County Cork mayor leading business delegation to three US cities

A Cork business and tourism delegation will be in the US this week, hoping the St Patrick’s Day spirit will unlock American goodwill.

County mayor, Cllr John Paul O’Shea, is leading the delegation on a three-city programme in Chicago, Detroit, and New York.

This follows the recent visit to County Hall of a political and business delegation from Jiangsu province, in China. The Chinese have since expressed interest in deepening connections in the food, pharmaceutical, and educational sectors.

The delegation will participate in a series of cultural and business events and meetings, which will address food, tourism, and IT opportunities for the Cork region.

The council is committed to strengthening strategic relationships with key regions across the US.

In the 15 years since the initial ‘Sister County’ agreement, with Cook County, was signed, the enhanced commercial and cultural links have paid enormous dividends for Cork.

The creation of ‘The Cork Convention Bureau’, in 2007, born of ties with the Chicago Visitors and Convention Bureau, has resulted in 40 international ambassadors promoting Cork as a location for conferences, congresses, and meetings.

Last year, the bureau generated €9m of new business for Cork.

Trade and political visits between Cork and Chicago, to date, have focused primarily on tourism, IT, and biotechnology, and the relationship has resulted in many Cork businesses being introduced to the US market, including a Cork software development company now working with Abbot Laboratories and Astellas Pharma. As the result of a previous delegate mission, Park Magic trialled their pay-parking solution in Chicago, and have since experienced meteoric expansion.

Additionally, Documentum, a local Cork company, has taken up free office space in the Illinois Institute of Technology, an opportunity that came about through connections made during previous St Patrick’s Day delegate missions.

Cllr O’Shea said the delegation will meet with the Illinois Institute of Technology, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Counsel General for Ireland, the president of Cook County, Illinois, and the mayor of Detroit.

Conor Healy, chief excutive of Cork Chamber of Commerce, who is participating in the Chicago leg of the visit, said links between Cork and Chicago have grown significantly in recent years.

He said there was considerable scope for development, from a trade, tourism, and investment perspective.