Dozens of new Galway jobs expected as US giant to expand

Date Published: 30-Jan-2012

BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

Communications giant Cisco Systems is expected to create dozens of new jobs in its Galway facility this year, after it emerged it is performing ahead of expectations.

At the moment, around 180 people are employed at the premises in the Oranmore Business Park, which houses Research and Development laboratories, as well as a European Customer Interaction Centre.

The company’s European President, Chris Dedicoat, said the company intends to invest in its Irish operations, which shows the company’s dedication to maintaining a presence here.

He also praised the high calibre of graduates available for work in Galway, which he sees as the key to expansion.

“The key for us, from a research and development perspective, is a sustainable supply of talent. We’ve found Ireland to be very productive in terms of capability. We’ve found it very beneficial to research and development – the quality of products, the quality of engineers, the ability to collaborate on a global basis.

“R&D is not about good times and bad times, it’s about investing for the future. What you do today is a product in two to three years’ time. It’s about access to highly qualified, capable engineers. And the universities of Ireland continued to produce that for us.

“We’re very pleased with the calibre and capability of people in excess of three years we’ve been there [Ireland],” said Mr Dedicoat.

Last year, the company hired around 20 graduates in Galway.

Meanwhile, medical devices giant Medtronic has been given the green light for a major expansion at its Galway plant, which will include a new operating theatre simulation, as well as a research facility.

The new ‘Customer Innovation Centre’ will see customers and clinicians from around the world flown in to showcase Medtronic’s product range and is seen by management as a vote of confidence in the company’s future here.

Galway was chosen from 250 of the company’s locations around the world for the new centre, and is expected to provide a boost to the local workforce, where more than 2,000 are already employed.

Galway County Council has granted permission to the company to build a 2,500 square metre building beside their existing facility at the Parkmore Business Park.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel