Ericsson jobs boost confirms midlands as Silicon Heartlands – Naughten

In Business & Jobs, Jobs, Local Issues, Posts by Topic by Denis Naughten

Local TD Denis Naughten has welcomed the announcement by Ericsson that it is to recruit 250 people at its Research and Development Centre in Athlone to support the ongoing development of its global 5G mobile technology programme.

“This is a significant endorsement of Athlone as an integral part of Ericsson’s global research and development footprint from a company which has been the key driver of the software development sector across the midlands,” stated Denis Naughten.

This investment in conjunction with its existing team of 1,200 on the Ericsson campus along with local investments by Neueda Technologies, Sidero, Huawei and others, is now resulting in Athlone having a greater proportion of the workforce employed in the software sector than any other location in Ireland or the UK.

“There is no doubt that the Government decision, which I was part of, to designate Athlone as a new potential city is helping to attract jobs investment into the region and ensuring that it is fast becoming the Silicon Heartlands,” stated Denis Naughten.

“We now need to build on this investment in towns such as Roscommon, which have an abundance of office space, and with a further incubation hub planned for Ballinasloe and other towns in the region we must now spread the benefit from this major growth in the tech sector in Ireland’s Heartlands.

“The objective of creating a hub in Athlone and using that to bring more investment into the surrounding towns of Tullamore, Mullingar, Longford, Roscommon and Ballinasloe is clearly set out in the Government’s Project Ireland 2040. This is a designation that I spearheaded through my engagement with Government.

“Apart from direct employment these multinational companies have a hugely positive effect on the local economy with over eight jobs being created for every 10 jobs in multinational companies,” concluded Denis Naughten.

ENDS.