IRELAND
Europe’s Technology Powerhouse

You may think of Ireland as a popular vacation destination west of the U.K. or the home of the world’s finest crystal, but did you know that the island nation is the wealthiest member of the European Union, after Luxembourg?

In fact, Ireland is one of the top global leaders in software development and has been rated as the most entrepreneurial country in Europe. As the world’s 3rd largest software exporter, Ireland is helping major corporations worldwide meet their most demanding business needs by utilizing Ireland’s specialized software products, services and expertise. Companies in over 40 countries depend on Ireland’s knowledge-based workforce to develop and deploy high-quality software products and services.

Leading Supplier of Specialized Technology

The Irish software industry spans a diverse range of market segments with particular strengths in travel software, digital media/entertainment, financial services, enterprise software, government, eLearning, telecommunications and wireless technologies.

Ireland’s highly skilled indigenous workforce has produced and implemented many unique, world-leading software products and services for specialized markets, and as a result, IDC, Gartner and Forrester consistently rank Irish companies in niche technology areas as “leaders."

We would invite you to visit the various sector overviews to learn more about the specialized industries in which Irish technology companies are providing leading-edge solutions to organizations and Fortune 500 companies worldwide.

Exporter of Technology Innovation

Irish software companies are experts at serving overseas buyers. The Irish technology industry consists of approximately 600 companies, 250 of which have significant levels of foreign sales. Because of the limited size of the domestic market, Irish firms tend to pursue business opportunities overseas at an early stage and quickly gain expertise in serving a global market. In 2005, Irish companies’ combined exports totalled more than $10.7 billion, the U.S. and Great Britain being Ireland’s two largest export markets, comprising about $6.0 billion. This export figure consists of approximately 85% of Ireland’s overall manufacturing output.

Tight Relationships with Corporate America

Ireland’s technology success story has a true American flavour. Americans and Irishmen have always shared a cultural kinship and appreciation, as well as a strong work ethic. One of every six Americans can claim Irish ancestry, and there are approximately 100,000 Americans living and working in Ireland today. This bond has carried over to the business world.

America’s investment in Ireland has supported the creation of a strong, indigenous software industry with U.S. businesses investing more than $55 billion in Ireland—five times more than their investment in China.

"In the last five years we have made more than 25 investments into world-class European tech companies and without doubt, Ireland is the most compelling investment opportunity that we see in Europe," said Brendan Richardson, Partner, Vision Capital. "The technology depth and breadth is extraordinary for a country its size. Unlike many other areas in Europe, Irish companies have the ability and drive to commercialize outside of Ireland. This results in an uncommon sophistication and knowledge about global markets and a strong "customer orientation" that is invaluable, especially when dealing with North American corporate customers."

As the world’s most globalized country, Ireland provides the European headquarters for U.S. multinationals such as Microsoft, Dell, Intel, HP, Gateway, Google, EBay and AOL. Having experienced U.S. business and management practices firsthand, Irish companies are now producing their own world-leading, high-quality, specialized software technologies. Unlike software rivals India and Israel, Ireland has developed a knowledge-based technology industry. With a workforce that is both well-educated and highly experienced in industry management, Ireland is able to transcend uniform code-writing to better meet the customized needs of investors and buyers, solving localized and specialized technology problems on a case-by-case basis.

Forward-thinking Industry Leaders

Ireland is poised to continue creating world-leading technology products and services, maintaining its position at the forefront of global business. In addition to importing a high-level of American ingenuity, Ireland is committed to educating and training its workforce. All higher education in Ireland is free, a policy which has produced an extraordinary number of graduates with advanced degrees—80% of college graduates in Ireland pursue post-graduate studies.

We invite you to join us at Irelands Technology Showcase 2007 and learn more about why leading US corporations are choosing to partner with Irish technology companies.