Peter Brady, Head of Risk Capital at Aon Ireland, has revealed the top five risks facing Irish businesses in 2025, outlining the importance of leaders putting in place strategies that mitigate against these challenges in 2025.

The emergence of a more protectionist trading environment and heightened geopolitical instability look set to have a significant impact on Irish businesses in the months ahead. With flooding, wildfires and other extreme weather events becoming increasingly frequent, Aon Ireland is forecasting that business leaders will need to take greater action to prepare against climate risk this year. Other key challenges ahead include the growing risk posed by evolving cyber and AI capabilities and the complexities created by forthcoming regulatory and legislative changes.

"While Irish businesses have navigated challenges well in recent years, a heightened state of volatility is set to become the new normal this year, said Peter Brady, Head of Risk Capital at Aon Ireland. "In this increasingly complex environment, defined by major shifts across the areas of trade, technology, weather and workforce, leaders should expect the unexpected.

"From navigating a more turbulent geopolitical and economic environment to managing the impact of increasingly frequent extreme weather events, leaders are set to face a range of fast evolving risks this year. The path forward for leaders demands agility, foresight, and a commitment to innovation.

By embracing these principles and taking proactive steps today, organisations can turn challenges into opportunities and ensure a resilient, successful future in an unpredictable world. At Aon Ireland, we're proud to support leaders across the country make better decisions across technology, trade, weather and workforce to grow and protect their business."

The Top 5 Risks include:

1. Digital disruption intensifies as cyber and AI risks evolve

While advances in AI, cyber and data technology are helping companies operating in an increasingly digital world gain a significant competitive edge, they also introduce new and evolving risks. In 2025, businesses will need to ensure they identify and mitigate against these risks as AI quickly becomes a key component of their innovation strategy. In 2025 we can expect a proactive approach from many businesses in managing the risk, with more than 9 in 10 (94%) Irish businesses enacting a plan or reviewing processes to mitigate against cyber risk, according to Aon's GRMS.

2. Economic uncertainty grows as protectionist trade policies emerge

The potential introduction of trade barriers and protectionist trade policies could trigger significant disruption to economic and business growth in 2025. According to the Central Bank, these risks could have a significant impact on Ireland's economic model as a small and open international economy, reliant on international trade. Irish businesses are not alone in experiencing heightened economic uncertainty. IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva recently warned that the global economy is at risk of an economic slowdown, due to the shifting international environment. Leaders will need to ensure they have a clear strategy to manage these challenges and grow and protect their business in 2025.

3. Climate risk climbs up the business agenda

From wildfires to flooding, extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent and more severe in Ireland and across the globe. The potential impact of climate risk on business in 2025 is wide and can affect a broad range of operations, from significant damage to business assets, to workforce health and safety.

As leaders plan ahead, they must be increasingly conscious of climate risk and take action to prepare - climate change is the fourth highest future risk for Irish business according to Aon's latest GRMS. Data and analytics tools can support companies shape decision making around the issue of weather and climate risk, enabling them to develop strategies to close the protection ...

Recent analysis by Geotab, a global leader in connected transportation solutions, has revealed that Kerry ranks highest in terms of availability of EV charging infrastructure for zero-emissions vehicles. With 1,027 Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) sold in the county over the past ten years, Kerry has one EV charger for every six (5.9) BEVs in the county. The Kingdom ranks slightly ahead of Longford (5.93) and Mayo (6.61) based on the analysis of ten years of Battery Electric Vehicle sales in each county and the latest public EV charging infrastructure data available locally.

Charging anxiety has been a factor in the slow adoption of Battery Electric Vehicles, with the public opting for hybrid vehicles for a sense of security, with a 25% growth in new hybrid cars licensed in the first 11 months of the year. Progress has been made, however, with the Government announcing its National Road EV Charging Network Plan earlier this year with a commitment to have recharging stations every 60 km. The steady improvement in Ireland's public charging network is highlighted by the recent opening of IONITY Charlestown, the country's largest high-power charging hub with 12 350kW CCS units at the site.

The ratio of BEVs to public charging infrastructure is now at its best level ever. As the EV public charging network improves, the challenge will now be to ensure high levels of availability across the country, with some inconsistency identified by the Geotab analysis. While counties like Kerry, Longford and Mayo have six chargers on average for every BEV sold in the county, this rises sixfold to 36 in Meath. Similarly, Waterford (26) and Louth (23) also have less public charging infrastructure available to BEV owners compared to other counties.

