Major jobs boost for Limerick as Analog Devices announces plans for new €630m facility

ONE of Limerick biggest employers has announced it's to invest more than €600 million in a new R&D facility in the city.

Analog Devices, one of the biggest tech companies in the country, will create around extra 600 jobs at its European headquarters in Raheen - bringing the total workforce to more than 2,000.

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will travel to Limerick later this Monday to mark the announcement by the company which has been located at Raheen Business Park in Limerick since the mid 1970s.

Analog Devices is one of the biggest semiconductor companies in the world - researching and developing integrated circuits used in electronic equipment across a huge range of everyday devices.

The investment, being announced this Monday, aims to develop next generation technologies and software to accelerate digital transformation in industrial, health and other sectors.

The €630m investment by Analog Devices, which is supported by IDA Ireland, will fund the construction of a new 45,000 square foot research and development and manufacturing facility.

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Commenting ahead of his visit to Limerick, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “This is a really significant announcement for Limerick and the Mid-West region, which marks a new chapter in the longstanding relationship between ADI and Ireland. This massive €630 million investment is great news for local employment with lots of jobs being created during the construction phase, and 600 high-end graduate jobs.

"This investment is further evidence of the Government’s commitment to bringing jobs to the Mid-West. Most IDA jobs created in recent years have been outside of Dublin, and Limerick has done particularly well with its deep talent pool, universities, airport, and infrastructure. This investment will also mean lots of spin-off jobs and contracts for local SMEs and Irish-owned businesses."

Analog Device's CEO and Chairman, Vincent Roche added: “Since 1976, Ireland has been a critical innovation centre for ADI, thanks to its strong academic and research organisations, business ecosystem, and progressive government leadership.

“This next-generation semiconductor manufacturing facility and expanded R&D team will further extend Analog Devices International (ADI) Limerick’s global influence. Through organic R&D and close collaboration with our customers and ecosystem partners, we are striving to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges and enable a more efficient, safer, and sustainable future.”

The €630 investment is planned as part of a collaboration within the European Union’s Important Projects of Common European Interest on Microelectronics and Communication Technologies (IPCEI ME/CT) initiative, and will support cross-border collaborative research. ADI’s IPCEI application – Ireland’s first since the inception of the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) initiative.

More to follow....