Shannon Free Airport Development Company's investment of £60.5 million (#76.82 million) in the midwest in the past five years has resulted in an additional £50 million being leveraged from the private sector, according to the regional authority's end-of-year statement for 2000.

A total of 2,200 jobs were created by Shannon Development-assisted firms during the year.

There are now 8,058 people employed at the Shannon Free Zone industrial park in Shannon, Co Clare, making it the location of the largest concentration of industry outside Dublin.

At the National Technological Park in Plassey, outside Limerick, there are 4,370 people employed across 80 companies. In its portfolio of 790 firms, employment stands at 21,972. In accordance with the National Development Plan, it is focusing on "spatial balance" and making the area a region for electronic commerce. The counties it covers are Clare, north Kerry, Limerick, north Tipperary and south Offaly.