Rock of Cashel, Tipperary
The Rock of Cashel, Co Tipperary, Munster. Image: Patryk Kosmider/Shutterstock

Munster nets 5,494 jobs in 2016, with big wins for Cork and Limerick

14 Dec 2016

As we tot up the number of jobs announced across the island of Ireland in 2016, we turn to Munster, where Cork and Limerick received big boons.

This week, we’re rounding up all the sci-tech jobs announcements that were made during 2016. Having already looked at Connacht and Leinster, today we turn to Munster.

With a slightly more balanced distribution of jobs than we saw in Leinster, Munster pulled in 5,494 jobs in total.

While the bulk of announced jobs were in the urban centres of Cork and Limerick – 43.7pc and 23.9pc, respectively – the arguably more rural counties fared well in their own respects, through a series of large announcements that netted 1,780 announcements across the province.

Here, we gather those 1,780, and look at some of the highlight announcements from Cork and Limerick.

Clare

1. 500 jobs at Ennis-based health recruiter TTM

TTM Healthcare is looking to hire 500 people over the next five years on the back of investment from Broadlake, which has taken a 30pc stake in the company.

2. Beckman Coulter to expand Clare facility for 105 extra staff

The US biopharma company Beckman Coulter is to consolidate its staff numbers in Ireland following the closure of its Galway plant by expanding its plant outside Tulla, Co Clare, to accommodate a further 105 staff.

Kerry

3. Sigmar adding 150 new roles to its recruitment team

Sigmar Recruitment is planning a major drive to up its staff count, adding 150 to its currently 120-strong team by the end of 2018.

4. VT iDirect to create 30 new jobs at R&D centre in Killarney

Satellite-based IP communications technology player VT iDirect is to create 30 specialised engineering jobs at a new engineering and innovation centre in Killarney, Co Kerry, over the next five years.

Tipperary

5. 50 jobs to be created at €650m Silvermines hydroelectric plant

As part of one of the largest renewable energy investments of the past few years, the former Silvermines mining site in north Tipperary is to be turned into a 360MW hydroelectric power plant, creating 50 permanent jobs at the site.

6. Payment giant First Data to create 300 new jobs in Nenagh

Global payments giant First Data is to locate 300 new jobs at a major R&D facility in Nenagh, Co Tipperary. The new facility will be the company’s first Irish location outside of Dublin.

7. Pharma player MSD to create 200 new jobs in Carlow, Cork and Tipperary

MSD will be adding 40 new roles to its Ballydine site in Tipperary, and 50 to its Brinny site in Cork. At the time of the announcement, the company revealed that its Irish sites are involved in the production of more than 60pc of MSD’s global top 20 products.

8. 60 jobs being created at software diagnostics firm Technopath

Earlier this year, Technopath Clinical Diagnostics, a software company working within quality control for clinical labs, announced plans to create 60 jobs at its facility in Ballina, Co Tipperary.

Waterford

9. 200 jobs being created at medtech firm OPKO

200 highly skilled jobs are to be created at the Waterford-based healthcare company OPKO Health, as part of the future expansion of the EirGen Pharma facility in Westside Business Park.

10. Eurofins Scientific to create 160 new jobs in Waterford

As Eurofins Scientific invested in a major expansion of its Dungarvan campus, 160 jobs were announced to bring total staff at the facility to 500.

11. Sanofi bringing 40 new roles to Waterford site

Thought to already be employing over 600 people, the announcement of up to 40 new jobs at the site underlines Sanofi’s position as a major employer in the region.

12. 65 tech jobs for Waterford as Se2 officially opens new facility

US technology firm Se2 is set to double its workforce in Waterford as it officially opens its Irish office.

13. US company RouteMatch expands Waterford office, 25 jobs on way

Transit software company RouteMatch crossed the Atlantic, from Georgia in the US, to expand its R&D team in Waterford. 25 new roles are to be created.

14. Packaging Hub’s healthcare push continues Waterford job growth

Packaging, supply chain and logistics company The Packaging Hub announced intentions to create 40 positions at a new healthcare facility in Waterford, expecting to fill the roles by the end of 2018.

15. Hundreds of sci-tech jobs announced across 9 companies

Compar AG – a company specialising in image processing and robotics – revealed plans to establish an engineering development and sales centre in Waterford, with the creation of 15 highly skilled jobs over the next few years.

Limerick

16. Fare play, as Uber spends €4m in Limerick

Taxi app giant Uber, is creating 300 new jobs at its new centre of excellence in Limerick city. At the time of this announcement, the company had so far invested €4m in the city and had hired 100 people.

17. Fazzi Healthcare to create 300 medtech jobs

US company Fazzi Healthcare Services announced plans to create 300 jobs in Limerick at a new coding and healthcare services operation.

Cork

18. GE’s €150m Cork investment to yield 500 biopharma jobs

A major investment from biopharma giant GE Healthcare in Cork will produce 500 new jobs upon the completion of a ‘BioPark’ in Ringaskiddy.

19. PM Group to hire 250 Irish graduates after profitable 2015

Earlier this year, PM Group – one of Ireland’s largest project management firms – revealed it was to create 250 graduate jobs in Ireland, following a profitable 2015.

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Kirsty Tobin
By Kirsty Tobin

Kirsty Tobin served as careers editor of Silicon Republic from 2015 up to August 2017. When she was younger, she had a dream where she started and won a fight with a T-Rex, so she’s pretty sure she kicked butt at this, too. Passions include eating all the cake, watching more TV than is healthy and sassy comebacks.

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