[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 102 (Wednesday, May 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29928-29930]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11929]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Technology Administration


Undersecretarial Business Development Mission for Technology 
Industries to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland October 17-
22, 2004

AGENCY: Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for applications by U.S. technology-based 
companies representing the information and communications technology 
(ICT) sector.

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SUMMARY: Department of Commerce technology-sector leaders will organize 
a senior-level business development mission to Belfast and Derry, 
Northern Ireland (N.I.) and Dublin, Republic of Ireland (R.O.I.).
    The focus of the mission is to help U.S. companies explore business 
opportunities in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and 
the newly expanded EU marketplace. The delegation will include U.S. 
based senior executives representing the information and communications 
technology (ICT) sector. Technology products and services have become 
an increasingly important part of U.S. trade with Northern Ireland and 
the Republic of Ireland, with both regions possessing highly skilled 
technology workers and end users.
    Therefore, emphasis will also be placed on advancing market 
awareness, development of strategic alliances in high-technology 
services and building networks that can further the collaboration of 
business opportunities in technology related markets.

DATES: Applications for the business development mission to Northern 
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will be made available on or about 
June 1, 2004 (See Timeframe for Applications) and must be completed and 
received at the address below by no later than August 2, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Please submit applications to Nancy Hesser, Sector Manager, 
U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Room 2119, Washington, DC 20230. Applications may also be 
submitted via fax or e-mail to Nancy Hesser, Sector Manager at (202) 
482-2718 or e-mail [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Saul Summerall, International Office 
of Technology Policy, Technology Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, telephone: (202) 482-6809; fax: (202) 501-6849; e-mail: 
[email protected].

Commercial Setting for the Mission

The Republic of Ireland

    With 3.9 million people, a vibrant economy, and a young and highly 
educated workforce, the Republic of Ireland represents an ideal market 
for U.S. companies seeking to find agents, distributors, and strategic 
partners for business opportunities in the expanding EU marketplace. 
For several years, the Republic of Ireland has been the fastest-growing 
economy in the European Union. For the first time, after years of 
double-digit growth fueled in part by a rapidly expanding labor force, 
in 2002 Ireland experienced single-digit real economic growth of 6.9 
percent. Due primarily to the appreciation of the euro, growth in the 
Irish economy dropped further in 2003 to 2.5 percent, slightly below 
that of the U.S. and Japan, but still keeping Ireland in the lead in 
Europe. Most economists believe that a maturing Irish economy is well 
poised to achieve stable annual growth rates over the medium-term of 4 
to 5 percent. This is predicated on the Irish investing significantly 
in infrastructure, especially in transport, energy, and 
telecommunications.
    A member of the European Union (EU) since 1973, the Irish economic 
model reflects an emphasis on open markets, less government regulation, 
flexible labor markets, and fiscal incentives to business (including 
low corporate taxes). As a small-island economy, the Republic of 
Ireland is dependent on international trade and open access to overseas 
markets. With a total trade surplus of approximately $24 billion in 
2003, Ireland is a net exporting nation. International trade (imports 
and exports of goods and services) totaled $238 billion in 2003--the 
equivalent of 150 percent of GDP. In 2003, merchandise exports from 
Ireland were $93 billion--representing 60 percent of Ireland's Gross 
Domestic Product (GDP)--while merchandise imports were some $54 
billion.
    The U.S. and Ireland have strong and deepening economic and 
commercial links. Total two-way merchandise trade is about $27 billion. 
The United States is Ireland's second largest trading partner after the 
United Kingdom. The U.S. share of Ireland's import market is around 15 
percent, or $8 billion annually while approximately 15 percent of total 
Irish exports annually are to the United States. With some $42 billion 
invested by 570 U.S. firms who employ over 90,000 people, the United 
States is the largest source of foreign direct investment in the 
Republic of Ireland. Exports from Ireland by U.S. subsidiaries over the 
past ten years have accounted for upwards of 30 percent of total Irish 
exports annually.
    The ICT sector has been a key driver to Ireland's remarkable 
economic growth over the past 15 years, and the Irish government is 
endeavoring to ensure the sector will continue to play an important 
role in maintaining strong economic growth in the future. There is also 
general recognition and appreciation that U.S. foreign direct 
investment has helped stimulate the ICT sector during this period of 
rapid economic growth.
    This maturing ICT sector with its inherent expertise and acumen of 
international business principles offers new and exciting opportunities 
for U.S. ICT firms interested in the Irish and EU markets. 
Specifically, Ireland offers the prospect of strategic business 
relationships between U.S. and Irish companies such as joint ventures, 
licensing arrangements, technology transfer agreements, agent/
distributorships, and logistics & valued added services relationships. 
These linkages allow U.S. companies to capitalize on the skills and 
knowledge of Irish partners to access and penetrate the Irish and 
European marketplaces more effectively and efficiently.

