Jim O'Hara, general manager, Intel Ireland
3rd February 2010
Digital is key for a global economy.
I think if you stand back and look at the things that any modern, open economy will need to be successful in the future, having a strong base of well-educated young people is fundamental to the knowledge economy.
It’s a matter of having the best and brightest working in science, technology and manufacturing because in a lot of respects the future of our economic prosperity hinges on that.
Obviously, we need government policy that supports that.
In terms of digital infrastructure, the kids of today are learning more and more through the internet. It is the worldwide teacher of tomorrow. Every school you walk into in the future should have the best teachers available; the kids have the best infrastructure, but most importantly the best digital infrastructure – not just in their schools but in their homes and right around the country.
I think it is a fundamental piece of the building block of the 21st century for any economy that is dealing on the world stage.
As a cornerstone of our aspirations to be a knowledge economy, digital infrastructure should be ubiquitous and available across every strata of life. The great thing about the digital world is it is very suited to a country like Ireland. Geographically we’re not at the heart of the world’s trading economies, nor are we physically connected to Europe. The more we are connected digitally with the rest of the world, the more we will be able to compete in an open, global economy.
Jim O'Hara's biography
Jim O’Hara is vice-president, Technology Manufacturing Group, Intel Corporation and Intel Ireland general manager.
He took over the role of Intel Ireland general manager in April 2002 and is responsible for Intel’s manufacturing operations in Ireland and for the site’s strategic direction, management leadership and development, and government and community relations.
O’Hara joined Intel in 1991 as part of the Fab 10 start-up team. He became plant manager for Fab 10 in 1996 and subsequently managed both Fab 10 and Fab 14, now known as Ireland Fab Operations.
Prior to joining Intel, O’Hara worked in Digital Equipment Corporation for 17 years, the last five of which were based in their corporate headquarters in Massachusetts.
A past president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland, he is a board member of the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School at UCD and Business in the Community Ireland. He is also a council member of IRCSET (Irish Research Council for Science Engineering and Technology).
In 2009, O’Hara was appointed to the board of Enterprise Ireland by An Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan TD. He holds an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the National University of Ireland.
