- Business
Ireland’s export economy keeps building momentum. Enterprise Ireland’s latest annual report shows Enterprise Ireland-backed companies exported almost €39 billion in 2025 – up 8% on the previous year, and up 94% over the last decade.
That growth spans food and drink, manufacturing and technology alike, and reflects the ambition of Irish businesses that have successfully pushed beyond the domestic market into international opportunity.
But growth like this brings its own demands. Entering a new market takes more than winning new customers – it takes an operational backbone that can handle the added complexity. At Noledge, we see this play out constantly: businesses scaling internationally need the right systems and visibility in place to keep making good decisions as things get more complicated, not less.
Irish businesses are building real international reach
Enterprise Ireland’s figures show just how broad that reach has become. For the first time, exports to the UK and to Europe each topped €11 billion, with both regions now accounting for 29% of total exports.
North America remains the third-largest market at €7.34 billion, and the Nordic region saw the sharpest growth of all – up 39% to €2.78 billion, driven largely by high-tech construction and data-centre demand.
Spreading across that many markets is a genuine achievement, but it also means more finance, more reporting, more supply chains and more customer operations to manage at once. What worked well when a business operated in a single market often doesn’t provide the visibility needed once multiple countries, currencies and entities are in the mix.
Export readiness starts with operational visibility
When businesses start preparing to scale internationally, most of the early conversation is about market opportunity and customer acquisition, and rightly so. But long-term success depends just as much on what’s happening behind the scenes.
For finance teams, that usually means real-time visibility across entities and currencies, without relying on manual consolidation. A growing organisation should be able to answer the obvious questions quickly – which markets are performing well, where are costs creeping up, how is currency movement affecting margin, and is each part of the business pulling its weight.
Connected financial systems are what make those questions answerable. Bring the information together in one place, and reporting improves, decisions get sharper, and the whole picture becomes a lot clearer.
Connected supply chains support sustainable growth
Expansion changes supply chains too. New markets often mean new suppliers and distribution partners, and accurate inventory information becomes more important, not less.
Businesses need to know what stock they have, where it is, and how efficiently it’s moving. Without that, forecasting demand and managing customer expectations both get harder, and opportunities for improvement are easy to miss.
This is where connecting finance, inventory and operations pays off – particularly for retailers managing multiple locations, where bringing sales, stock and financial data together gives the visibility needed to expand with confidence.
Lessons from our own expansion
We’ve been through this ourselves. Noledge has expanded across Ireland and the UK, and we’ve faced the same hurdles as the businesses we work with – managing added complexity, keeping visibility intact, and making sure our teams have the information they need to make confident calls.
It’s confirmed something we already believed: businesses need to build the right foundations before they scale, not scramble to catch up afterwards. Our UK expansion reflects that thinking, and it’s shaped the solutions we’ve built too.
We’ve also grown our own expertise to match. The acquisition of Pimbrook added accounting, payroll and business technology capability to the group, and at Envisage, Steve Boyes’ appointment as Managing Director reflects the same focus on helping organisations get more from their finance processes as they scale.
Preparing for the next stage of growth
Enterprise Ireland’s report is a good reminder of just how ambitious Irish businesses have become. As more of them look beyond Ireland’s borders, the ability to scale operationally – not just commercially, will matter more than ever.
Export readiness isn’t just about choosing the right markets. It’s about having the systems in place to support the business once you’re there – multi-entity and multi-currency reporting, supply chain visibility, and finance and inventory data that actually talk to each other.
At Noledge, we help businesses work out whether their current systems are ready for the next stage of growth, and where the gaps are likely to show up first. Our own expansion has taught us plenty about what that takes, and we put it to good use for the businesses we work with.
If you’re planning a move into new markets and want to know whether your systems can keep pace, get in touch with our team – we’re happy to help you work through it.
You can access Enterprise Ireland’s latest annual report here.
About the Author
Sinéad Galligani
Sinéad has been involved in the software industry, particularly in ERP, for over 25 years. Her career has spanned various roles, including Account Management, Key Account Management, and Business Development. In 2013, she became the Marketing Manager for The Noledge Group and now serves as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).