Irish Design 2015 (ID2015), a programme aimed at driving job-creation, growing exports and increasing competitiveness, has launched today as part of the Action Plan for Jobs.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, and Minister for Business and Employment, Ged Nash TD, announced the programme which is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

Through a programme of over 300 Irish and international events, ID2015 aims to:

• Create 1800 jobs over three years through sales of design-led products and services

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• Generate an additional €10m in design-based exports

• Generate 200 new design-led business start-ups

• Facilitate more than 300 companies in international trade missions and design-based trade events

• Engage with an audience of over 3 million at home and abroad

It is an all-island initiative and will showcase the best of Irish design at home through events and exhibitions but also target the export market through trade missions and events in international capitals of design and commerce.

Minister Bruton said: "Supporting our businesses to produce high-quality design is an important part of our plan to sell more goods and services abroad and create more jobs in Ireland. This is a key part of our Action Plan for Jobs. As a northern European, high-value, export-oriented economy, innovating in design can allow our businesses to develop better products and services and ultimately sell more of them in competitive foreign markets – with major benefits for us all."

(CD/IT)