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Why Ireland for engineering investment

  • Ireland is the European location of choice for growing numbers of industrial engineering and technology companies in manufacturing, research and innovation

  • Principal industry sectors include automotive, aerospace, chemicals and advanced materials, automation and industrial technology

Source the skills you need to make your investment in Ireland a success

Connect with us

Source the skills you need to make your investment in Ireland a success

Connect with us
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Leading Industry Names

Ireland’s strong and vibrant engineering industry supports a broad range of companies across many industries. It includes names like Liebherr, Henkel, Element Six, Sulzer and Thermoking. The sector contributes more than €5.6 billion annually to Irish exports.

  • The top eight industrial automation companies
  • Four of the top 10 global engineering design firms
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A Proven Track Record

Ireland has been attracting engineering companies for more than 50 years. Recently, many have expanded their operations to serve EMEA markets. Ireland is also developing into a hub for cutting-edge fields such as IoT, Industry 5.0, Connected Autonomous Vehicles and more.

  • 250+ industrial technology and engineering companies in Ireland
  • 23,000+ people employed in the engineering sector
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Cutting-Edge Research

Ireland is an attractive location for researching new technologies, with 42% of engineering companies in Ireland already engaging in R&D activity. Ireland’s industry-led research centres specialise in areas like advanced materials, smart manufacturing and industrial automation.

  • Active R&D in emerging technologies
  • World-class research centres with strong industry focus
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Strong Talent Pipeline

Engineering companies locating or expanding in Ireland can avail of skilled talent including recent graduates and staff already working in the sector. Ireland’s EU membership provides unrestricted access to a labour pool of more than 240 million people.

  • 45,000 third-level students enrolled in STEM fields at any one time
  • Ireland ranks first in the world for productivity in industry (OECD)
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Ready for Disruption

As Industry 5.0 trends reshape engineering and manufacturing, IDA Ireland client companies are already working on R&D projects in augmented reality, industrial IoT, robotics and automation to enhance and optimise their manufacturing operations.

  • Government support for feasibility investigations to digitisation projects
  • 25% tax credit for all qualifying R&D activity

We selected Dublin because of its global business environment, talent, ability to support European languages, excellent long-term cost structure, and quality of life for employees. Dublin is a vibrant, multicultural and creative city. These qualities align well with our brand and culture and we think Dublin will be a great fit for us.

See similar companies in Ireland

Honeywell
ElementSix
United Technologies
Jaguar
DuPont
Aptiv
Airbus Helicopters
Henkel
Liebherr
Ingersoll
Valeo
Pilz
GM
GE
Enernoc
Schneider
Siemens
Abbott

Success Stories: Hear from leaders calling Ireland home

A proven path

See all Success Stories
AbbVie
TikTok
Salesforce
MeiraGTx
AMD
NetApp
8 diverse sites across Ireland employing 2,500+ people

8 diverse sites across Ireland employing 2,500+ people

Ireland plays a critical role in supporting AbbVie's international operations. Our new AbbVie North Dublin (AND) facility will be a key node in AbbVie's global Operations network, serving as a European hub bringing together our Dublin-based supply chain, engineering, quality assurance and manufacturing teams for the first time.

TikTok’s Rapid Rise in Ireland

TikTok’s Rapid Rise in Ireland

Its strong pool of skilled and diverse talent, booming digital and technology sector, and rich heritage of arts and culture, make it such an attractive base for a platform that prides itself on being an inclusive home for creative expression

2,500+ people now work at Salesforce in Ireland 

2,500+ people now work at Salesforce in Ireland 

We have tonnes of amazing customers, we continue to innovate so Salesforce is going to be in Ireland for a very long time.

Gene therapy startup chooses Ireland for commercial-scale manufacturing

Gene therapy startup chooses Ireland for commercial-scale manufacturing

MeiraGTx’s Shannon facility is unique, not only in Ireland but globally, as it streamlines gene therapy development, testing and manufacturing capabilities together in-house. This significantly reduces the time to patients for advanced therapeutic products, with months or potentially years saved.” -

AMD presence in Ireland dates back to 1994 via Xilinx acquisition

AMD presence in Ireland dates back to 1994 via Xilinx acquisition

For nearly three decades, Ireland has been a flagship European R&D centre developing adaptive computing solutions, drawing from a strong and highly-skilled workforce. By further investing and expanding our presence in Dublin and Cork, we are committed to continuing to both drive innovation in Ireland and to support the European semiconductor ecosystem.

Company set up European HQ in Cork in 2022

Company set up European HQ in Cork in 2022

Cork has become the global hub of choice for international headquarters of technology companies, home to over 100 technology companies. With over 40,000 students across Cork’s two universities, NetApp’s decision to base its international headquarters in Cork provides access to a talent pool that is truly worthy of supporting the robust and evolving technology market. As well as being a part of the vibrant emerging business scene in Cork, NetApp’s hybrid working model means there are opportunities for technical and non-technical candidates across Ireland.

Find your European home

Find your European home