Common use of Competitiveness Clause in Contracts

Competitiveness. In its November 2011 report “Ireland’s Advanced Broadband Performance and Policy Priorities”11, Forfás advocates the provision of advanced broadband infrastructure for all towns with a population greater than 1,500. Forfás, Ireland’s policy advisory board for enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation, has stated that advanced broadband services are crucial to achieve the productivity growth necessary to improve competitiveness, sustain high-level incomes and ensure Ireland captures new opportunities for entrepreneurship and jobs across all sectors. The effective use of ICT allows SMEs to compete more vigorously in global markets, for example by reducing costs and improving the quality of services to their customer base. While large corporations tend to be concentrated in large urban centres, which are better served, SMEs tend to be more dispersed, often located in smaller urban centres that do not have access to advanced broadband services. As a result, they are constrained by the limited availability of advanced services to exploit future growth opportunities, particularly in the aforementioned data-intensive internationally traded services sectors. Approximately 70 per cent of all development agency-assisted firms are based outside Dublin city and county. 9 ▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇.▇▇/wp-content/uploads/WDC-Connecting-the-West-Next-Gen-Broadband-2012-large.pdf 11 ▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇/publications/2011/title,8528,en.php

Competitiveness. In its November 2011 report “Ireland’s Advanced Broadband Performance and Policy Priorities”11, Forfás advocates the provision of advanced broadband infrastructure for all towns with a population greater than 1,500. Forfás, Ireland’s policy advisory board for enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation, has stated that advanced broadband services are crucial to achieve the productivity growth necessary to improve competitiveness, sustain high-level incomes and ensure Ireland captures new opportunities for entrepreneurship and jobs across all sectors. The effective use of ICT allows SMEs to compete more vigorously in global markets, for example by reducing costs and improving the quality of services to their customer base. While large corporations tend to be concentrated in large urban centres, which are better served, SMEs tend to be more dispersed, often located in smaller urban centres that do not have access to advanced broadband services. As a result, they are constrained by the limited availability of advanced services to exploit future growth opportunities, particularly in the aforementioned data-intensive internationally traded services sectors. Approximately 70 per cent of all development agency-assisted firms are based outside Dublin city and county. 9 ▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇.▇▇/wp-content/uploads/WDC-Connecting-the-West-Next-Gen-Broadband-2012-large.pdf 11 ▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇/publications/2011/title,8528,en.php