Intel Communications Europe, a division of Intel, is to create 80 new jobs in research and development (R&D) over the next three years at its operations in Shannon.
Announcing the news, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin TD said the jobs would be supported under the Government’s R&D Capability Grant Scheme, which addresses the low levels of investment in this area by indigenous and multinational companies.
Intel Communications Europe was established in the Shannon in 1999 and currently employs more than 120 people, mostly in software or hardware engineering roles. ICE also provides divisional business, technical and marketing support for European customers and the field sales organisation.
Its development centre at Shannon is the European R&D arm of Intel’s Network Processing Division, which is charged with developing the next generation of products that provide high-speed access for voice and data networks. According to Intel, this emerging technology is one of the fastest-growing segments of the telecommunications business and will affect IT users in the small office/home office market.
Although the Shannon facility operates separately from Intel’s European manufacturing facility in Leixlip, the two organisations have worked together. The IXP425 communications processor was the first such chip to be fully designed, developed and manufactured in Ireland. Design and development took place at in Shannon before being manufactured in Leixlip.
“It is clear today from the leading-edge R&D activity being undertaken here in Shannon that Intel Communications Europe has more than satisfied the Government’s objective of enhancing R&D capability in Ireland,” said Martin.
By Gordon Smith
