Analog Devices, one of the biggest tech companies in the country has announced a €630m investment plan in a new research and development facility at its Limerick plant.
It is anticipated it means an extra 600 jobs, bringing employment at its Limerick plant to over 2,000.
Analog Devices has been located at Raheen in Limerick since the mid-1970s and is one of the biggest semiconductor companies in the world – researching and developing integrated circuits used in electronic equipment across a huge range of everyday devices.
They have announced the investment at the Limerick facility – which is also its European HQ – to develop next-generation technologies and software to accelerate digital transformation in industrial, health and other sectors.
It will fund the construction of a new 40,000sq/ft research and development and manufacturing facility.
It is expected to add 600 new positions, significantly increasing the 1,500 employees already employed at the Raheen facility.
Analog CEO and Chair Vincent Roche said Ireland has been a “critical innovation centre” for the business since 1976.
“This next-generation semiconductor manufacturing facility and expanded R&D team will further extend ADI Limerick’s global influence,” he said.
“Through organic R&D and close collaboration with our customers, we are striving to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges and enable a more efficient, safer, and sustainable future,” he added.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who will visit the facility later said it was a significant announcement for Limerick and the Mid-West region.
“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,” he said.
The expansion comes just a year after Analog announced an investment of €100 million in its Catalyst facility, a major thinktank and solutions lab, where engineers collaborate directly with customers and suppliers on solving their design problems, piloting new technologies and business models.
IDA CEO Michael Lohan said the technology that ADI will develop at the facility in Limerick is at the very forefront of innovation and has the potential to revolutionise the lives of billions of people across the world.
This investment is intended to strengthen our supply chain resilience for advanced semiconductor processes.
This new investment is also part of collaboration within the European Union’s Important projects of common European interest or IPCEI, which are large-scale multi-European projects that are of significant benefit to the EU economy, and its citizens, aimed at supporting Europe’s aim to achieve semiconductor supply chain sovereignty.
Ireland is one of 20 EU states participating in the scheme. This is Analog’s IPCEI application in the microelectronics sector and is Ireland’s first under the scheme since its inception in 2018.
