Taoiseach Micheál Martin says a focus by Government and businesses here on cyber security is essential, given ongoing global threats.
He said the need for international collaboration was essential, given what Ireland had experienced in recent years.
Referring to what he called an "existential attack on our health service during Covid," he said the Government now had an enhanced awareness of the threat "and the need to be at the top of your game in respect of this."
The Taoiseach said whilst there has been a dint in terms of free trade worldwide, "the world hasn't collapsed."
He said that it was important to remember that 70% of world trade was still under the World Trade Organisation.
Addressing business delegates at the 28th TCI Global Conference, the first to take place on the island of Ireland, he said the EU was focused on new trade deals including with Canada, Indonesia through MERCOSUR.
"Clusters and collaborative networks are important part of this agenda because they are catalysts for transformation," he said.
Under the Programme for Government, he said Ireland had committed to the establishment of five cluster organisations at national level which he said would have "scale impact and international visibility to improve competitiveness."
He announced that the first two of these pilot clusters were in Cyber Ireland and in advanced technology and manufacturing.
He said a third pilot cluster had been finalised and would be announced shortly in the crucial area of semiconductors.
