US firm to set up European R&D centre

AMERICAN technology firm StorageTek is to locate an advanced research and development operation in Dublin.

StorageTek has been in negotiations with the IDA for more than a year about locating its European R&D centre in Ireland and will set up the unit in Blackrock, south Dublin.

StorageTek employs 12 sales people in Dublin and builds data storage products. The company set up its Irish operation in 2002.

"The new unit will develop products for data management in the application storage management area of IT that will be sold through our worldwide organisation," said Irish managing director Sean Jackman.

"It is testimony to the calibre of the work done by our highly-skilled workforce that we were successful in winning this investment.

"The activity in Ireland will commence with two researchers and this team will expand over time," he said.

The move was welcomed by Tánaiste Mary Harney, who said Ireland was chosen because of the benefits it could give R&D facilities.

"These benefits are the availability of people with the necessary qualifications and skills and Ireland's successful track-record in supporting leading-edge R&D investments from global companies.

"This is exactly the type of facility and operation that we are seeking to attract," she said."

StorageTek is based in Colorado and has sales in excess of $2 billion.

It is to invest 10% of its revenues in research and development. It spent $215 million last year on R&D.