Dublin-based digital agency Matrix Internet has been expanding internationally in the last three years, and has taken another huge leap by opening a new office in Brussels. After 20+ years in business, the full-service agency has broadened its digital offering to clients in a more demanding post-pandemic climate, increasing staff members by 40% since 2020. With “feet on the ground” throughout Europe, important strategic partners and a large international team, Matrix has a winning strategy.
The pandemic forced companies to accelerate their push to digital, while remote staff and client meetings brought an international client base much closer. A digitally transformed environment with an increasingly global outlook perfectly suits Matrix’s diverse team of 50 professionals from 21 different countries. In addition, Brexit has left Ireland with a major role as the EU’s only native English speaking nation, and in Ursula Von Der Leyen’s words as a “gateway” to the world.
Companies of all sizes, in diverse sectors, across Europe, had been increasingly calling on Matrix to provide their range of services in web design and development, digital marketing, support and business strategy. As the company started taking on more high-profile clients in the Benelux region and central Europe, it made sense to open a new base in the heart of Europe, with an office overlooking the EU Commission building.
Matrix launched its new EU base in late 2022 with two new team members employed as Market Development Strategists, Una Louli and Eimear Delargy, who are managing Matrix’s expansion into the Benelux region.
Managing Director Jeff Sheridan, Operations Manager Richard Domegan and Marketing Strategist Brian Cochrane recently met with Una and Eimear in Brussels to discuss the exciting expansion, along with consortium partners Schumann Associates, a Brussels-based advisory firm that has been helping Matrix to identify and win large EU projects.
As Matrix representatives in Brussels, Una and Eimear will be bridging the gap between Ireland and mainland Europe. The new physical presence in the Benelux region will help build strategic relationships and identify new partnerships.
Enterprise Ireland has been a great support to Matrix in recent years, with huge assistance coming from HQ in Dublin and also the fantastic EI team in Benelux. In 2021 Matrix embarked on the Enter the Eurozone programme with Enterprise Ireland to develop their Go To Market Strategy for the Benelux market. With this new expansion they will continue to work closely with Enterprise Ireland to support Irish domestic clients with their export marketing strategy in the region, harnessing their knowledge of the local business landscape, culture and languages.
Besides offering export support to Matrix and Enterprise Ireland clients in the region, Eimear and Una will also be leading some innovative new projects and tenders in the coming years.
“We are excited to represent an Irish company in Benelux, actively advocating for Irish companies and working closely with Schuman Associates and Enterprise Ireland across the region,” said Una and Eimear of their new roles in Matrix.
Matrix clients include Frontex (the European Border and Coast Guard Agency) and the European Environment Agency, both charged with very important and topical issues within the EU. Matrix has also partnered on European projects with dozens of universities and established companies like Adecco, Digital Europe, Nokia and Microsoft Education. Other EU projects that Matrix has contributed to include the European Software Skills Alliance (ESSA), and Data Space 4 Skills, an EU-wide shared skills network.
In early 2023, Matrix, as a leading consortium partner, helped to officially commence Digital 4 Business — a new EU-wide masters programme that’s focused on applying practical digital skills to a modern business world. Matrix has joined a consortium of more than 20 higher education institutions and market leaders in the digital field, to create this online centre of excellence that will elevate digital learning and business across the whole region. This project is the largest funded programme of its kind currently being supported by the European Commission.
As a full-service agency behind over 1,300 successful digital projects, Matrix has evolved to meet the demands of more sophisticated clients in Ireland and wider Europe. The agency’s design and development services include digital auditing, UX, UI, app development, eCommerce, hosting and technical support, while its digital marketing department includes solutions in PPC, paid social, SEO, social media strategy, data analytics, ads, content writing and email marketing.
Matrix MD Jeff Sheridan is positive about the future, saying: “Matrix is and always has been a broad church in terms of creativity and inclusion. With an international outlook, we have built a large professional team but we haven’t lost our core values of creativity, inclusion and care for our clients. Europe requires a human centred internet and we will be a part of that,which is very exciting. I really believe in our team and I think that our time has come to establish ourselves as a leading European digital agency.”