The growth of the public charging network will need to keep pace with the increasing numbers of Battery Electric Vehicles in the country, a trend which is set to continue as EVs become more attractive due to a lower average price point as models like the Citroën Ami, which retails from €9,990, come onto the market.

There are positive signs of momentum in the continued growth in the public charging network, with analysis by the Irish EV Association revealing that the scale of infrastructure at the end of 2025 will be triple the level of what was in place prior to 2023. The organisation has also noted that there are currently over 80 planning applications for fast charger sites across the country.

Commenting on the analysis, Phil Barnes, Geotab Business Development Manager, Ireland & UK, said: "While the majority of people charge their EVs at home, public chargers are a crucial piece of infrastructure that give people peace of mind that they can get from A to B without being worried about being stuck at the side of the road. Whether it's a taxi driver working a long shift or a family taking a trip from one end of the country to the other, people want to know they can get access to a charger if they need one.

"The latest data is really positive as it illustrates how quickly the charging network is expanding and catching up with the amount of service stations available for traditional vehicles. The ambition and measures set out in the Programme for Government to substantially increase the number of public charging points, putting us ahead of the European average, and reduce the average distance between EV recharging points will help increase the momentum behind the adoption of zero emission vehicles in Ireland."

Geotab's analysis of the ratio of public EV charging infrastructure compared to the number of Battery Electric Vehicles sold in each county is set out below.

County

Ratio

No. of BEVs sold in past 10 years

No. of public EV chargers

Kerry

5.90

1,027

174

Longford

5.93

243

41

Mayo

6.61

820

124

Clare

7.26

1,250

172

Donegal

7.64

978

128

Cavan

8.81

511

58

Kilkenny

10.14

994

98

Wexford

10.48

1,814

173

Westmeath

11.37

990

87

Laois

11.77

718

61

Galway

12.07

2,741

227

Monaghan

12.2

293

24

Roscommon

12.45

411...

A European research-led consortium has been established to pioneer technologies to improve crop resilience to drought stress caused by climate change.

EpiSeedLink is a €2.69 million project funded under the European Commission's Horizon Europe that will run for four years, exploring new methods to improve how farmed crops can survive prolonged dry spells by harnessing natural processes.

The research consortium is made up of partners in Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands with the Kerry-based biotech company BioAtlantis and the lead researcher, Dr Sara Farrona at University of Galway.

EpiSeedLink employs two key strategies: understanding the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms behind seed germination and vigour to develop drought-resistant crops; and developing Molecular Seed Priming agents from renewable marine and terrestrial resources, such as seaweed, to improve seed performance under drought.

These approaches will be tested in laboratory and field trial conditions using model plants such as Arabidopsis - a flowering plant of the mustard family; as well as tomato and oilseed rape - two major crops grown in Europe.

Dr Sara Farrona, Head of the Plant Development Epigenetics Laboratory of the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, said: "Our goal is to research the potential for technologies that could help farmers grow crops under climate-related stress conditions, such as drought. As development of agricultural sustainable practices is essential in combating climate change, the goal of EpiSeedLink is to contribute to this challenge by driving progress toward a more sustainable world and advancing both foundational knowledge and practical solutions in agriculture.

"The research is investigating epigenetic mechanisms - essentially how cell function can be changed. Epigenetic processes in biology are analogous to a computer's software. While genomes resemble the hardware running cells, epigenetic changes resemble software that manage when genes are switched on or off. Such changes can occur naturally in response to environmental factors, linking cells to their surroundings, but without altering crop DNA sequences.

"This project seeks to harness these natural processes to deliver new sustainable technologies to crop growers."

The EpiSeedLink project involves research in three main areas:

Seed Germination: Understanding how epigenetic factors influence the development of a new plant, known as seed-to-seedling transition.

Stress Adaptation: Studying how plants respond to drought stress.

Seed Priming: Developing technologies to improve drought tolerance using Molecular Seed Priming agents from renewable marine and terrestrial resources, such as seaweed.