Northern Ireland

    Geographically, Northern Ireland is the UK's smallest region, being 
slightly smaller than Connecticut. In recent years, Northern Ireland 
has enjoyed one of the faster regional growth rates within the United 
Kingdom, all together it accounts for about 2 percent of the UK 
economy. Economic growth has been fueled by the province's knowledge 
revolution, where the high tech sector has benefited from significant 
support from the EU and the Northern Ireland government in the form of 
direct incentives and massive investment in education and R&D. The 
information and communication technology market is one of the fastest 
growing sectors in Northern Ireland and has been a driving force behind 
the province enjoying the fastest growth rate of any UK region. The 
North has also benefited significantly from the dynamic ROI economy. 
With overall economic growth in the UK now expected to be in excess of 
3.5 percent in 2004, the province's economy should continue to be 
strong.
    Northern Ireland has gone through an industrial transformation with 
over 85 percent of the GDP now generated in the services and high-tech 
manufacturing sectors. More than 90 percent of jobs generated in recent 
years have been in

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the telecommunications, software, and information sectors.
    The key investors in Northern Ireland have been U.S. firms, having 
injected over $4 billion in the last few years. The firms have 
responded to the fact that Northern Ireland's universities (Queens and 
University of Ulster) produce a higher percentage of IT qualified 
students than any other UK region. More than 13 percent of all students 
graduate with engineering degrees in software, robotics, 
telecommunications, digital signal processing, biomedical and 
microelectronics.
    There are over 100 American companies invested in Northern Ireland. 
These investors have created more than 4,000 new jobs in Northern 
Ireland. Significant investors include Nortel Networks, Allstate, 
Skillsoft, Seagate Technology, Liberty Mutual, Raytheon, and Allen 
Systems Group. Software firms are buoyed by access to and support from 
many research centers including the Northern Ireland Knowledge 
Engineering Laboratory, the Digital Signal Processing and System-on-
Chip laboratories, and the Northern Ireland Center for e-Business. 
Communications firms are supported by the Institute for Electronic 
Communications and Information Technology, the Advanced 
Telecommunications Laboratory, the Center for Advanced Materials, the 
Semiconductor Research Center and the Bio-Engineering Center.
    Although the message from Northern Ireland is good, it must be 
understood that Northern Ireland is not a significant location for 
agents/distributors. Firms located in either the Republic of Ireland 
and Great Britain have historically performed that function. While the 
small Northern Ireland population indicates there is only a minor 
market for U.S. sales, the provinces' high-tech expertise offers 
abundant potential for strategic alliances and other two-way 
relationships; e.g., exchanging software, contracting services and 
prospective business development opportunities.

Goals for the Mission

    The business development mission will further both U.S. commercial 
policy objectives and advance specific business interests. The mission 
is focused on:
     Introducing U.S. companies to the Northern Ireland and 
Republic of Ireland markets and furthering commercial relationships.
     Assisting small and new-to-market U.S. firms in evaluating 
the market potential for their products and to gain an understanding of 
how to operate successfully in the Northern Ireland and Republic of 
Ireland markets, and the recently expanded EU marketplace.
     Highlighting market accessibility and successes of U.S. 
businesses in these markets.
     Fostering dialog between policy makers and academics in 
the technology arena of the U.S., Northern Ireland, and the Republic of 
Ireland.
     Providing access to senior government officials and 
potential business partners for U.S. firms.

