The Minister for Trade and Investment Joe Costello TD has officially opened the new Turkey office for Irish engineering consultancy firm, ESB International (ESBI).
The new office, located in Ankara, will provide a platform for ESBI to expand its operations in the Turkish market and will house a number of support functions to support ESBI projects in the country.
The event happened as part of this week’s Enterprise Ireland trade mission of 25 Irish companies to Turkey, which is aimed at increasing trade between Ireland and Turkey.
Speaking at the opening, Minister Costello said: "The opening of ESB International’s office will enable them to access the significant market opportunities that Turkey, as the 16th largest economy in the world, presents. It is a demonstration of the potential that exists for Irish companies both to win business in Turkey and to use Turkey as a strategic location from which to access markets in the wider geographic region."
Ollie Brogan, Managing Director of ESB International added: "Turkey is a key market for ESB International both on account of the level of economic growth it is experiencing and the fact that it is positioned between our domestic market in Europe and the Middle East where we have been operating since 1976."
ESB International provides engineering and strategic consultancy services to the global power sector relating to the planning, development and construction of large energy assets such as power plants, wind farms and electricity transmission and distribution networks. It is wholly owned by ESB Ireland, the Irish state-owned electricity utility.
The company, which employs over 1,100 people worldwide, has been operating in the international power sector for over 35 years and has offices in Ireland, the UK, Middle East, Asia and South Africa.
ESB International has appointed Hakan Karaalioglu as Country Manager for Turkey.