According to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Information Technology Outlook 2000, Ireland is the largest exporter of software goods in the world (IDA, 2002). Since the industrialisation policy was introduced in 1968, Ireland has moved from agriculture towards a technology-based industry. While some may argue this was fortuitous, it appears that the Irish government’s efforts to industrialise the country has led to significant software developments. The author proposes a conceptual frame-work of factors that identify the key facets of government involvement that influence this software growth. This study investigates the extent to which institutional influence has contributed to the growth and development of Ireland’s software industry. As a result, it seems that considerable government involvement in industrial development in the late 1960s became far more focused on software in the early 1990s, as Ireland began to emerge as a post-industrial society. In order to identify this governmental impact on the software sector, the author has identified four countries that have experienced significant IT industry growth, highlighting the varying levels of government intervention in each country and indicating the importance of national involvement in IT industry development.
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