By Business & Finance 
Officially launching the Centre for Competitiveness (Ireland) in Government Buildings, are executive drrector Tony Lenehan, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Centre for Competitiveness Belfast, chief executive, Bob Barbour.
Having helped hundreds of Northern Ireland organisations to achieve world-class standards of business excellence for over 20 years, the Centre for Competitiveness is now establishing a new company and office in Dublin.
A founding member of the Global Federation of Competitive Councils and a partner of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), the new Centre for Competitiveness, Ireland (CCI) will be located at the CityWest Business Campus, in Dublin, and will promote and implement EFQM’s highly regarded Business Excellence Framework in key sectors and organisations.
The CCI will also provide a range of management development programmes, technical workshops and consultancy services, designed to improve management and leadership competences; as well as a suite of strategic innovation and organisational performance solutions.
The Brussels-based CEO of EFQM Brussels, Marc Amblard, and the chief executive of CforC Belfast, Bob Barbour, officiated at the launch of CCI, by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD in Government Buildings. They were joined at the launch by Stephen Kingon, chair of CCI, Board member Joe O’Mahony, and executive director,Tony Lenehan.
An Taoiseach welcomed the establishment of the CCI. He said: “I would like to wish all those involved in the new Centre for Competitiveness (Ireland) the best of luck as they establish their Dublin office. I have no doubt they can achieve the same success as they have in other jurisdictions in promoting competitiveness and excellence in business.”
The Centre also announced that Dr Tony Lenehan will lead the development of the new company in the Republic of Ireland, and will manage the provision of a wide range of business products and services, such as the EFQM business framework and awards, management workshops, business supports, operational advice and manager mentoring; to large organisations and SMEs in the private and public sectors.
To this end, the CCI will work closely with industry associations, hospitality and tourism enterprises, SMEs, retailers, hotel groups, government agencies, manufacturing organisations, local authorities, education and training providers and industry trade bodies.
A series of workshops on the EFQM Business Excellence framework and its application to organisations and their management teams will be held nationwide during November 2014.
CEO of EFQM in Brussels, Marc Amblard, said: “The EFQM Excellence Framework is used by over 30,000 organisations across Europe, and we are delighted to work with the Centre for Competitiveness (Ireland) to enable many more businesses and their leaders on the island of Ireland to benefit from its potential to significantly boost their performance. The Centre’s success and expertise are recognised across Europe and beyond, and I have no doubt that their presence in the Republic of Ireland will bring considerable benefits to many Irish organisations. Regardless of sector, size, structure or maturity, organisations need to establish appropriate management and business systems in order to be successful. The EFQM Excellence Framework is a practical tool to help organizations do this by measuring where they are on the path to excellence; helping them understands the gaps; and then applying innovative solutions.”
