Industry survey
Firstly let me thank those who completed the Industry Survey. It is vital in this economic climate that we have access to as much information as possible concerning our sector. It is not my intention to be yet another bearer of bad news, however, realism is important. More important is the need to act in unison at this time. The recent Study of the Design Services Sector by InterTrade has highlighted the relevance of our industry to the health of the economy of the Island. It also makes a number of recommendations that Design Business Ireland intends to pursue with a view to further developing our industry.
The results of the survey will be no surprise to anyone, however one or two items are of interest. Northern Ireland appears to be weathering the storm better than the South with results showing increased turnover and profitability. Also of interest is the fact that several firms find over 80% of their work in the Private Sector - the general breakdown illustrates that as an industry over 35% of our work comes from Government. This is significant in the face of the impending spending cuts that are proposed by the Government in the Republic.
One fact, however, remains clear and is supported by the InterTrade report and that is that the economy WILL benefit from increased engagement with our sector and it is therefore incumbent on us ALL to promote this. In reality we have the potential to grow our industry - what we need to do is find the best way to do so. Design Business Ireland will promote the contribution we make to the economy whenever and wherever it can and we are currently examining a number of measures to help in this regard.
If you have any queries or suggestions please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Nicholas Cloake, MICAD, MIDI
Chairman