Dell opens €2m telecoms test lab at Cork campus

It is Dell's only such lab located outside the US

Bob Savage, Vice President at Dell Technologies, Mary Buckley, Executive Director of IDA Ireland, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney TD, Catherine Doyle, Managing Director of Dell Technologies Ireland and Tibor Fabry-Asztalos, Senior Vice President, Dell Technologies at the company’s campus in Ovens, Co. Cork following a €2m investment. Picture: Clare Keogh

Dell Technologies has opened a new €2m telecoms lab at its campus in Cork.

The tech giant's Open Telecom Ecosystem Lab is the only such facility outside the US. It will act as a testbed for Dell customers to test and deploy telecom products using 5G and 6G technologies. The company hopes the lab will accelerate the development of smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technologies such as automated manufacturing, smart mobility technologies and digital cities. The other lab is located in Round Rock, Texas.

Officially opened by Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment Simon Coveney, the telecoms lab follows the opening of an Innovation Lab at Dell's Limerick facility and its redeveloped Customer Solutions Centre in Cork in recent years.

"As telecoms providers look to accelerate the pace of digital transformation within their sector, the new Lab will provide an important space to collaborate, innovate and push the boundaries of an open and modern telecom system," Bob Savage, Regional CIO for EMEA and Cork Site Leader at Dell Technologies said.

"This new investment places Cork at the heart of Europe’s open telecom ecosystem. Our talented team of engineers and leading industry partners such as Vodafone, Ericsson, VMware and Druid Software can accelerate the roll-out of next-generation services.”

Mr Coveney said the new lab strengthens Ireland’s position as a hub for emerging technology. "It will also help create new business opportunities linked to 5G and the future roll-out of 6G. I want to congratulate Dell Technologies on this important milestone and look forward to seeing the Lab evolve and grow.”