Scenario for the Mission

    The Business Development Mission is a two and three day business 
program designed to provide participants with exposure to business, 
academic, and government contacts with an understanding of market and 
technology trends and the commercial environment of Northern Ireland 
and the Republic of Ireland.
    Senior officials from two of the Department of Commerce's leading 
bureaus, charged with advancing the interests of the technology and 
telecommunication sectors, will lead the mission. The Technology 
Administration (TA) and the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration (NTIA) are well suited to facilitate policy discussions 
with their Irish counterparts.
    Further, U.S. Embassy and Consulate General officials will provide 
detailed briefings on the economic, commercial and political climates, 
and participants will receive individual counseling on their specific 
interests from U.S. Commercial Service industry specialists. Meetings 
will be arranged as appropriate with senior government decision makers, 
academic/technical institutions and relevant businesses. 
Representational events also will be organized to provide mission 
participants with opportunities to meet senior business and government 
representatives, as well as resident U.S. business people.
    The tentative trip itinerary will be as follows:

Sunday, October 17--Arrive Belfast, Northern Ireland, evening events 
and briefing.
Monday, October 18--One-on-One Business Meetings in Belfast, Group 
policy meetings.
Tuesday, October 19--Business and Policy Meetings in Derry, Travel to 
Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
Wednesday, October 20--One-on-One Business Meetings; Group policy 
meetings, mission events, and briefings in Dublin.
Thursday, October 21--One-on-One Business Meetings, Group policy 
meetings, mission events, and briefings in Dublin.
Friday, October 22--Departure.

    The precise schedule will depend in part on the availability of 
local government and business officials and the specific goals of the 
mission participants.

Criteria for Participation of Companies

Eligibility

    Participating companies must be incorporated in the United States. 
A company is eligible to participate only if the products and/or 
services that it will promote (a) are manufactured or produced in the 
United States; or (b) if manufactured or produced outside the United 
States, are marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have U.S. 
content representing at least 51 percent of the value of the finished 
good or service.

Selection Criteria

    Company participation will be determined on the basis of:
     Relevance of the company's business line to the mission 
scope and goals.
     Potential for business activity in Northern Ireland and 
the Republic of Ireland as applicable.
     Level of seniority of the designated company 
representatives and consistency of company's goals with the scope and 
desired outcome of the mission as described herein.
     Timely receipt of a completed application and 
participation agreement signed by a company officer and the 
participation fee.
     Provision of adequate information on the company's 
products and/or services, and communication of the company's primary 
objectives to facilitate appropriate matching with potential business 
partners.
    In addition, the Department may consider whether the company's 
overall business objectives, including those of any U.S. or overseas 
affiliates, are fully consistent with the mission's objectives. Any 
partisan political activities of an applicant, including political 
contributions, will be entirely irrelevant to the selection process.

Time Frame for Applications

    Applications for the business development mission to Northern 
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will be made available on or about 
June 1, 2004. The fee to participate in the mission will be between 
$2,500.00 and $3,500.00 (depending on the size of the business 
delegation) and will not cover travel or lodging expenses. For

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additional information on the business development mission or to obtain 
an application, respondents should refer to the contacts listed below. 
Completed applications should be submitted to the address below by 
August 2, 2004 to ensure timely arrangements for in-country 
appointments for applicants selected to participate in the mission.

Nancy Hesser, Sector Manager, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department 
of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 2119, Washington, DC 
20230. Telephone (202) 482-4663, e-mail: [email protected].

    Applications may also be submitted via fax to (202) 482-2718 by 
August 2, 2004. Applications received after that date will be 
considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit.
    The name, telephone number, and address for the contact person for 
the business development mission is:

Saul Summerall, International Office of Technology Policy, Technology 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Room 4817, Washington, DC 20230, Telephone: (202) 482-6809, Fax: 
(202) 501-6849, e-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: May 18, 2004.
Benjamin Wu,
Deputy Under Secretary for Technology.
[FR Doc. 04-11929 Filed 5-25-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-GN-P