An infrared camera company has become the first Chinese firm to set up an operation in Ireland, the enterprise ministry said May 21.
The SATIR infrared technology company will establish its European headquarters in the border town of Dundalk in northeastern Ireland, it said.
The move -- which runs counter to the general trend for jobs to move to relatively low-cost China -- will create 40 jobs over five years assisted by grants from the Industrial Development Agency (IDA).
Deputy Prime Minister Mary Coughlan said SATIR was the first IDA-supported Chinese company to locate in Ireland and it will also be the first make infrared cameras in the country.
"Today's announcement is novel and a breakthrough for IDA's efforts in Shanghai," Coughlan said. "In 2006, IDA Ireland established an office in Shanghai to unlock a gateway for Chinese companies to expand and develop their businesses in Europe."
SATIR chairman Jiping Wu said Dundalk was chosen over other European locations because it best suited the company's skills and infrastructure requirements.
SATIR, established in 1989, is China's leading thermal imaging system manufacturer. It develops, produces and markets infrared cameras for use in a range of industrial and commercial thermal imaging activities.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2008
