Ibec has called on the next government to provide new funding options for SME manufacturers and to commit an additional €10 billion to spending on infrastructure projects by 2020.

The group has launched a ‘Manufacturing Ireland’ campaign and a new association, the Irish Manufacturers Association (IMA). It has also called for adequate funding to support upskilling by manufacturing companies and a national cyber security programme with dedicated funding to prioritise cyber security research.

A survey of the manufacturing sector, conducted by Ibec and AIB showed that 71 per cent of manufacturing respondents export and 51 per cent viewed increased demand in overseas markets as a key opportunity. For 73 per cent of survey respondents, operational excellence with firms was their number one critical production issue. Employment in the sector is strong and 63 per cent are investing in hiring new staff in the coming year .