Microsoft Ireland adds 200 new engineering roles

Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland with Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland An Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar as Microsoft Ireland announced the creation of 200 engineering roles. Picture: Leon Farrell

Microsoft has increased its investment in Ireland announcing 200 new engineering roles at the company's growing campus in Dublin.

The tech giant said that at the end of this recruitment phase the company will employ more than 2,700 people in Ireland across its Leopardstown campus and within its Data Centre operations.

The new roles will be based in Microsoft's €27m engineering hub, named One Microsoft Court.

Marking the expansion, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Leo Varadkar said the investment builds on decades of commitment by Microsoft in Ireland and further strengthens the country’s position as a centre for innovation in Europe.

“Our focus in the months ahead will be to rebuild Ireland’s economy in a manner that will be sustainable. We need to protect and create in-demand jobs fit for our digital age. A growing engineering talent pool is crucial in helping to imagine and create the solutions that Ireland will need to rebuild and recover,” he said.

Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director of Microsoft Ireland said the pace of digital transformation has accelerated due to Covid-19 and has changed the way we work, live and do business. 

"It is essential that we maintain the momentum and continue to leverage the benefits of digital as we reimagine Ireland and drive an inclusive recovery. Our engineers will be at the centre of that effort and we look forward to welcoming them into our newly redesigned space when restrictions allow.”

Microsoft's investment is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

Separately, a new report from the Analytics Institute and IDA Ireland, found that Ireland is well-positioned to be a global centre of excellence for data analytics

The report points out that 25% of Europe’s data is hosted in the Dublin Metropolitan Area. 

"We are the chosen location for many of the world’s leading technology companies who are leveraging Analytics and AI technology to develop new products and services, to create new high-value jobs and to drive new revenue streams," Lorcan Malone, CEO, The Analytics Institute of Ireland said.

“Major decisions in business, in government and in healthcare must be underpinned by accurate, trustworthy and reliable data. Analytics has moved onto centre stage in 2020 by the need to react quickly and comprehensively to a rapidly shifting landscape."

"Data-driven decision making is the difference between organisations that merely survive to those that will deliver for their stakeholders. Without accurate data analysis we are relying on guesswork and that will not cut it anymore. With the right investment and focused supports, we can be a global leader in this space in the coming years”.

The report will be launched tomorrow, Tuesday, November 24, at the International Analytics Summit which is being hosted by the Analytics Institute of Ireland. It will be attended by more than 1,000 virtual participants who will take part in interactive workshops, panel discussions and virtual networking events.