A plan to establish call centres, e-commerce and software development centres in a cross-Border "digital technology corridor" between Counties Armagh and Monaghan was presented yesterday by the Minister of State for Science, Technology and Commerce, Mr Noel Treacy.

The Monaghan Enterprise Board has given £200,000 (€253,950) to the project to build a technology-focused infrastructure in the two counties, "with Armagh and Monaghan becoming hub locations within this corridor".

IDA Ireland is providing a site to assist the enterprise board in developing the project.

Discussions with several technology companies were already taking place, he added. Political change and information technology initiatives suggested the time was right for a digital capability to be built in the Border regions.

"Political agreement and developing local government structures will encourage mutually beneficial arrangements in the under-developed parts of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Border counties," he said.

At EU level, the Regional Information Society Initiative was promoting greater technology use in less developed areas.

Mr Treacy said recent trends suggested that inward investment opportunities from companies providing Internet and e-commerce services were available.

"In the new age of electronic business, telecommunications networks will allow suitably trained personnel based in Armagh and Monaghan to provide many services to national and international customers in any location at any time and in any language," Mr Treacy said.

The Internet's expansion was driving the change in the way business was conducted and was opening up opportunities for economic development to counties and regions geared up for the change.

"Business-to-business e-commerce is forecast to grow from $15 billion (€14.2 billion) in 1997 to more than $400 billion by 2002," he said.