The establishment of a new software centre in Navan, Co Meath and the expansion by an electronics company in Ennis, Co Clare will lead to the creation of about 470 new jobs.

Case Corporation, the American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, will establish a software centre in Navan to handle its IT requirements and will recruit 240 people over the next four years.

An expansion by the British company, Karavale Electronics Limited (KEL), will lead to the creation of 230 new jobs in Ennis, Co Clare.

Case Corporation's software centre will develop and modify existing and new programmes to improve the company's reporting, co-ordination and management systems.

It will be located in a new 2,300 sq m privately-financed advanced factory at IDA Ireland's Navan business park, which the company will "modify" to suit its needs.

The new jobs will mainly be for software applications developers and mainframe and technical support specialists. KEL, an electronics manufacturing company, is moving to a new 26,000 sq ft purpose-built plant in the Ballymaley Business Park in Ennis, which was opened yesterday by the Tanaiste, Ms Harney.

The new jobs at the plant will be created on the back of a £6 million investment plan which is supported by Shannon Development.

KEL recently acquired Neltronic Manufacturing, an Irish company in business for 15 years, for an undisclosed sum and took over its plant in the Gort Road Industrial Estate in Ennis, which it is now leaving. The operations of Neltronic have now been fully integrated into KEL's business.

KEL currently employs 70 people and says the new staff are needed because exports are expected to rise dramatically because of worldwide commercial contacts.

The company is a specialist subsupplier of printed circuit boards which are used in appliances ranging from vacuum cleaners to satellite systems.

A large part of the £6 million will be used to equip the new plant with the latest high-speed printed circuit board assembly equipment.