Mid-west secures nearly 200 tech sector jobs

17-04-2007

by Maxim Kelly

Following a spate of tech sector job losses last month, the good news is that a raft of new positions have been created.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment Micheal Martin and Minister for Labour Affairs, Tony Killeen announced 196 new tech sector jobs on Tuesday for the mid-west region.

Exactly 151 new jobs are to be created in Co Limerick, with e-payment software firm ACI Worldwide, orbital satellite software specialists Rovsing, and wireless broadband equipment maker AR Corporate (Europe) all creating new positions. Meanwhile, Australian software firm PC Tools is set to create 45 new jobs in the Shannon Free Zone, Co Clare over the next five years.

PC Tools, which specialises in spyware detection and Microsoft Windows operating system "cleaning" tools, has established its new European customer service centre with the assistance of Shannon Development and IDA Ireland.

Speaking with ENN, PC Tools' new European financial controller, Tom Foley, said the company would be recruiting locally amongst the "abundant local natural resources" of technically and language-trained personnel.

ACI Worldwide is set to create 100 jobs at its new global technical resource centre in Limerick. The investment has been supported by IDA Ireland, and Minister Martin said there was "considerable competition across Europe" to attract the company's new facility. It will specialise in optimising supply chain efficiencies, product development and commercialisation efforts for items within ACI's product family. Staff will also be tasked with managing the intellectual property rights of ACI software solutions, such as its trademarked enterprise payment system, BASE24.

Danish company Rovsing is planning to establish a software development centre at the National Technology Park in Plassey, Co Limerick. Supported by IDA Ireland, Rovsing will create 30 high-level positions requiring software and hardware engineering skills, and Masters level qualifications.

Rovsing specialises in the development of critical software tools for the validation and testing of software used for the functional and electronic testing of satellites. This includes areas such as data handling systems, navigation, communication and timing for electrical ground support equipment and ground systems for spacecraft.

Rovsing Ireland will focus on contracts for the European Space Agency, and the Department of Enterprise hopes its presence in the Republic will enhance Irish supply capabilities within the European Space programme. Rovsing will also work with LERO, the Irish Software Engineering Research Centre at the University of Limerick, which specialises in high reliability software for the automotive sector.

Finally, AR Europe -- the new Irish-based distribution arm of US firm AR Corporate -- will create 21 positions over the next three years. Established in 1969, AR Corporate is a global player in the development and manufacture of high power, broadband radio frequency (RF) amplifiers.

Limerick-based AR Europe will be responsible for all sales, marketing, finance, customer support and distribution of the AR Corporate product line.

Minister Martin concluded: "The Mid-west's ability to attract these... investments is a tribute to the co-operation and commitment throughout the region between the various organisations, state agencies, educational representatives and the people of the whole region.

"They are to be congratulated for having worked together to create a desirable location for cutting-edge investment from global companies that have a myriad of locations to choose from.

"These companies are of the highest calibre in terms of innovation and technology with a strong focus on developing collaborative partnerships with academic institutions in the region and are exactly the type of investments we are continuously seeking to win for Ireland."

The news comes as Cork -- one of the most hard-hit areas in terms of recent technology job losses -- recently attracted 100 new positions courtesy of American firm DeCare Systems.