The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, will formally instigate a new venture to help Irish high-tech companies become established in Silicon Valley in San Jose, California next Friday.

The West Coast IT Networking Forum will help Irish high-tech vendors to do business in California by providing a mentoring programme where established companies can share information with newcomers to the area.

Members will exchange information by way of an Internet bulletin board set-up by the Nua Ltd consultancy and managed by Enterprise Ireland. Members will also receive a bi-weekly e-mail newsletter featuring topics discussed.

"It's like an old boys' network for the many new Irish high-tech companies in Silicon Valley," said Ms Marina Donohoe, vice-president of Enterprise Ireland, in Campbell, California.

"The idea is to use the experience of established companies such as Iona, Trintech and CBT Systems to help the newcomers do business in the valley." The forum will feature discussion topics ranging from US venture capital and funding to local employment legislation and legal advice.

"We will also hold monthly events where members will be invited to hear presentations from the US venture capital community," said Ms Donohoe.

One bar to the smooth operation of similar systems in the past has been the reluctance of participants to share information with potential competitors. However, Mr John McGuire, chief executive officer of electronic commerce company Trintech, welcomed the opportunity to share his company's knowledge with newcomers.

Trintech, which opened its US office in 1996, is a relative oldtimer in the Silicon Valley Irish high-tech community.

"I feel totally comfortable contributing the knowledge I have gained over the last two years," said Mr McGuire. "When I started out here I would often meet with CBT's Bill McCabe and he introduced me to many of the Silicon Valley CEOs."

Indeed, the forum may further the Irish high-tech invasion of the United States that has taken place over the past five years.

There are now over 50 Irish high-tech companies in the United States, and sales are expected to jump from $300 million in 1997 to over $1.4 billion by 2001.

The function is part of a busy schedule planned for the Taoiseach, who will meet Silicon Valley business leaders and receive an award from the San Jose Chamber of Commerce.