The Republic has been labelled an influential technology leader in an authoritative United Nations report which also highlights a growing digital divide between rich and poor nations.
Ireland is ranked 13th in a technology achievement index and 12th in terms of high-tech exports in the United Nations Human Development Report to be published later today.
The technology achievement index measured some 72 countries in terms of their overall achievement in creating and using technology.
Finland is ranked first, followed by the US, Sweden and Japan. The Republic is ahead of France, Belgium, Spain and Italy while marginalised nations include Pakistan and Sudan.
But the report identifies worldclass technology hubs in developing countries. Dynamic adopters of technology include South Africa, China and Egypt.
The Republic exported some $29 billion (€34.3 billion) in high-tech products in 1998-99 and was ranked 12th out of 30 leading export nations.
The US led this survey with a staggering $205 billion (€242 billion) in exports while developing nations China and Mexico recorded $40 billion and $38 billion exports respectively.
The report highlights an uneven diffusion of technology with developed OECD countries accounting for 80 per cent of the world's Internet users.
Electricity has still not reached two billion people, and while there is one land line telephone connection for every two people in OECD countries, there is one for every 200 for developing nations.
The report concludes that information and communications technologies can make an important development impact, because they can overcome barriers created by social, economic and geographic isolation and increase access to information and education.
But the most important technology opportunities for poor people have so far been missed because of a lack of market demand and inadequate public funding.
Technology creators in the private sector respond to the needs of high-income consumers, rather than the needs of those who have little purchasing power, the report adds.
It also highlights a growing "brain drain" which is making it more difficult for developing countries to retain people critical for technological development.
About 100,000 Indian professionals a year are expected to take new visas recently issued by the US, says the report.
The cost of providing university educations to these professionals will represent a resource loss of $2 billion per year.