As part of the EpiSeedLink consortium, University of Galway and BioAtlantis are hosting PhD students who are being trained as the next generation of plant scientists in innovative plant epigenetics research, offering new ways to improve crop yields and stress resilience.

Dr Sujeeth Neerakkal, Head of Plant Research, BioAtlantis Ltd, said: "EpiSeedLink is a cutting-edge research project focused on modulating the epigenetic code in crops, using novel Molecular Priming agents. In this project, BioAtlantis will play a key role in developing these molecular priming agents to improve drought tolerance and to enhance growth and yield in crops, whilst also contributing to the training of the next generation of PhD level scientists in this field of research.

"As part of their training students will conduct scientific trials at BioAtlantis' R&D facilities, using model plants and crops species such as, oil seed rape and tomato. BioAtlantis' participation in EpiSeedLink is testament to its continued commitment to the development of STEM and biotechnology in Ireland, and our drive to deliver proven and sustainable solutions to crop growers worldwide."

See more stories here.

A European research-led consortium has been established to pioneer technologies to improve crop resilience to drought stress caused by climate change.

EpiSeedLink is a €2.69 million project funded under the European Commission's Horizon Europe that will run for four years, exploring new methods to improve how farmed crops can survive prolonged dry spells by harnessing natural processes.

The research consortium is made up of partners in Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands with the Kerry-based biotech company BioAtlantis and the lead researcher, Dr Sara Farrona at University of Galway.

EpiSeedLink employs two key strategies: understanding the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms behind seed germination and vigour to develop drought-resistant crops; and developing Molecular Seed Priming agents from renewable marine and terrestrial resources, such as seaweed, to improve seed performance under drought.

These approaches will be tested in laboratory and field trial conditions using model plants such as Arabidopsis - a flowering plant of the mustard family; as well as tomato and oilseed rape - two major crops grown in Europe.

Dr Sara Farrona, Head of the Plant Development Epigenetics Laboratory of the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, said: "Our goal is to research the potential for technologies that could help farmers grow crops under climate-related stress conditions, such as drought. As development of agricultural sustainable practices is essential in combating climate change, the goal of EpiSeedLink is to contribute to this challenge by driving progress toward a more sustainable world and advancing both foundational knowledge and practical solutions in agriculture.

"The research is investigating epigenetic mechanisms - essentially how cell function can be changed. Epigenetic processes in biology are analogous to a computer's software. While genomes resemble the hardware running cells, epigenetic changes resemble software that manage when genes are switched on or off. Such changes can occur naturally in response to environmental factors, linking cells to their surroundings, but without altering crop DNA sequences.

"This project seeks to harness these natural processes to deliver new sustainable technologies to crop growers."

The EpiSeedLink project involves research in three main areas:

Seed Germination: Understanding how epigenetic factors influence the development of a new plant, known as seed-to-seedling transition.

Stress Adaptation: Studying how plants respond to drought stress.

Seed Priming: Developing technologies to improve drought tolerance using Molecular Seed Priming agents from renewable marine and terrestrial resources, such as seaweed.

As part of the EpiSeedLink consortium, University of Galway and BioAtlantis are hosting PhD students who are being trained as the next generation of plant scientists in innovative plant epigenetics research, offering new ways to improve crop yields and stress resilience.

Dr Sujeeth Neerakkal, Head of Plant Research, BioAtlantis Ltd, said: "EpiSeedLink is a cutting-edge research project focused on modulating the epigenetic code in crops, using novel Molecular Priming agents. In this project, BioAtlantis will play a key role in developing these molecular priming agents to improve drought tolerance and to enhance growth and yield in crops, whilst also contributing to the training of the next generation of PhD level scientists in this field of research.

"As part of their training students will conduct scientific trials at BioAtlantis' R&D facilities, using model plants and crops species such as, oil seed rape and tomato. BioAtlantis' participation in EpiSeedLink is testament to its continued commitment to the development of STEM and biotechnology in Ireland, and our drive to deliver proven and sustainable solutions to crop growers worldwide."

See more stories here.

The Azul State of Java 2025 survey offers a timely window into the use of Java. In the context of what remains volatile economic conditions globally, the use of Java continues to remain strong. Globally nearly 70% of respondents said that at least 50% of their applications are either built with Java or run on a Java Virtual Machine (JVM). (UK = 60%; France and Germany = 58%)

That said, the current market context has put cost efficiencies and the optimisation of Java applications and infrastructure high on the agenda for Java users.

