Ireland

There are now more than 1100 overseas companies in Ireland, of which 160 are from the UK. These companies are involved in a wide range of activities from manufacturing to e-business in sectors as diverse as IT, software, pharmaceuticals, medical technologies, financial and international services.

They have been attracted by a corporate tax rate of 12.5% on all trading activities and a business-friendly environment, where skills, research and knowledge, and a high quality infrastructure are combined with innovation and flexibility.

The availability of key human resources has been vital in attracting inward investment. Ireland’s young population – the youngest in Europe – is highly educated, flexible, responsive and creative. The education system is focused on continuous learning and pursues a collaborative approach with business and industry.

IDA Ireland is the Irish government’s economic development agency responsible for attracting overseas investment to Ireland. The agency is encouraging investment that is more innovative and knowledge-based, requiring high skill levels. This means not only increasing higher value-added activities in the Irish manufacturing sector, but also adding corporate level innovation such as R&D, shared services, logistics and supply chain management functions.