With the opening of a new R&D and production facility, US semiconductor giant Analogue Devices is significantly boosting the number of employees in Limerick.
The corporation is spending €630 million to build the 45,000 square foot building at its European regional headquarters in Limerick’s Raheen Business Park.
With the addition of 600 new employment from this “state-of-the-art” facility, Analogue Devices will have about 2,100 employees working in Ireland altogether.
More than 200 Irish positions, the most of which are situated in Limerick, are now listed by the semiconductor manufacturer on its Careers page. These positions include project managers, senior engineers, digital design engineers, research engineers, maintenance technicians, and engineers.
Since the 1970s, when the firm initially began operating here, Ireland has served as a “critical innovation centre,” said Analogue Devices CEO and chair Vincent Roche.
“This next-generation semiconductor manufacturing facility and expanded R&D team will further extend ADI Limerick’s global influence,” Roche said.
The investment is planned as part of collaboration within the European Union’s Important Projects of Common European Interest on Microelectronics and Communication Technologies (IPCEI ME/CT) initiative, and will support cross-border collaborative research. Analog Devices’ IPCEI application is subject to final approval from the European Commission, and is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.
The announcement comes a year after Analog Devices invested €100m in Catalyst, the company’s custom-designed facility for innovation and collaboration at its Limerick base. In 2010, Analog Devices invested €23m in its Limerick campus’ manufacturing division.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, TD, said the latest investment is a significant announcement for the Mid-West region and “marks a new chapter” in the relationship between Analog Devices and Ireland.
“This massive €630m investment is great news for local employment with lots of jobs being created during the construction phase, and 600 high-end graduate jobs,” Varadkar said. “This investment will also mean lots of spin-off jobs and contracts for local SMEs and Irish-owned businesses.”