A new technology organisation based in the west and unveiled today is designed to compete with Dublin's technology hub.
The Atlantic Technology Corridor (ATC), composed of 272 technology companies based on the western region, intends to establish a Galway-to-Shannon corridor to compete with technology services on the east coast.
The venture was officially launched by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in Bunratty, Co Clare, this afternoon.
Between them, companies involved in the venture employ over 22,000 people.
The consortium is aiming to increase spending, specifically in the area of research and development, by 50 per cent by 2006. It also aims to stimulate job growth rates of 10 per cent in the sector per annum over the coming three years.
It plans to achieve this by pooling purchasing power and other resources. Chief among the organisation's priorities is the delivery of the Galway-to-Limerick dual carriageway, as well as the conversion of Shannon airport into a "highly commercial European regional and transatlantic hub".
Founded in 2001, the ATC consists of multinationals (Dell, Nortel Networks, Avocent, Hewlett Packard, ADC, Analog Devices, Boston Scientific, Medtronic); and indigenous companies (associations, ITAG, Shannonsoft), educational institutions (NUIG, UL), and agencies (IDA, Shannon Development, Enterprise Ireland).
The chairman of the ATC is Mr Dick Meaney, current vice-president of Limerick-based Analog Devices Ireland.