a leading software company based in Delft, The Netherlands.

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster at the annual Northern Ireland - Netherlands Trade and Export Society dinner in Belfast with (from left) Ambassador to the Netherlands, Pim Waldeck , Colin Reid, chief executive, TotalMobile and Hans van der Last, Aenova managing director.

Looking forward to the first meeting in over 35 years of the Netherlands and Northern Ireland on the football pitch, IFA President Jim Shaw looked back on the last match in 1976 which saw two of the world’s greatest footballers (George Best and Johan Cruijf) play against each other. Jim entertained guests by telling of how the Belfast Boy successfully ‘nutmegged’ Cruijf, as intended, to show his superiority but that the Dutchman, always feared in the Holland No. 14 shirt, had retaliated with a goal that night in Rotterdam!

With agencies such as Invest NI, The Netherlands Embassy and Lisburn City Council, active in researching and matchmaking business opportunities. Coupled with support from Ulster Bank for internationally focused SME’s, the future relations between NI and NL has never looked better.

The record turnout at the dinner sends a strong signal that the Netherlands is not only a hub but a long-term partner for local companies involved in international trade.