Frustration with Oracle Java Licensing leads to growth in migration plans

In part this is driven by sustained frustration with Oracle's approach to Java and a desire to move away to alternative versions, such as the OpenJDK. Globally, 82% of Oracle Java users continue to express unease over its cost structure - UK (83%); France (94%); Germany (87%). 88% of global Oracle Java users are considering the switch to another JVM/JDK such as those based on OpenJDK, rising from 72% in 2023 - UK (78%); France (92%); Germany (95%).

Need to make better use of cloud capacity

However, it reflects a maturing understanding of how organisations deploy applications in the Cloud with a greater emphasis on optimisation of application usage. Worldwide, nearly two-thirds (62%) of organisations that use Java workloads in the cloud say more than 50% of their cloud compute costs are from Java workloads, but 71% of survey respondents say that more than 20% of their cloud compute capacity is unused - UK (68%); France (85%); Germany (74%).

Dealing with security vulnerabilities is impacting developer productivity

There is also a concern that developer productivity needs to improve and a desire to reduce exposure to security vulnerabilities. Globally, 33% of participants say that more than 50% of their DevOps teams' time is wasted on Java-related security vulnerability false positives, while three years after the Log4j incident almost half the companies (49%) in this survey are still experiencing security vulnerabilities from Log4j in production - UK (46%); France and Germany (61%).

Half the Java community using Java for AI

Survey respondents also have one eye on the future when thinking about productivity and optimisation. Although Python has been seen by many commentators as the "darling" coding language of developers for AI, it is clear among the Java community there is a significant role for Java. 50% of survey participants who build AI functionality use Java, surpassing the use of other popular languages like Python (41%) that are perceived as more associated with AI - UK (49%); France (51%); Germany (44%).

This underlines its long-term stability and value of Java to the enterprise.

Java applications with AI will demand more compute

However, given all the commentary about the processing power required to support AI applications it is unsurprising 72% of global respondents warn their compute consumption will have to grow to support Java applications with AI functionality - UK (74%); France (61%); Germany (66%).

This is further reason why it is critical for engineers to focus on optimising their Cloud environments to get ready to apply AI in their Java applications and infrastructure, as well as improve developer productivity.

See more stories here.

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"Safety, reliability, functionality, and efficacy" are some of the fundamental characteristics required for devices designed to diagnose, prevent, monitor, and treat medical conditions. In an ever-increasing and complex regulatory landscape, ensuring device performance, patient safety, and environmental protection is now more important than ever and is proving to be a significant technological challenge across the medical device industry.

Medical devices are typified by reliability, safe and consistent performance, governed by device design and the materials of construction. For manufacturers, it is critically important to use materials with known physical, chemical, and biological properties and that the material performance is consistent during production and during clinical use.

We have seen the sweeping impact of MDR, especially around challenges in the re-qualification of complex devices, and now we are seeing more fundamental challenges being introduced as a result of the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation specifically relating to the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The EU has proposed comprehensive restrictions on PFAS, aiming to phase out their use in most applications due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. The controlled use of PFAS is very important from this perspective, but limiting or removing their use could have a major impact on the performance of a vast number of critical materials across industries whose properties depend on the use of PFAS chemistries.

The PFAS group of synthetic chemicals are known for their useful properties such as surface lubricity, durability, resistance to heat and water, and biocompatibility. Due to these attractive properties, PFAS have been used in a wide range of MedTech applications in both finished products and across material supply chains. The introduction of restrictions on the use of PFAS is particularly concerning for the medical device industry, as the combination of material properties provided by PFAS chemistries is so useful.

This concern is compounded by the fact that, in general, no direct alternatives are available for use in many MedTech applications. Often, the only potential alternative is another type of PFAS. One thing is for sure: addressing these challenges will require significant research and development engagement across the industry, from raw materials supply through manufacturing to sterilisation and ultimate device performance.

