Nightingale HQ Meets Welsh Government in Ireland to Strengthen Cross-Border Growth

Wales and Ireland share far more than a stretch of sea. They have long-standing trade links, a collaborative business outlook, and increasingly, a shared customer base for Nightingale HQ.

Our Chief Executive Officer, Ruth Kearney, recently met with John O’Loughlin, Head of Trade and Investment for Welsh Government in Ireland, and Iain Quick, Head of Welsh Government in Ireland, to discuss opportunities for growing Welsh innovation across the Irish market.

As a Welsh technology company, Nightingale HQ has always built products with international customers in mind. While our roots are firmly in Wales, GoSmarter.ai was designed to help manufacturers around the world improve productivity, traceability, and operational performance. Meeting the team responsible for strengthening economic ties between Wales and Ireland was a valuable opportunity as we continue to expand.

Why this meeting mattered

Nightingale HQ is entering an exciting stage of growth, with Ireland playing a key role in our expansion strategy. GoSmarter.ai, our artificial intelligence (AI) platform for metals manufacturers, is already supporting customers in Ireland, and we continue to see strong demand from manufacturers looking to automate manual processes, improve traceability, and make better operational decisions.

Welsh Government in Ireland plays an important role in helping Welsh businesses export, grow internationally, and build relationships across the Irish market. At the same time, it supports inward investment into Wales, creating opportunities that benefit businesses on both sides of the Irish Sea.

The team’s priority sectors include:

• Technology
• Construction and infrastructure
• Agritech
• Agrifood
• Offshore wind

These sectors closely align with the industries GoSmarter serves. Construction, infrastructure, and renewable energy all rely on resilient steel and metals supply chains, making Wales and Ireland natural partners for innovation in manufacturing.

“Steph and I have always built this business with a global mindset, even when our whole team fitted around one table in Caerphilly,” said Ruth Kearney, CEO of Nightingale HQ. “Meeting John and Iain reinforced the strength of the relationship between Wales and Ireland and the opportunities that exist for Welsh businesses to grow internationally. That support is invaluable as we continue to scale.”

Looking ahead

We are continuing to expand our presence across Ireland, building on relationships with the wider Irish manufacturing community. As we grow, we look forward to working closely with Welsh Government in Ireland to develop new partnerships, reach more manufacturers, and strengthen the connection between two nations with a shared ambition for innovation and industrial growth.

Further reading

• Nightingale HQ teams up with Welsh manufacturing clusters across North and Mid Wales
• Business Wales features Nightingale HQ as a steel manufacturing success story
• Nightingale HQ becomes first UK start-up to join EIT Manufacturing consortium
• Midland Steel case study
• Less Paper. More Metal. GoSmarter pitches to Women Angels of Wales