Just seven years after the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) was founded in 1949, the first wave of multinational companies began arriving in Ireland. In 1957, US technology powerhouse IBM landed on Irish shores followed a year later by Swedish company Ericsson.
At that point in time, Ireland was known for its agriculture and artistic talents. It certainly wasn’t considered a hotbed of technological innovation. However, all that changed as the giant tech companies kept coming.
Hewlett Packard arrived in 1973, Microsoft in 1985, Dell and Oracle in 1987, Intel in 1989… it’s now hard to name a global tech company that doesn’t have a presence in Ireland.
The IDA’s website proudly boasts:
“As the world’s second largest software exporter, Ireland is recognised internationally as a leading location for companies in the Software sector. Sixteen out of the top 20 global technology firms have strategic operations in Ireland, including Microsoft, Google, Apple and Facebook.”
Ireland: Where Europe intersects with the US
Ireland is now the go-to location for Technology companies looking for a European base.
Over 105,000 people are now employed in the software industry in Ireland. These companies generate $17.8 billion in annual exports making Ireland the second largest software exporter in the world.
There are some bellwether names associated with the Irish software sector and they all have a meaningful presence here. Apple now employs 6,000, Google's European Headquarters also has 6,000 employees and Microsoft employs close to 2,000 workers across both technical and non-technical fields.
There is, of course, the very attractive corporate tax environment too. Ireland has a very favourable 12.5% corporate tax rate, a 25% Research & Development tax credit and an extensive range of tax treaty networks.
When you put it all together it makes a compelling case as to why you might consider Ireland for your business expansion.
Expansion: The Sequel
The real success story behind Ireland’s technology sector is in the expansion. Not only did global giants in various Tech fields come to Ireland, but the majority have grown their operations too. They may have come for the tax rate, but they have stayed, grown and prospered because of all the other advantages Ireland offers ambitious companies.
In 2017 there were a raft of announcements of companies expanding their Irish operations.
Company – Microsoft
- Location – Dublin
- Announcement – “US Microsoft announced it will add 800 new jobs at its Dublin based EMEA Inside Sales organisation”
Microsoft is the cornerstone of the multinational and tech story in Ireland. Since arriving in 1985, there are now 2,000 employees from 71 different countries at its One Campus situated in the suburbs of Dublin.
The functions they provide for the company include software development, testing and localisation to operations, finance, HR and sales & marketing for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
In February 2017 the software giant announced it was creating 600 Inside Sales jobs. It followed on in October 2017 with another announcement outlining 80% of the Inside Sales jobs were already filled AND it was creating an additional 200 new jobs at its EMEA Inside Sales organisation in Dublin.
Commenting for press on the job creations, Microsoft’s managing director for Ireland Cathriona Hallahan described their Dublin centre as being core Microsoft.
“The continued contribution of the Dublin-based Inside Sales team to the company at a global level ensures that we are in a strong position when we seek to attract further investment to Ireland. With the continued growth of our team and our preparations for a move into our beautiful new state-of-the-art campus building, our fourth decade in Ireland is shaping up to be the best yet.”
We are open to all
While we have been celebrating the successes of some of the largest companies in the world, Ireland is not an exclusive club. The country is very much open to ambitious expanding companies of all sizes. Indeed, at Smart MBS we specialize in tailoring international solutions to match the company size and requirements.
With over 30 years' experience in the Irish and International corporate sector, we can offer Big 4 capabilities to the SME market at a pre-agreed cost.
Why not get in touch today to find out more about how we can partner with you.
