China and Ireland may not seem to have a lot in common. But when it comes to technology, the similarities are pretty clear. Ireland cleaned up as a place for multinationals to make goods for the European market, a role that China has now taken on for the whole world. And, like Ireland in the latter years of the 20th century, China is emerging from the technological backwaters at a phenomenal speed.
So it is no surprise that IDA Ireland (Industrial Development Agency), an Irish Government agency "with responsibility for securing new investment from overseas in manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors," has opened an office in Shanghai. The idea is to help Chinese companies that might want to establish a bridgehead into Europe. There is, of course, the inevitable web site, if you can work out how to use it.
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