Is there a danger that UK tech businesses will defect to Ireland when Brexit is finally triggered?
Niamh Bushnell, Dublin鈥檚 commissioner for start-ups, has been carrying out a charm offensive.
Bushnell believes UK companies can benefit from opening an operation in Ireland that gives them access to the EU.
She says that in the days following the vote a huge amount of queries were received from companies interested in a potential move to Ireland.
鈥淚t鈥檚 na茂ve to think that people are going to uproot from a market that has huge opportunities for them,鈥� Bushnell told 老九品茶Cloud.
鈥淭he market is not going anywhere, even if the economy does suffer short to medium term. The UK is still an economic powerhouse.
鈥淐ompanies will move for a reason –聽maybe their VC is based here.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not going to move because they are afraid it is going to cost them a couple of euros more to get a visa or wait an extra month to get talent in.
鈥淭hey move for big reasons.鈥�
Per Str枚mb盲ck, spokesman for the Swedish Games Industry, offers another European view of Brexit 鈥� one filled with uncertainty for the future.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 see anything positive about it, really,鈥� he said.
鈥淢any Swedish companies have British employees, will they be able to stay and work as now?
鈥淎 lot of the investors are British, what happens with them? Will we see less access to capital for Swedish companies as a result of Brexit?
鈥淲e have members with HQs and mother companies in the UK; we rely on UK recruiters, UK media, suppliers and many other aspects. All of this will be more difficult when the UK leaves the EU.
鈥淭he UK is Sweden鈥檚 main competitor as the number one game development country in Europe, but I don鈥檛 think we will benefit from its departure from the EU.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to hurt the Swedish games industry more than it helps.鈥