For your diary: Tech out in force for National Digital Week

MONDAY

Results: Alcatel Lucent; Ferrari; PostNL; Ryanair; Sotheby’s.

Meetings: Technology Matters: The Future of Assistive Technology event (National Concert Hall, Dublin 2).

Indicators: German factory orders (Sept); Euro zone retail PMI (Oct); Euro zone retail sales (Sept).

TUESDAY 

Results: ArcelorMittal; Associated British Foods; Credit Agricole; Deutsche Post.

Meetings: Cork Chamber Dublin dinner (DoubleTree by Hilton, D4); Annual Review of Employment Law conference (Chartered Accountants House, D2); Date Centres Ireland event (RDS, D4); PwC business forum (Convention Centre, D1).

Indicators: German industrial production (Sept); UK industrial production (Sept).

More than 600 Irish business leaders are due to attend the PwC business forum in Dublin on Tuesday, under the theme “business, but not as usual.”

With Brexit, the US election, the Apple state aid ruling and international tax reforms all looming large, it is anything but business as usual. The question for business leaders now is how to steer the organisation through these unprecedented times.

Speakers at the event will include Paddy Power Betfair chairman Gary McGann, PwC managing partner Feargal O’Rourke, Eir chief human resources officer Orla Coughlan, associate professor of organisational psychology at DCU Finian Buckley, Barclays Bank Ireland chief executive Sasha Wiggins and Bob Savage, president of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland and vice president at Dell/EMC.

The conference will examine the current challenges facing businesses as well as identify how to maximise the emerging opportunities.

Enda McDonagh, PwC assurance leader, said the conference will give perspectives on the changing international political landscape including on the US election, the latest Brexit and tax developments.

“With unprecedented change in the geo-political and business landscape for the year ahead, it will be important for business leaders to have a clear strategy to manage an environment that is anything but business as usual.”

“Our CEOs against the Clock panel will provide an insightful perspective from some of Ireland’s leading CEOs on how they see these issues impacting their business and Ireland more generally.”

WEDNESDAY 

Results: Burberry; Heidelbergcement; J Sainsbury; Vivendi; Wienerberger; Wizz Air.

Indicators: Chinese inflation rate (Oct); US MBA mortgage applications (Nov 4).

THURSDAY

Results: AstraZeneca; Buzzi Unicem; Halfords Group; Vedanta Resources; Walt Disney; Zalando; Zurich Insurance Group.

Meetings: National Digital Week (Skibbereen, Co Cork); Wexford business expo (Wexford County Hall, Wexford).

Indicators: Irish inflation rate (Oct); US initial jobless claims (Nov 5).

Other: Permanent TSB interim management statement.

More than 1,600 entrepreneurs, digital marketers and technology enthusiasts are expected to take part in National Digital Week which kicks off in West Cork on Thursday.

Over the course of three days, there will be discussion and debate of some of the most topical issues facing entrepreneurship and digital accessibility in Ireland, including technology in agriculture, female founders and leadership; the sharing economy and opportunities in the global economy.

The event has been organised by the Ludgate Digital Hub, Ireland’s first rural digital hub.

Callum Donnelly, co-organiser of the event, said last year’s inaugural event generated in excess of ¤2 million for the local West Cork economy.

“National Digital Week is about rebranding rural Ireland as a location in which people can stay by choice to establish businesses, that can scale, employ skilled employees, and compete at a global level, that is the beauty of digital.”

He said geography is no longer a restricting factor as long as Ireland continues investing in future proofing broadband connectivity.

There will be more than 80 speakers at the event including Google’s managing director for the UK and Ireland Ronan Harris, Vodafone Ireland chief executive Anne O’Leary, Oscar winning film producer and Ireland’s digital champion David Puttnam, Uber senior board advisor Mark MacGann, Wall Street Journal London bureau chief Gráinne McCarthy and Ben Verwaayen, former CEO of Alcatel-Lucent and founding partner of Keen Venture.

Ronan Harris said some of Ireland’s leading online entrepreneurs are being brought together to share their insights and the Google Stage will be a hive of innovation and inspiration for entrepreneurs looking to expand their businesses on mobile and using YouTube.

“At Google we believe that there is a huge economic opportunity for rural Ireland as more and more people build successful businesses online.”

FRIDAY 

Meetings: Isme annual conference (RDS, Dublin 4); National Digital Week (Skibbereen, Co Cork).

Indicators: German inflation rate (Oct); UK construction output (Sept); Chinese retail sales (Oct).