Apple to expand Cork campus with new office for up to 1,300 staff

24 May 2022

Apple’s European headquarters in Cork. Image: Apple

Apple is planning another major investment just weeks after it opened a new engineering and test facility at its Cork campus.

Apple is set to further expand its operations in Cork as it plans a new campus building with the capacity for up to 1,300 employees.

While the tech giant has not yet made it clear how many jobs could be created, it understood that the new facility will provide a base for both new and existing employees.

The plan is subject to planning permission from Cork City Council. An application is being lodged today (24 May) and, if approved, it is hoped the new facility will be completed by 2025.

Apple’s European headquarters are located in Holyhill, Co Cork, and the company currently employs more than 6,000 people there.

Apple said it has invested more than €250m in the expansion of its Cork campus over the past five years. This includes a recently opened engineering and test facility for testing and analysing products across Europe.

“We’ve called Cork home for more than 40 years, and are thrilled to accelerate our investments here as we grow our team and expand our campus,” Cathy Kearney, Apple’s VP of European operations, said.

“We are proud to be part of the community here, and with this new project, we will continue to create new jobs, support local organisations, and drive innovation on behalf of our customers,” she added.

In line with Apple’s policies on sustainability, the planned building will run on 100pc renewable energy. It will include solar panels on pedestrian walkways as well as storage capacity and charging points for bicycles, scooters and EVs.

Apple’s expansion announcement was welcomed by IDA Ireland and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, TD.

IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan said that Apple’s Cork site has made a substantial contribution to the company’s global success. He added that this is why Apple was the recipient of IDA’s inaugural Special Recognition Award in 2020.

Martin said it is “encouraging” to see Apple continue to invest in Cork.

“Apple was a trailblazer in technology at the time they established operations in Cork and their presence here gave, and continues to give, confidence to many more global tech companies to locate in Ireland,” he added.

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Blathnaid O’Dea was a Careers reporter at Silicon Republic until 2024.

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