Irish companies signed deals worth more than €32 million during the course of an Enterprise Ireland trade mission to Canada.
Irish wind energy group Airtricity entered the Canadian market with the acquisition of Gael Force, a wind farm developer, in a deal understood to be worth some 10 million Canadian dollars (€7 million).
The deal follows the purchase earlier this year of a small wind farm group in the United States. Declan Flanagan, general manager of the Airtricity's North American operations, said the group had been looking for a "suitable partner" in Canada for some time.
Banking software group Fineos sealed a prestigious link-up with Royal Bank of Canada that will see the Dublin firm provide the software to run a new claims management system for the Canadian blue-chip's insurance subsidiary.
Fineos emerged victorious from a global tender process.
Another company to ink a deal this week is mapping technology group eSpatial, which got its break in providing a mapping solution for the Department of Agriculture that allowed it to run the farm payments programme more efficiently.
The Swords company announced a strategic partnership with PGI Geomatics, which will allow Natural Resources, Canada's national mapping centre, to update continuously its image database, which is used by services across the country.
Other companies finalising business include Cúram Software, which has built a reputation in social enterprise management software. The Dublin business announced a partnership with the Canadian Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
Galway tech firm MusiCan closed a CAD$3 million deal that will see Toronto firm Strategic Transitions become the exclusive country distributor for MusiCan's music education software. The Irish company has recently received the Curriculum Services Canada "seal of quality" and a pilot programme later this year will see the group's software being rolled out in 32 schools in Ontario province.
Dublin's Griffith College announced a partnership with Seneca College, the sixth largest third-level institution in Canada. The deal will see the two colleges engaging in student exchange programmes and knowledge sharing.
Technological innovation was also behind a licensing deal signed by family-owned Irish high-end bed manufacturer Kaymed. Kaymed, which uses space programme technology in its beds, agreed a partnership with major Canadian retailer Mega Group.
Galway firm Fintax agreed a deal with the Intercontinental Hotels chain that will see its software used to facilitate automatic tourist tax refunds for people staying with Intercontinental.
Shannon firm Advanced Innovations announced earlier this week that it was opening a North American office in Toronto. It also announced a deal to develop and prepare for manufacturing an aviation electronics testing system for Canadian group Pointer Avionics.
The companies are among 32 client firms of Enterprise Ireland and Invest NI that travelled with Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin and his Northern counterpart Maria Eagle on a visit that also saw the opening of a new Enterprise Ireland office in Toronto.
