Ireland | Business Guide
Cork
Cork - Europe's best value business city
Cork is Ireland's largest county, situated on the South coast of the
country. It is a leading centre of research and production in
Europe for the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, electronics, information
technology, telecommunications, and food industries. It has one
of the finest harbours in the world and enjoys a mild climate thanks to the
Atlantic Gulf Stream.
While Ireland has about 1% of the European Union's population, it receives
25% of US investment in manufacturing industry in Europe. Since 1980, 40% of
all inward investment in the European electronics sector has been based in
Ireland. Five of the world's ten largest software companies have development
or production facilities in Ireland and 60% of all software packages sold in
Europe are produced in the country. Ireland is now the largest exporter of
computer software on the planet. Thirteen of the world's top fifteen
pharmaceutical companies have R&D and/or manufacturing operations in
Ireland. The Dublin International Financial Services Center is the prime
return on investment location within the EU for the financial services
industry.
Companies with major operations in the Cork area
Ireland as a base for international
holding companies (pdf)
Cork
Business Guide (pdf))
Doing
Business in Ireland 2005 (pdf) [PriceWaterhouseCoopers]
Ireland
Taxfacts (PWC) (pdf)
The Euro - simplifying business across Europe
Ireland has been a full member of the Euro Currency Zone since its
inception. The Euro lowers the administrative and financial costs of trade
by simplifying accounting for cross border transactions and eliminating
foreign exchange dealing costs. The Euro makes it easier for
internationally active companies to exploit economies of scale, reduce
operational complexity, cut costs, and enforce consistent business practices
by moving to a pan European shared service model.
Payments denominated in Euro made from any Eurozone
country are cleared for same day value in Ireland. Many MNCs have
centralized their European or Global treasury management operations in
Ireland to benefit from access to the Euro same day electronic payment
infrastructure.
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