Ireland will need more sophisticated and advanced manufacturing as more Irish jobs in this sector move to low-cost locations in Europe, Latin America and Asia, IDA chief executive Mr Seán Dorgan has said.
Addressing the Institution of Engineers of Ireland’s annual conference in Killarney this afternoon, Mr Dorgan said the IDA’s goals had changed to cater for the new national circumstance.
"Our vision is to win for Ireland the best in international innovation and investment to contribute to the continued transformation of Ireland into a world-leading society," he said.
"We want Ireland to attain the number one or two leadership position in specific niches . . . so that Ireland will become the essential place to be . . . the equivalent of Scandinavian countries for mobile telephony, Hollywood for films," he said.
Realising a disproportionate level of development has taken place in Dublin and the main urban centres, Mr Dorgan said the IDA hoped 50 per cent of all new greenfield jobs from inward investment would locate in "Objective One" regions until 2003.
The IDA is moving key units out of Dublin to Athlone, Sligo and Waterford to help strengthen these centres.
Looking at the infrastructural developments needed to maintain Ireland’s attractiveness for inward investment, Mr Dorgan said the IDA considered the completion on schedule of the roads section of the National Development Plan, "imperative".
Over 1,300 kilometres of new roads are planned under the scheme.
Mr Dorgan echoed the sentiments of Aer Arann’s chief executive, Mr Padraig O’Ceidigh, in calling for the development of regional airports.
The regional imbalance in broadband infrastructure was being addressed by a £1.27 billion programme to lay 500,000 kms of fibre cable by 2004, he said.