The Impact on Ireland's Medical Device Industry

Ireland has a thriving medical device industry, and we are globally regarded as a leader in the sector. Indeed, we host 18 of the top 25 MedTech companies, and are home to over 450 MedTech companies,. Moreover, we have established a diverse ecosystem of medical technologies production, from coronary stents to contact lenses. It is known that PFAS restrictions will impact a huge number of MedTech companies in Ireland, and we have seen real examples of significant R&D projects to address PFAS restrictions in practice. The tightening of PFAS regulations presents several challenges:

Product Reformulation:

Medical device manufacturers must reformulate products to reduce or eliminate PFAS content. This process involves extensive research and testing to ensure that alternative materials meet the stringent performance and safety standards required. These could include biocompatibility, mechanical performance, and even processibility within existing manufacturing lines.

Process Optimisation:

Manufacturing processes will need to be redesigned to minimise or eliminate PFAS usage. This will involve modifying or improving production techniques, optimising raw material use, and implementing advanced technologies such as advanced filtration to capture or scavenge PFAS particles.

Materials Substitution:

The transition to PFAS-free materials can disrupt supply chains, as manufacturers need to source new materi...

Researchers at University of Galway have developed a way of bioprinting tissues that change shape as a result of cell-generated forces, in the same way that it happens in biological tissues during organ development.

Photo details Ankita Pramanick, CÚRAM PhD Candidate and Professor Andrew Daly, Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering and CÚRAM funded investigator, University of Galway. Photo: Aengus McMahon

The breakthrough science focused on replicating heart tissues, bringing research closer to generating functional, bioprinted organs, which would have broad applications in disease modelling, drug screening and regenerative medicine.

Bioprinting functional human heart tissue continues to evolve

The research was led by a team at the School of Engineering and CÚRAM Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices at University of Galway and has been published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

Bioprinting technology uses living cells within specialised "bioink" materials - a substance or material which can support living cells, and due to its characteristics, it can aid cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation during maturation. The technology offers immense promise for creating lab-grown organs that closely resemble the structure of their human equivalent.

However, bioprinting fully functional organs remains a significant hurdle. For instance, while bioprinted heart tissues can contract, their force of contraction is often considerably weaker than that of a healthy adult heart.

Traditional bioprinting methods often aim to directly recreate the final anatomical shape of an organ, like the heart - therefore overlooking the crucial role of dynamic shape changes during natural embryonic development. For example, the heart begins as a simple tube that undergoes a series of bends and twists to form its mature four-chambered structure. These shape-morphing behaviours are essential for sculpting heart cell development and maturation.

The University of Galway research team recognised this and developed a novel bioprinting technique that incorporates crucial shape-changing behaviours.

Ankita Pramanick, lead author of the study and CÚRAM PhD Candidate at University of Galway, said: "Our work introduces a novel platform, using embedded bioprinting to bioprint tissues that undergo programmable and predictable 4D shape-morphing driven by cell-generated forces. Using this new process, we found that shape-morphing improved the structural and functional maturity of bioprinted heart tissues."

The research showed that cell-generated forces could guide the shape-morphing of bioprinted tissues, and it was possible to control the magnitude of the shape changes by modifying factors such as the initial print geometry and bioink stiffness. Morphing was found to sculpt cell alignment and enhance the contractile properties of the tissues. The research team also developed a computational model that could predict tissue shape-morphing behaviour.

Professor Andrew Daly, Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering and CÚRAM funded investigator and principal investigator on the project, said: "Our research shows that by allowing bioprinted heart tissues to undergo shape-morphing, they start to beat stronger and faster. The limited maturity of bioprinted tissues has been a major challenge in the field, so this was an exciting result for us. This allows us to create more advanced bioprinted heart tissue, with the ability to mature in a laboratory setting, better replicating adult human heart structure. We are excited to build on this shape-morphing approach in our ongoing European Research Council project, which is focused on developmentally-inspired bioprinting.

"We are still a long way away from bioprinting functional tissue that could be implanted in humans, and future work will need to explore how we can scale our bioprinting approach to human-scale hearts.

"We will need to integrate blood vessels to keep such large constructs alive...

When people think about brand theft, they often imagine large corporations like Nike, Chanel, or Gucci battling with hundreds of thousands of fake products. But the truth is, counterfeiters don't care how big or small you are. In fact, small businesses are often more vulnerable to the damage.

