CNN news 2011-12-22 加文本

cnn news 2011-12-22

BOULDEN (voice over): If first impressions are indeed lasting impressions, Dublin has a reason to be confident. With its spacious interior and space age design Dublin Airports Terminal II is the city's calling card.

At a cost of 600 million euros, TII wasn't cheap, but some believe the airport's makeover has helped change how Dublin is perceived.

DECLAN COLLIERS, CEO, DUBLIN AIRPORT AUTHORITY: The impression we were creating of the country, poor infrastructure facilities. This was not a gateway that companies would want to, you know, come into a country through and invest in that country.

What TII has done is completely and radically change that. The opening of TII has been a massive enabler for the next generation of foreign direct investment.

BOULDEN: The hope is TII will help Dublin land new business. And soon the airport itself could be the site of major investment. Dublin's Airport Authority owns nearly 3,000 acres of land, most of which is not in use; a rare commodity.

Airport and city hope to transform this area into a business district, specifically for clean technology companies. It would be part of a Green Way, an economic corridor of green businesses, linking the city's center with the airport.

RONAN FURLONG, THE GREEN WAY: The Green Way is all about jobs and economic regeneration. We are trying as a nation to reorient out country and our economic fortunes away from some of the past endeavors towards these high tech areas.

We would expect to see the next Googles, the next Twitters, in the clean tech space, coming from East Asia, and setting up European headquarter operations in and around Dublin Airport.

BOULDEN: For multinationals organized around time zones, connectivity is a big factor. Dublin Airport has a lot going for it. For one, it is the only capital city in Europe with border free clearance for the United States.

(On camera): Going through U.S. Immigration, here, at the TII, means avoiding the long queues on the other side of the Atlantic.

(voice over): A big selling point when time is money.

Another big plus, the land set aside for the business district is extremely close to the terminal.

COLLIERS: We can base those teams right on the campus, so when they want to go out and spread the word, when they want to go out and actually take hold of this commercial opportunity, and the rest of Europe, they are just moments away from the check in terminal. And away they go.

BOULDEN: Finding the funding to make the project a reality, is the biggest hurdle. But Dublin is taking bold steps. Glitzy events like the Global Clean Tech Cluster Awards, held in Dublin this year, brings together the biggest industry names.

It's a chance for Dublin to raise a glass to possible investors, and raise interest in the Green Way. Barry O'Leary is the man with the task of pulling big names.

BARRY O'LEARY, CEO, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, IRELAND: When the multinationals come and visit here many of them may not be too familiar with Ireland. Whereas there is an awful lot happening in the clean tech space, and we have already seen some of the world's biggest corporations, like, IBM, and United Technologies, and Vestar (ph).

BOULDEN: IBM's decision to open one of 11 centers around the world, in Dublin, was a big success for the city. This cutting edge research and development site aims to make cities more efficient.

LISA AMINI, IBM: Having the one as a hub, bringing in these other clean tech companies, it is fantastic. Because collaboration is huge; its' great go be able to bring the different ideas together because that is how we advance.

BOULDEN: Dublin is creating a new pillar to stabilize the economy. The airport is at the heart of the city's plans. While investments are hard to come by in times of economic turbulence, Dublin is confident its plans will take off.

With a futuristic new terminal and acres of land for development, the sky is the limit for Dublin Airport.