The AI innovation opportunity in Ireland

The upcoming AI era calls for new ways of thinking about innovative businesses. Creating and scaling innovative digital businesses is crucial for closing Europe’s innovation and competitiveness gap.

An Implement Consulting Group study commissioned by Google examines the potential of successfully scaling more innovative digital businesses in Ireland to capture the AI opportunity and foster economic growth.

Key findings of the study:

• Job creation and economic growth: If Ireland can scale and retain innovative digital businesses to match leading OECD countries, this could add up to 14,000 high-value jobs to the economy. This would boost overall productivity and contribute around EUR 1.8 billion annually to Ireland’s GDP.
  
  
• Innovation spillovers: Innovative digital businesses are key to capturing the benefits of AI, not just in tech sectors but across the entire economy. By leading in the adoption and development of AI, these companies can inspire and enable other businesses to adopt AI, creating a ripple effect that enhances productivity and competitiveness.

Ireland has robust conditions for growing innovative digital businesses. However, fully unlocking the potential of AI-driven innovation requires access to advanced AI models and infrastructure, eased regulatory burdens and an AI-ready workforce.