StorageTek Ireland is to locate its European research and development unit at its Dublin sales and service office in Blackrock. The company made the announcement after finalising discussions with IDA Ireland.
The Irish unit is envisaged as a key contributor to the corporate R&D activities of the US$2bn storage technology developer. StorageTek has been working with the Government and IDA Ireland since late 2002 to ensure that Ireland was the favoured location for the investment.
Announcing the news, Tánaiste Mary Harney TD said: “This strategic new investment is the result of joint representation by the Irish management team of StorageTek and IDA to StorageTek’s Corporate headquarters.” She added that the new development was “exactly the type of facility and operation that we are seeking to attract to Ireland”.
According to Sean Jackman, managing director of StorageTek Ireland, the new unit will develop products for storing, managing, protecting and replicating data in the area known as application storage management. These products will then be sold through the company’s worldwide organisation. The company will initially employ two researchers and this team will expand over time. StorageTek has an existing staff of 12 people in Ireland.
“The unit will be closely integrated with the R&D teams based across the world,” Jackman added. He added that R&D was critical to StorageTek’s ongoing development; in 2002, the company invested US$215m in R&D – 10pc of its annual sales.
By Gordon Smith
