Ireland

The "Celtic tiger".   role mode for Economic Development in the 1990's.   A good example of "state-directed" growth model.  Used "economic nationalist" philosophy.

Ireland has become a major hub for inward investment in the New Economy. It is the fastest growing economy in Europe with the youngest population. Access to Ireland is through one of three International airports at Dublin, Shannon or Cork. Direct daily scheduled services are available from Ireland to Europe and North America.

The major sectors of activity in Ireland are electronics & engineering, pharmaceutical & healthcare products, computer software and financial services. Since 1980, 40% of all US new inward investment in European electronics has located in Ireland, attracted by the skilled workforce and co-location with many other global leaders. Companies such as 3Com, Amdahl, Apple Computer, Cypress Semiconductor Corporation and Ericsson in the hi-tech sector and Fujisawa and NeXstar in the life sciences field have located operations in the region. In the software sector, Ireland is home to the top 10 independent software companies in the world.

Financial services has become another major strength in the economy. In 1987 an International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) was established in Dublin and now employs nearly 4,000 people with 400 international tenants, such as ABN-AMRO, AIG Global Investment Trust Services and Chase Manhattan Bank. It is one of the fastest growing international centers for collective investment fund management and one of the leading locations worldwide for international banking, corporate treasury and specialised insurance activities.

Investment Promotion Agency:

Ms Caitriona O'Kennedy

Information manager

Industrial Development Agency

Wilton Park House

Wilton Place

Dublin

Ireland

tel: +353 (0) 1 603 4000

fax: +353 (0) 1 603 4040

Waterford

County Waterford is located on the South East coast of Ireland. Dungarvan is the administrative headquarters for the County.

The health care sector is a major one in the region with a zoned Industrial Park in Dungarvan specifically for companies from the health care industry. The local work force is well trained in the needs of modern pharmaceutical firms. Investors that have decided upon the location include SmithKline Beecham, Stafford Miller, a division of Block Drugs, Microchem Laboratories, Pinewood Laboratories and Microbrush, a high end dental brush maker.

The plant fronts onto N25, the National Highway of South Ireland. This highway runs from Rosslare Harbour, the main ferry point for trucks and cars to England and France and goes on to Cork, the second largest city in the Republic and home to a ferry port and international airport. Because of its central location, all these points are within an hour and 20 minutes of Dungarvan.

Galway

The county of Galway on the Atlantic coast in the west of Ireland is attracting many new investors - particularly from the US. With a population of 140,000, Galway is one of the main towns outside of Dublin.

Dublin

Dublin is one of Europe's oldest capital cities and the seat of Irish Government. With a population of just over a million (30% of the total Ireland population), the city provides an entry-point to Europe with excellent international transport links. Dublin is a very youthful city with over 43 per cent of persons under 25 years of age.

The city’s economy has enjoyed a boom over the past few years. The city is vibrant and an excellent location for young and fast-moving technology companies.

The major sector in the region is the services sector, employing around 75% of the region’s working population.

Cork

The county of Cork lies along the southern tip of Ireland and is home to 420,000 people. The area's principal new economy resource is University College Cork (UCC) with its 12,000 students and 1,700 staff.

UCC houses many national research facilities including Biosciences Research Institute, the National Food Biotechnology Centre and the National Microelectronics Research Centre.

Recent investments by Red Hat software and broadband company GTS have added to the area's reputation for the highest quality of both work and play.

Shannon

Shannon is located on the Western coast of Ireland with an airport offering connections to other continental destinations.

Shannon is particularly promoting itself as a location for technology companies, from the aerospace to software sectors. A national technological park houses more than 90 organizations with a balanced mix of multinational subsidiaries, Irish technology companies, R&D entities and support services. Shannon Free Zone is Ireland's largest cluster of North American investments, and is home to over 7,500 people employed across a range of manufacturing and international service activities. There is a particular focus on engineering, electronics, telecommunications, aerospace and software in the manufacturing field. And in the services area, financial services, customer support and direct marketing.

Overseas companies located in Shannon include Cabletron Systems, Dell Computers, PKS Systems Integration, QAD, Vistakon, Johnson & Johnson vision products, Analog Devices and Howmedica.

The University of Limerick has an international reputation for its practical, industry inspired focus and devotes considerable resources to aerospace and information systems technology studies. All of the University's undergraduates are co-opted for a period of nine months practical work experience in industry.