British Ambassador to Ireland, Kara Owen, visited Drogheda today to speak at the Business Beyond Borders UK event hosted by The Mill Enterprise Hub in partnership with Skillnet Innovation Exchange at Coca-Cola Ireland’s Drogheda Operations office.

The event brought together founders, SMEs, business leaders, and organisations from across the North-East and beyond to explore opportunities for growth, investment, innovation, and expansion into the UK market.

This marks the 6th Business Beyond Borders event organised by The Mill Enterprise Hub and the first edition focused on the UK market. The Business Beyond Borders series forms part of a wider initiative connected to The Mill’s BASSE Programme (Business Advantage Sustainability, Scaling and Expansion), designed to support ambitious founder-led businesses across the North-East region with scaling, sustainability, leadership development, and international growth opportunities.

As part of the visit, The Mill Enterprise Hub organised for Ambassador Owen to spend time in Drogheda and connect directly with local businesses and entrepreneurs from the region. Ambassador Owen expressed a strong interest in visiting Drogheda and engaging with the local business community to better understand the innovation, ambition, and enterprise activity taking place across the North-East.

During the event, Ambassador Owen met with a wide range of ambitious Irish companies spanning sectors including technology, manufacturing, food and beverage, engineering, sustainability, and digital innovation.

British Ambassador Kara Owen said, “The UK and Ireland have a long-standing and deeply connected business relationship, and it is inspiring to see the level of innovation and ambition coming from companies across this region.”

Owen Desmond, Strategic Finance Director at Coca-Cola, said: “We are delighted to support initiatives that bring businesses and communities together. It was a pleasure to welcome so many business leaders and entrepreneurs to Coca-Cola Drogheda today, and we are proud to support The Mill Enterprise Hub and the Skillnet Innovation Exchange in the important work they are doing to help businesses grow and scale across the region.”

Ronan Whitty, CEO of The Mill Enterprise Hub, said: “Business Beyond Borders was created to help ambitious Irish businesses build meaningful international connections and explore real opportunities for growth. To welcome the British Ambassador to Drogheda for our first UK-focused event was a significant moment for both the region and the wider business community.”

Sinead O’Riordan, head of channel partnerships at Skillnet Innovation Exchange, said:

“Business Beyond Borders continues to create valuable opportunities for ambitious Irish businesses to connect, collaborate, and explore new markets. We are delighted to partner with The Mill Enterprise Hub on this initiative and to support businesses across the North-East. ”