Fake products: More than just a nuisance

According to a report by the OECD and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are 34% less likely to survive after five years if their intellectual property rights are infringed. That's because SMEs typically lack the knowledge or resources to monitor for counterfeit goods, file legal claims, or recover from the loss of revenue and reputation that brand theft entails.

Without a registered trademark or monitoring tools in place, small businesses become easy targets. They may not even realize their brand is being stolen until the damage is done.

A problem that multiples

Let's break it down: imagine you sell handcrafted bags on Etsy. You've built a loyal following, and your products are gaining popularity. One day, counterfeit versions of your bags start showing up on a major marketplace like Amazon. At first, it's just one or two listings, but soon, those same counterfeit products appear on eBay, AliExpress, and Temu.

Each counterfeit sale represents a customer you've lost - not just because they bought the fake instead of your original, but because they might never come back after experiencing poor quality. These counterfeit products often undercut your pricing, making it even harder for customers to distinguish your genuine product from the knockoff.

Consider this: even if counterfeiters steal just 10% of your sales on one platform, the effect compounds when those knockoffs start appearing on multiple channels. The loss isn't just financial - it's also about visibility. With fake products flooding multiple platforms, your genuine listings can be drowned out, making it harder for new customers to find you.

Securing your business for the long run

The cost of brand theft is real, but so are the solutions. By equipping your business with the right tools and knowledge to fight back, you can make sure your brand stays on top no matter what.

The first step is to register your trademark. A registered trademark gives you the exclusive rights to your name, logo, or other identifiers, making it much easier to take action against counterfeiters. Without a trademark, even if you spot fake versions of your product online, your options for stopping them are limited. With one in place, online platforms and even courts are more likely to side with you, giving you the power to take down those infringing listings.

While a trademark gives you the legal power to take action, brand monitoring helps you spot infringing products before they can do damage. Monitoring your brand across various online platforms lets you identify these fakes early and step in before they drain your sales.

For small businesses, it can feel like a lot to manage. But there are ways to simplify the process. Instead of juggling multiple tools or trying to learn complex legal jargon, there are services designed specifically to help businesses stay ahead of threats. Platforms like Trama offer a streamlined approach, bringing trademark registration and brand monitoring together in an easy, accessible way.

By making brand protection easy and affordable, Trama helps you keep your brand safe while you focus on what you do best - building your business.

A Europe-wide survey, conducted by SumUp, the fintech company providing services to over 4 million companies worldwide, shows that businesses in Ireland are feeling the pressure of the cost of living, particularly leading up to the Christmas period. From the pool of over 500 respondents, 26.5% believe that their customers would spend less money this past holiday season due to the rising cost of living. 27.1% of businesses in Ireland note that the greatest detriment to their businesses over 2024 has been the higher cost of everyday living.

This constitutes a higher percentage than in any of the other countries surveyed - only 23.5% of those surveyed in Italy believe this to be the primary cause of lower business performance, and similar findings were seen across France (22.9%) and the UK (21.8%), while in Germany the percentage drops to 17.3%.

Business owners across Ireland also predicted that the search for discounts or special offers would increase, with 17.6% noting as much, and 10.8% of respondents stating that they felt that customers would halt their purchasing of certain products based on the piece point. In spite of this overall negative outlook, some business owners remained optimistic about spending habits, with 11.1% believing that shoppers would be more willing to put their hands in their pockets over the holiday season.

Unsurprisingly, following the cost-of-living as the biggest challenge faced by Irish businesses over the course of 2024, respondents noted energy costs (16.9%), the cost of supplies (16.3%) and the decrease in customers' purchase power (14.7%) as the leading causes of disruption in their business operations. To offset these challenges, businesses have been looking towards a variety of measures to combat soaring energy costs and economic uncertainty. The survey further revealed that almost one third of Irish businesses (31.5%) have already implemented changes to tackle rising costs, with a further 23% considering doing so in the future.

The most common change made by such businesses has been the increase of prices of the products or services supplied (28.8%); 18.1% of respondents also shared that they replaced higher-quality products with cheaper alternatives to ease the cost, in addition to 15% of business owners reducing their own salaries to help make ends meet. These measures far outnumber the more drastic alternatives, with only 3.8% noting a reduction in workforce, and 0.4% having closed one or more stores/branches. These figures are lower than other European countries surveyed, with a decrease in staff being noted by 9.8% merchants in the UK, 9.2% in Germany, 7.1% in Italy, and 6.7% in France, highlighting the durability of Irish merchants.

