The island of Ireland consists of 26 southern counties, known as the Republic of Ireland, and 6 northern counties, which are part of the United Kingdom. Since joining the European Community in 1973, the Republic of Ireland has transformed from a largely agricultural society into a thriving, technologically-advanced Celtic Tiger economy. Fueled by foreign investment, Ireland's economy began to grow rapidly in the 1990s. Today, Ireland is very competitive in the IT and pharmaceuticals sectors, as well as other knowledge-based sectors.
In the past, mass emigration has been the norm in Ireland. Nowadays, however, its high standard of living, high wage economy, and European Union membership have made it attractive to many immigrants from other EU countries. Ireland boasts a competitive fiscal environment, a skilled labor force and a positive attitude towards enterprise. The Bank of Ireland's "Wealth of the Nation" Report taken in July of 2006 showed that the Republic of Ireland was ranked the second wealthiest of the top 8 leading OECD nations. Tourism also continues to flourish.
Learn more about Ireland on globalEDGE Country Insights.
This month's poll question is:
"What could have been a possible cause of the exceptional Irish economic turnaround which was accomplished in only one generation?"
Please view our homepage to vote on this month's poll question.
Asia Drives Economy into 2007, Europe is Co-pilot
Reuters, by Brian Love (December 4, 2006)
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlebusiness.aspx?type=ousiv& storyID=2006-12-04T122910Z_01_L04163524_RTRIDST_0_BUSINESSPRO-ECONOMY-GLOBAL-FUTURE-DC.XML&from=business
The US is expected to take a backseat, as Asia guides the global economy into 2007, with Europe by its side. Led by three of the BRIC countries, the growth of fledgling economies has consistently surpassed that of their industrialized counterparts in recent years. A leaner Germany is also easing Europe into the unfamiliar picture of globalization. For too long the world has depended upon the buying power of American consumers; the new paradigm is one that requires everyone else share in the burden of keeping everyone in business.
View more News on globalEDGE.
Taming Ireland's Celtic Tiger
Fortune, by Christopher Redman (November 7, 2006)
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/11/13/8393173/index.htm
From rags to riches in one generation, the Irish fairy tale is one that many envy. However, the spectacular success of the Celtic Tiger has stumped more than a few. Many point to EU handouts, while some sing the praises of the education system. Still others try to trace it to the demographic shift of the 1980s. Almost everyone is struggling to decipher the mystery remedy, in a bid to sustain it. However, with rising debt and dependency ratio, this roaring feline could lose its final life before it can even be saved.
Is Corporate Social Responsibility Responsible?
Forbes, by Betsy Atkins (November 28, 2006)
http://www.forbes.com/2006/11/16/leadership-philanthropy-charity-lead-citizen-cx_ba_1128directorship.html
A lot of buzz in today's business world seems to surround corporate social responsibility. While a worthy cause, it is, like many notions of political correctness, a muddy one to tread. Achieving the balance between social causes and profitability may be a delicate process, but it is an unavoidable one. A firm ought to be responsible, not only to society, but its shareholders as well; they are in the business of making money after all.
View more In Depth Look articles on globalEDGE.
A sample of some of our recently added sites:
Ireland: Business Access to State Information and Services (BASIS)
http://www.basis.ie/
BASIS is a website run by the Irish government which functions as a guide to doing business in Ireland, with subjects such as starting-up a business, development, funding, taxation, employing staff, and more.
Country: Ireland
Category: Research: Organizations
LII/Legal Information Institute: International Trade
http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/International_trade
This international trade site, Wex, contains federal and international material as well as other resources for those looking for information on international trade law. Wex is an ambitious effort to construct a collaboratively-created, public-access law dictionary and encyclopedia. It is sponsored and hosted by the Legal Information Institute at the Cornell Law School.
Category: Trade: Trade Law
Manufacturing.net
http://www.manufacturing.net/
Manufacturing.net is a website designed for manufacturing executives. It features daily updates covering the latest news from around the globe on key topics for manufacturers - regulations, industrial trends, plant openings and closings, supply chain updates, distribution and trade issues, prices, employment, finance, economic forecasts, world events and more.
Category: News & Periodicals: Global News
View more recently added sites on globalEDGE.
Conferences
http://globaledge.msu.edu/academy/Conferences/
This section focuses on academic conferences and call for papers of interest to the international business community. Conferences listed are hosted across the globe and have an international or cross-cultural theme. The links themselves are sorted by date and provide additional information on the topic of the conference as well as information on registering and attending.
View more Academy Resources on globalEDGE.
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