A LINKAGE agreement between Irish and American companies will create more than 720 new jobs in the Republic, according to the Enterprise and Employment Minister, Mr Bruton.
Mr Bruton, who is in California on a business partnership mission to the US, said more than 16 Irish companies had already committed to investing £31 million in the past 12 months as a result of agreements between domestic firms and US multi nationals.
"Linkage agreements present a major opportunity for Irish firms to expand into new markets, developed new products and acquire technologies," Mr Bruton said. The largest expansion is at Nypro in Bray, Co Wicklow, where about 150 new jobs are to created. Nypro, which provides contract precision injection moulding, is the first Irish company to win a supply contract with the new Hewlett Packard ink jet cartridge plant in Leixlip.
During the visit, the Minister net senior executives from Microsoft, Intel, Hewlett Packard and Xilinx as part of the ongoing development and marketing of Forbairt's national linkage programme.
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