The all-island polymer and plastics processing sector comprises more than 280 companies, 78 of them (28%) in Northern Ireland and 205 (72%) in Ireland. The sector had an annual turnover of over £2 billion/€3 billion in 2003-2004.
The sector employs 18,750 people, 31% of them in the North and 69% in the South, equivalent to 5.4% of the island’s total manufacturing employment. The average size of firms is 74 employees per firm in Northern Ireland – boosted by Michelin’s workforce of over 1,000 - and 64 employees per firm in Ireland.
84% of Northern Ireland firms have accessible internet websites, compared to only 49% in Ireland – potentially a major barrier to widening customer bases and the development of export markets.
Full statistics available in the following report:
A Competitiveness Analysis of the Polymer & Plastics Industry on the Island of Ireland
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