Lorient hosts the 10th edition of the Interceltic Business Forum.

The Interceltic Business Forum has become the economic component of the Interceltic Festival. The event is organized by Lorient Agglomeration, the Morbihan Chamber of Commerce, AudéLor, and Breizh America, with the support of the Interceltic Festival of Lorient.

As part of the Interceltic Festival of Lorient, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Morbihan will host the 10th edition of the Interceltic Business Forum (IBF) on Monday, August 3. This annual event will bring together political leaders, entrepreneurs, academics, investors, and business leaders from various Celtic nations to strengthen economic cooperation and share their experiences in innovation, territorial development, and economic transition.

Created in 2016 by Charles Kergaravat, the Interceltic Business Forum has become the economic component of the Interceltic Festival. The event is organized by Lorient Agglomeration, the CCI of Morbihan, AudéLor, and Breizh America, with the support of the Interceltic Festival of Lorient.

A Strong International Political Presence

This edition will welcome several prominent political figures, including Frank Feighan, Irish Minister of State responsible for public service reform and digital transformation, Leigh Frost, Chair of the Cornwall Council, and Perran Moon, British MP for Camborne and Redruth (Cornwall).

The forum will begin with a presentation of the industrial strategy of Lorient Agglomeration, followed by a speech from Charles Kergaravat on ten years of economic cooperation between the Celtic nations.

Artificial Intelligence and Innovation

Artificial intelligence will be one of the main themes of this edition.

Frank Feighan and Allan Mulrooney, CEO of the Western Development Commission, will present the strategy of western Ireland regarding artificial intelligence.

Later in the morning, Tomás Ó Síocháin, CEO of Údarás na Gaeltachta, will discuss the challenges of adopting artificial intelligence in a multilingual world, a topic that will particularly interest regions where Celtic languages remain vibrant.

Innovation will also be illustrated by several territorial experiences, including that of the Isle of Man, presented by Kirree Gooberman, Peter Tylee, and Sarah Mercer.

Devolution, Celtic Sea, and Economic Cooperation

The political dimension will also be present with a presentation by Perran Moon titled “Three Reasons why Cornish Devolution Makes Sense,” dedicated to devolution in Cornwall.

The afternoon will address several strategic topics for Celtic maritime economies, including the development of floating wind energy in the Celtic Sea, with a roundtable featuring representatives from the Cornwall Council and researchers from the University of Exeter.

The forum will also focus on the Irish Sea Rim project, aimed at strengthening economic cooperation around the Irish Sea.

At the end of the day, Josselin Le Gall, Honorary Consul of France in Cork, will discuss the ties between Brittany and County Cork, followed by a more original conference dedicated to the history of the Wine Geese, those Irish who significantly contributed to the development of the European vineyard after their exile.

Celtic Start-ups in the Spotlight

As every year, the afternoon will also be dedicated to the Interceltic Startup Challenge, which will see six young companies representing each Celtic nation compete:

Memory Lane Games (Isle of Man)

Dimply (Ireland)

weeteq (Scotland)

Voxmar (Cornwall)

emwillcare (Wales)

SailToo (Brittany)

The winners will be announced at 5:30 PM, at the end of the day.

Practical Information

Interceltic Business Forum 2026

Monday, August 3, 2026

CCI of Morbihan

21 Quai des Indes – Lorient

8:30 AM: Participant registration

9:00 AM: Opening of conferences

5:30 PM: Award ceremony for the Interceltic Startup Challenge

Participation is free upon registration , subject to availability.