Computer giant HP invests €21m in research and development facility

COMPUTER giant Hewlett Packard (HP) is to spend €21 million on a research and development facility at its plant in Leixlip, Co Kildare.

The facility will develop new technology for use in the manufacture of inkjet printers and will benefit from IDA Ireland support. Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise and Employment Mary Harney said the new investment showed Ireland was still a competitive location for multinationals to do business.

“The investment is a perfect fit for the government’s policy for the expansion of research and development in Ireland and the attraction of further high-calibre, knowledge-led activities,” she said. The government introduced tax incentives in the budget that targeted research and development and aimed to make Ireland more attractive for higher value-added activity.

“The investment is important in moving Ireland further along the way to becoming a leader in next generation of engineering, manufacturing and related information technologies,” said Ms Harney.

HP gave no indication of the number of jobs the new facility would create, but it will co-operate with a number of Irish universities on research programmes.

Talks on potential programmes have already started between HP and NUI Maynooth, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University and the National Maritime College in Cork. HP vice-president and head of the Leixlip inkjet manufacturing plant, Lionel Alexander, said the move marked a natural progression for HP’s Irish operations.

It would enhance Ireland’s standing within the global HP organisation by giving the Leixlip plant responsibility for early stage research and development and building on its manufacturing base, he said.

Ms Harney said HP’s Leixlip management had worked to secure the investment based on the employees’ high technical skills, their track record in development activity and their success in handling significant engineering responsibility on behalf of the group. She added that the level of support from the IDA for the project underlined the government’s commitment to HP and research and development in general.