The local management of an industrial evolution: Ireland`s interplay with the shifting networks of the ICT industry`s global geography

This Ph.D. project analyses the interplay of localities and global flows by drawing from the case study of Ireland`s ICT industry. Trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) statistics indicate that the ICT sector has acted as the motor industry in the strong boom of the Irish economy. While initially focusing on hardware assembly in the ICT industry` s global production network, Ireland is now more specialized in providing software and services internationally. This dissertation analyses Ireland`s ICT-based regional development from the local and the global angle. It focuses on the in situ restructuring process of the country`s overseas ICT sector and the emergence and internationalisation of the indigenous software industry. The study combines central aspects of the global production network approach, the conceptualisation of the TNC and regional development theory in its research framework to investigate the evolution of Ireland`s ICT industry from a multi-scalar perspective.

The empirical analysis follows the principles of grounded theory making and uses several methods of data collection. Quantitative data are gathered with the objective to identify patterns and trends. Intensive case study research yields in-depth knowledge about causal linkages. This research shows that Irish-based TNC subsidiaries have developed towards higher quality activities. This evolution is driven by the deep embeddedness of Irish-based subsidiaries in their corporate networks and through local innovation networks. Moreover, this project demonstrates that indigenous software enterprises engage in a myriad of international networks shortly after their inception. On the local level, they benefit from untraded interdependencies that support Irish software entrepreneurs in their global quest. The research findings are important to policy-makers in Ireland and to those in other small, open economies. The study contributes to the economic geography literature by contributing an empirically grounded theory about the intersection of the ICT industry`s global production network with the Irish economy.

Related Priority Research Area: Industry Clustering

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