In order to remain competitive in the current commercial landscape, technological innovations remain paramount. Primary benefits seen by merchants in these times include the availability to increase online visibility to attract new customers (23%), the reinforcement of customer loyalty (19%), and to save time and increase productivity (18.9%). Looking at Generative AI, findings from this survey also show that the main uses of this technology are content creation for businesses' websites, social media and marketing (27.4%), to better understand customers expectations (17.3%) and the running of targeted marketing campaigns (14.4%).

Despite these changes to customer behaviours and business functions, businesses across Ireland remain resilient - almost half of all respondents (49.3%) stated they are confident that their business will improve over the course of 2025. While remaining optimistic about maintaining smooth operations, the relentless rise in everyday costs, as illustrated by these findings by SumUp, suggests that further adjustments will likely be necessary for businesses that have not already adapted. In the face of such challenges, SumUp, a leading global fintech providing financial services to over 4 million companies worldwide, is continuing to...

By Rev. Dr Susan Goldsworthy, who is an Olympic finalist, award-winning author, executive coach, and speaker with more than 40 years of corporate experience. She is author of new book Care Dare Share: The Secure Base Coach, published by IMD.

The future of work is here, and it's evolving at an unprecedented pace. Technology advancements, shifting societal expectations, and global disruptions are reshaping industries, challenging traditional organizational structures, and rewriting the rules of leadership. Four of the key trends shaping the future of work are:

1. Automation and AI: While technology streamlines operations, it also disrupts jobs, requiring upskilling and reskilling at scale.

2. Remote and Hybrid Work: Flexible work models are becoming the norm, demanding new approaches to collaboration and culture-building.

3. Workforce Expectations: Employees increasingly prioritize well-being, purpose, and inclusivity, challenging organizations to rethink traditional hierarchies and management styles.

4. Economic and Environmental Uncertainty: From global recessions to climate change, organizations must adapt to unpredictable external forces.

The Future of Work: Preparing Your Organization

For startups, small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and tech-driven companies, it isn't just about navigating the 'what' of these changes, it's about reimagining the 'how' in the way we work. These shifts demand not only operational agility but also a fundamental transformation in how leaders engage and empower their teams.

In this context, Secure Base Coaching emerges as a game-changing strategy to prepare and sustain organizations for tomorrow's challenges. This leadership approach fosters trust, resilience, and creativity, creating the conditions for innovation and for individuals and teams to thrive amidst uncertainty. In the words of Anthony Venus, Founder, Luminous & Partner, CEO Coaching International, " When leaders embody secure base coaching, they create a positive environment, focus on the future, invest time in developing others, show empathy and self-awareness, and encourage others to take responsibility and try new ideas. This approach unleashes the potential in each individual to grow, contribute, impact, and help organizations thrive. It is vastly different from old-school, command-and-control, fear-based management techniques, which sadly still exist in the corporate world.

Secure base coaching provides the warmth and respect that everyone yearns for and can enjoy giving to their teams, enabling them to thrive and leaving a positive mark on their careers and our organizations for the future."

At its heart, Secure Base Coaching is about creating environments where individuals feel both valued and inspired to grow. It blends caring (showing interest, providing emotional support and co-creating psychological safety), daring (challenging status quo, encouraging bold action and risk-taking), and sharing (fostering collaboration and mutual learning).

A secure base leader acts as a trusted anchor, offering stability during times of uncertainty while simultaneously challenging employees to stretch beyond their comfort zones. This dual approach nurtures resilience, creativity, and performance - qualities essential for thriving in the workplace. Through applying secure base coaching principles, leaders can:

1. Build Psychological Safety for Innovation

In uncertain times, fear often stifles creativity. Employees may hesitate to voice ideas or take risks, fearing judgment or failure. Secure Base Coaching addresses this by fostering psychological safety, an inclusive culture where individuals feel valued, respected, and free to contribute without fear of negative consequences. Secure base spaces are playful as the 'flashlight of fear' is turned off.

For example, a secure base leader might:

Celebrate mistakes as learning opportunities.

Encourage diverse perspectives in decision-making.

Offer consistent feedback that balances interes...