by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Ireland may not be the first country that comes to mind when technology and business development are discussed, but it’s those two areas that has Jacksonville interested in developing relationships with the island nation.
Members of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Cornerstone Regional Development Partnership visited Shannon, Ireland in the spring of this year to develop business relationships after meeting people from Westpark Business Campus Shannon, an Ireland version of Jacksonville’s Cornerstone.
“Our regions are very similar, so we wanted to see what we could learn from what they have done and let them know what Jacksonville can offer,” said Mike Breen, director of Cornerstone’s International Department.
A handful of different companies from Shannon are the guests of the Chamber this week, and they include EDWARE Interactive Learning, an educational software company; ManageCO2, which has developed environmental management software to allow businesses to track their carbon emissions and The Payments Factory, a provider of international banking services.
“Ireland has placed a priority on technology and education, an effort that any area would like to emulate,” said Mayor John Peyton. “We hope to develop a relationship with them that would be equally beneficial to both regions.”
The mayor met with the representatives from the companies Tuesday and those representatives will tour Cecil Field Commerce Center, St. Johns Town Center and the St. Johns River before returning to Shannon.
Sara Rojas of The Payments Factory was handing out business cards listing the company at the Chamber’s address.
“We are looking for office space right now,” said Rojas. “The Chamber is allowing us to use some space in their office while we arrange for our own.”
Both EDWARE and ManageCO2 have expressed interest in developing offices in Jacksonville.
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