Irish data centre industry projects 1,800 new jobs this year

Garry Connolly, President of Host In Ireland.

A massive 84% of companies in the Irish data centre industry expect their employee base to grow in the next 12 months, potentially creating more than 1800 new jobs.

That’s according to a new survey from Host in Ireland which included 50 companies from the data centre ecosystem in Ireland.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on many industries, the data centre industry shows signs of long-term growth and stability and 96% of Irish companies surveyed said they were positive or very positive about business opportunities within the industry.

Host in Ireland, a global initiative created to increase awareness of the benefits of hosting digital assets in Ireland as well as Irish companies that are designing, building, and operating data centres globally, said data centres have been one of the top performing asset classes in global real estate investment in 2020 due to the increased demand for digital infrastructure created by the pandemic.

Hannah Ormondroyd, Head of People, Data Centre Solutions, CBRE said: “The role of the data centre in keeping our economy moving in the last few months has reinforced the critical nature of our industry. We have a real opportunity to attract, develop and retain new talent as we look to keep pace with the growing business demand.” 

“There is also the possibility we can help recently furloughed employees find a new home and transfer their skill sets to a new industry.” 

“Data centres are the digital factories of today and have been one of the few completely open for business during the pandemic,” said Garry Connolly, president and founder of Host in Ireland. 

“As significant portions of our lives shifted to an online world, the industry has felt a great sense of purpose as essential workers being on the digital frontline."

“The positive outlook and enthusiasm is understandable,” he said, adding that there is an opportunity “to build and maintain Ireland's leading position in the global digital datasphere.”