Covid-19 drives Aspira-tions of global expansion for Little Island firm

Cork consulting and technology specialists will open offices in Malaysia and The Netherlands to be closer to global clients

Pictured pre-pandemic at Aspira's Europe headquarters in Amsterdam are (l-r) Aspira Group CEO Pat Lucey, Aspira Managing Director Europe Peter Ryan and Aspira CTO Colum Horgan.

Cork consulting and technology specialists, Aspira, are to open new offices in Malaysia and The Netherlands as part of on-going expansion beyond their Little Island base.

The company’s Mayalsia office will serve as its Asia-Pacific regional headquarters, while a second office in the Netherlands will serve as an expansion of its mainland European operations.

The expansion will create 30 new jobs, primarily based at the new office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with the remaining 12 positions in Aspira’s Dutch offices in Amsterdam and The Hague.

The roles will be rolled out over the next 15 months and will include project management, software development and e-commerce systems positions.

CEO Pat Lucey said the Covid-19 pandemic played a part in the decision to expand.

"We can no longer jump on a long-haul flight to work alongside our global clients."

“We are augmenting our ability to support clients remotely by having a physical presence in diverse parts of the world," he said. 

“To build these relationships and maximise our support to clients, we need to be on the ground in addition to meeting them virtually."

Aspira has seen a three-fold increase in demand for digital transformation services as companies enhance their e-commerce capabilities and supply chain networks as a direct result of the impact of Covid-19.

“As businesses transform to cope with the pandemic, we are helping our clients to not just survive but to thrive through technology,” Mr Lucey said.

The company has experienced accelerated growth, on average doubling in size every three years.

“We forecast overall sales to double again over the next three years, with international sales growing at an even faster pace,” Mr Lucey said.

He said the new roles will strengthen the group’s delivery capability and management team at a time of rapid expansion in international markets.