MIT sets up in Dublin

The great and the good in the technology world descend on Dublin this week for the official opening of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's MediaLab Europe. The honours will be performed by the Taoiseach tonight in the middle of a two-day MIT conference. The Government is putting £28 million into the project and providing premises for the research and education centre which, the Government hopes, will boost the Irish technology sector.

Monday

Results: American Express (Q2), Black & Decker (Q2), Conoco (Q2), Corning (Q2), Eurotunnel (H1), Knight Ridder (Q2), Merck (Q2), Outokumpu (H1), Safeco (Q2), Sonera (H1), West 175.

A.G.M.: Azlan, Liberty International (e.g.m.), Money Channel (e.g.m.).

Meetings: Taoiseach attending MIT conference to mark MediaLab opening (Guinness Hopstore to Tues).

Indicators: Japanese trade balance (Jun); German consumer prices (Jul), producer prices (Jun) and import/export prices (Jun); Italian EU imports/ exports (May) and non-EU imports/exports (Jun).

Others: Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke introduces report on "Rural Transport: A National Study from a Community Perspective"; European Agriculture and Fisheries Commissioner Franz Fischler holds news conference on EU fishing policy after 2002 (Bremerhaven).

Tuesday

Results: Banco Espirito Santo (H1), Capita (H1), Epic, Kingston Communications (Q1), KLM (Q1), Logitech (Q1), John Menzies, Pharmacia & Upjohn (H1), Reuters (H1), St Modwen Properties (H1), SmithKline Beecham, Swedish Match (H1), Topps Tiles.

A.G.M.: Eliza Tinsley, Wyndeham Press.

Indicators: EMU industrial production (may); British non-EU trade (Jun) and EU trade (May); US consumer confidence (Jul) and existing home sales (Jun); Japanese retail sales (Jun); Italian consumer confidence (Jul); French consumer prices (Jun).

Others: Enterprise Ireland results; US Federal Reserve chairman Mr Alan Greenspan testifies on monetary policy before US House of Representatives banking committee; British Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr Gordon Brown testifies to British parliament's treasury committee on comprehensive spending review; Independent News & Media's iTouch unit starts trading in London.

Wednesday

Results: Abbey National (H1), Brixton Estate (H1), BSkyB, Cadbury Schweppes (H1), DaimlerChrysler (H1), Egg (H1), Gambro (H1), Legal & General (H1), Sony (Q2), St James' Place (H1), World Online (H1).

A.G.M.: Great Universal Stores, Jarvis Hotels, Mid Kent Holdings, Unigate.

Indicators: British CBI industrial trends survey (Jul); French consumer spending (Jun); Italian retail sales (May).

Thursday

Results: Alcatel (H1), AngloGold (Q2), Bekaert (H1), Boliden (H1), BT (Q1), Cookson (H1), Derby Trust (H1), Eurodis Electron, Glaxo Wellcome (H1), Halifax (H1), ICI (H1), Lex Service (H1), Matsushita (Q2), MFI Furniture, Misys, Mobistar (H1), Nokia (H1), OpenTV (H1), Pechiney (H1), Provident Financial (H1), Prudential (H1), Renault (H1), Solvay (H1), Stepstone (H1), Tele Danmark (H1).

A.G.M.: Boots, First Ireland, Merrydown, National Grid, Scapa, Shanks, Vodafone AirTouch.

Meetings: WTO's dispute settlement body meets (Geneva).

Indicators: British consumer credit (Jun); US durable goods orders (Jun), employment cost index (May) and help wanted index (Jun); Japanese unemployment (Jun), job ratio (Jun), consumer prices (Jul) and industrial production (Jun); Italian private sector wages (Jun).

Others: NTMA publishes 1999 annual report; ICTU meets social partners to discuss review of PPF; An Bord Bia organics report published.

Friday

Results: Aventis Pharma (H1), BAA (Q1), Black Arrow, Dataflex Holdings, Kone (H1), Lloyds TSB (H1), MoDo (H1), Telindus (H1), Telinfo (H1), UCB (H1).

A.G.M.: BAA, James Crean.

Meetings: Corporate and Public Services Association annual conference (Radisson Hotel, Dublin).

Indicators: EMU balance of payments (May & Q1); Irish retail sales figures (May) and vehicle licensing (Apr); US sales (Q2), real GDP (Q2), GDP deflator (Q2) and Michigan Sentiment Survey (Jul final); French unemployment (Jun) and industry survey (Jul); Italian consumer prices (Jul).