Mark Cockerill
AmCham 2026 President
President's Perspective
Competing, Innovating and Leading from Ireland
In an era of rapid technological change and intensifying global competition, the most successful economic relationships are those that consistently turn opportunity into impact. They are built not only on strong foundations, but on a shared commitment to adapt, compete and lead in a changing global environment. Few relationships illustrate this better than the US–Ireland trade and investment relationship.
Ireland and the US are among each other’s most important investment partners. Ireland is now the fifth largest source of foreign direct investment into the US, with investment by Irish companies worth $390bn, while over 1,000 US companies have operations in Ireland, directly employing more than 200,000 people.
As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is a fitting moment to reflect not only on the founding principles of enterprise, ambition and self-determination, but also on the enduring strength of the US–Ireland economic partnership. Ours is a relationship rooted in shared values and sustained by mutual investment, innovation and trust.
Yet the global context in which this relationship operates is evolving. Competition for investment is intensifying, technological change is accelerating, and governments and businesses alike are reassessing how best to strengthen productivity, resilience and competitiveness.
As AmCham’s 2026 President, I will focus on three interconnected priorities that reflect where Ireland can make the greatest impact:
Leveraging Ireland’s EU Presidency to advance competitiveness, clarity and consistency
Enabling the effective and scalable deployment of artificial
intelligence (A.I.)Strengthening Ireland’s talent base to power research, development and innovation (RD&I)
Leveraging Ireland’s EU Presidency to advance competitiveness, clarity and consistency
The first of these priorities reflects the unique opportunity Ireland will have in 2026 to help shape Europe’s economic direction.
Europe’s long-term prosperity depends on its ability to compete and innovate in an increasingly demanding global economy. Ireland’s EU Presidency in 2026 offers an opportunity to advance a European agenda focused on competitiveness, clarity for business, and consistent implementation across Member States. A strong Single Market, open trade, and a regulatory framework that supports investment are central to that success.
In recent engagement with our membership, advancing EU competitiveness, productivity and innovation consistently emerge as the top priority for Ireland’s Presidency, alongside regulatory simplification and strengthening the Single Market.
While the EU remains an attractive destination for investment, fragmentation and uneven regulatory implementation across Member States continue to weigh on productivity and growth. Addressing these issues is not about lowering standards, it is about ensuring regulation is predictable, proportionate and workable.
Ireland already plays a distinctive role as a primary European base for many US multinationals and as a leading digital regulatory hub. This gives Ireland practical insight into how European policy translates into real-world operations. During its Presidency, Ireland can use this experience to encourage greater alignment in implementation, reduce unnecessary administrative burden, and strengthen the functioning of the Single Market.
A more competitive and coherent Europe will strengthen its position as a destination of choice for global investment, benefiting Europe, Ireland and the United States alike.
Enabling the effective and scalable deployment of A.I.
A.I. will be one of the defining drivers of productivity, competitiveness and economic growth over the coming decade. For companies operating in Ireland, A.I. is no longer an emerging technology, it is already transforming how products are designed, how services are delivered and how operations are optimised.
This is reflected in recent data from AmCham’s FDI Insights surveys where 65% of respondents said they plan to increase investment in A.I., automation or data analytics initiatives over the next 12 months, and more than 92% report that their organisation had either increased or maintained A.I. related investment in the last year.
The opportunity for Ireland, and for Europe more broadly, is to ensure that policy, infrastructure and skills enable A.I. to be developed and deployed at scale.
Ireland’s EU Presidency provides a platform to help shape a pro-innovation European approach to A.I., one that supports testing, deployment and commercialisation, while providing businesses with the clarity and certainty they need to invest.
Getting this right will allow A.I. to act as a powerful engine of productivity and innovation, strengthening Europe’s competitiveness while reinforcing Ireland’s position as a leading location for high-value, innovation-driven investment.
Strengthening Ireland’s Talent Base to Power RD&I
Innovation does not happen in isolation. It depends on skilled people, modern research infrastructure, and close collaboration between industry and academia to translate ideas into commercial impact at scale.
Ireland has built a strong reputation as a location for high-value research and innovation, supported by a competitive R&D tax credit and a history of public–private collaboration. More than half of respondents to our latest AmCham FDI Insights survey have availed of the R&D tax credit in the last five years, and half of firms are currently undertaking one or more research projects in Ireland. This underscores how central R&D is to investment decisions across sectors such as A.I., software, pharmaceuticals and sustainability.
AmCham members consistently highlight the importance of strengthening Ireland’s R&D infrastructure, particularly digital and A.I. test environments and shared university–industry innovation spaces.
Talent sits at the heart of this ecosystem. As demand grows for advanced digital, engineering and research-intensive skills, continued focus on education, upskilling and apprenticeships will be critical. International talent will remain an important complement to domestic skills development, making a predictable and efficient employment permit and visa system a key enabler of Ireland’s RD&I ambitions.
Ireland’s EU Presidency provides an opportunity to support a more competitive European RD&I ecosystem – one that simplifies access to funding, strengthens cross-border research collaboration, and promotes researcher mobility. Aligning European research policy more closely with industrial and competitiveness objectives will be essential to ensuring that investment translates into economic and societal impact.
By strengthening Ireland’s talent base and RD&I ecosystem, we can reinforce Ireland’s position as a location for high-value, innovation-driven investment, supporting better jobs and long-term competitiveness.
Ireland’s EU Presidency, the acceleration of A.I., and sustained investment in talent and RD&I are not separate agendas. They are mutually reinforcing pillars of a single ambition: to ensure Ireland remains a location where companies can innovate, scale and succeed.
However, continued success is never guaranteed. It must be earned through competitiveness, innovation and disciplined execution. In a global economy defined by speed and scale, standing still is not an option. Ireland’s progress to date has been built on ambition, adaptability and a willingness to compete at the highest level, and preserving our position as a top destination for business and investment will require the same resolve. Across business, government and society, we must maintain a contender mindset – committed to continuous improvement, open to change, and determined never to allow complacency to dilute the hard-won advantages we have achieved.
As AmCham’s 2026 President, I look forward to working with our Board, members and stakeholders to advance these priorities. By leveraging Ireland’s unique role within Europe, enabling the effective and scalable deployment of A.I., and strengthening the talent base that underpins research and innovation, we can help shape a more competitive Europe and reinforce Ireland’s position as a destination of choice for high-value investment.
If we get this right, Ireland will not only build on the success already achieved – it will help lead the next chapter of the US–Ireland economic relationship and capture the opportunities of a rapidly changing global economy.