Thursday, 16th December 2010, Galway – Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe TD today announced that Goodman Medical Ireland Ltd. is to create up to 115 new jobs over 5 years and invest €1.1m at its facility in Mervue Business Park, Galway.  Recruitment is already underway.  This investment is supported by IDA Ireland.

Goodman Co., Ltd., founded in 1975 and headquartered in Nagoya, Japan manufactures and sells medical instruments and equipment worldwide.  Goodman Medical Ireland Ltd. (GMIL) was established in 2004 and currently employs 56 people in the manufacture of cardiology products such as PTCA catheters and bare metal stents.

The expansion will transform GMIL’s business by adding to its manufacturing and R&D operations and becoming Goodman’s sales and marketing centre for EMEA by generating market data, developing territory sales strategies and managing distributors and sales related activities.  The company will also commercialise the ‘Vival’ stent developed onsite in Galway.

Minister O’Keeffe said the investment “strengthens Ireland’s well-established medical devices cluster, with many leading firms based along the western seaboard. The Galway operation will be a platform for Goodman Medical Ireland to develop its business in the EMEA region, driving better manufacturing and product innovation output through the skills of a flexible and highly educated local workforce”.

“The jobs bolster Ireland’s high-end manufacturing backbone and consolidate our reputation as a leading location in Europe for foreign direct investments,” said Minister O’Keeffe.

President Takehito Yogo of Goodman Co., Ltd. said “We are excited to announce our expansion plans to meet anticipated long-term demand for our products worldwide.  We chose the Galway operation for our future growth and development due to our dedicated and proactive workforce, the support of IDA Ireland, our strong supplier network and the positive experiences we have had of doing business in Ireland since 2004.”

IDA Ireland CEO, Barry O’Leary said “Goodman Co. Ltd’s decision to locate this operation in Ireland demonstrates our attractiveness for companies investing and expanding in the Life Sciences Sector. Ireland’s reputation as a hub for Life Sciences continues to grow with 8 of the top 10 pharmaceutical and 15 of the top 20 medical devices companies worldwide with operations here.” 

“IDA’s strategy, Horizon 2020, sets out to achieve balanced regional development, and today’s announcement for Galway builds on the strong medical device cluster in the West of Ireland” concluded Mr. O’Leary.

Notes to Editor
Goodman Co. Ltd., founded in 1975 and headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, is primarily engaged in the import, development, manufacture and sale of medical instruments and equipment. The company operates two business divisions. The Disposable Medical Instrument division develops, manufactures and sells catheters and stents for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The Medical Equipment and Others division is involved in the import and sale of medical testing equipment for circulatory organs and network system software for digital imaging equipment.

Increasing Software R&D Capacity at the Centre of HP Worldwide Initiative

GALWAY, 13 DECEMBER 2010 – HP today announced that it is adding 105 new highly skilled jobs within the Global IT organization in Galway that supports the company’s Enterprise Business (EB) unit. This investment is supported by IDA Ireland.

The jobs—all to be located in HP’s campus at Ballybrit—are technical in nature, focused on enterprise data architecture, application development, and the latest in software engineering and testing, among other skill sets.

“This is an important part of helping develop HP’s capability in software engineering, and we see it as an important statement of both our capacity to do more and the relevance of the skills that have been developed by the existing team here in Galway,” said Gerry Jacob, vice president within HP’s EB IT organization.

Martin Murphy, Managing Director HP Ireland said, “we are thrilled to be able to secure these jobs for Ireland as they speak hugely to the esteem in which the Irish skill set and capability is regarded within the HP community.

“HP’s strategic intent is to continue the shift towards research and development, including working with institutions such as LERO, the Irish Software Engineering Research Centre at Limerick University,” Mr. Murphy added. “We have a proud tradition of delivery in this regard across hardware, software and services in Ireland.”

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe TD, described the HP jobs as significant boost for research and development in Ireland.

‘HP has chosen Galway for these highly strategic and knowledge-based roles in a move that reinforces our global reputation for high-end research and development activity. The investment shows that we can compete for highly skilled jobs in the information technology sector as we forge ahead with efforts to make Ireland Europe’s innovation hub,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.

You can apply for IT HP Jobs in Galway.

Dublin, Thursday, 9th December 2010 – Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe TD today announced that Citi, the leading global financial services company, is to create 250 roles in the next year at its offices in Dublin and Waterford.  These roles will be in Funds, Client Services, Product Development and will include some Operations and Technology roles.  These roles will come on stream over the next 18 months.  Citi currently employs 2,200 people in Dublin and Waterford and has already hired 300 people in the last twelve months including a number of graduates on the FÁS Work Placement Programme.  Ireland was chosen for these new roles as Citi has a long standing and well respected existing operation here. There is also a very talented and well educated labour force available in the Irish market for these roles.

Citi is celebrating 45 years of continuous business in Ireland and is committed to growing its franchise here. The pro business environment and the support received from IDA Ireland since its establishment have enabled Citi to become one of the largest international financial services companies in Ireland.  Citi is also leading the way in the field of Services Innovation and was the first financial services company to set up a Research and Development Centre to develop the next generation of eBanking products. The Centre was officially opened last year and now employs a team of researchers, technologists and analysts.

Minister O’Keeffe congratulated Citi for investing in Ireland for 45 years and described the 250 new jobs as a “strong endorsement of Ireland’s financial services sector.

“More than half the world’s leading financial services firms now have operations in Ireland.  Citi, a pioneer in the financial services sector, has made an outstanding contribution to our economy for more than four decades.

‘It is a standard-bearer in Dublin’s IFSC and the expansion of the Waterford operation has dramatically enhanced the profile of the south-eastern region for top-level financial services investments.

‘Citi’s announcement today demonstrates that we can out-perform rival locations for major global investments in the financial services sector because we have the talent, track record and tax regime that makes global players want to hub here,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.

Francesco Vanni d’Archirafi, Global Head of Global Transaction Services said at today’s announcement “I am very pleased to announce the addition of these high value jobs for our Irish operations.  Citi in Ireland is a centre of excellence for our Global Transaction Services business and is now our location of choice for the pursuit of innovation in financial services.  There is a wealth of talent, experience and expertise based here and with the support of IDA Ireland, we will continue to grow our business and provide the banking products and services of the future from here.”

Also speaking at today’s announcement Aidan Brady, Citi Country Officer, Citi Ireland said “Ireland was chosen as the location of choice for these new roles due to the calibre of our employees and the depth of expertise and innovative thinking inherent in our workforce which has enabled Citi Ireland to continue to win business and become the leader in Services Innovation for the organisation worldwide.  The Government’s pro business approach and IDA’s support for projects in the financial Services sector has been vital to our continued success.”

Citi provides financial services and products for multinational companies, Irish companies and the government and public sector.  The range of products and services include: cash management, rate risk management, (FX and interest rates), funding, investor products, corporate finance, trade services, trade finance, custody, trustee services, fund administration, transfer agency, outsourcing and shareholder services.

Welcoming today’s announcement IDA Ireland CEO Barry O’Leary said “Ireland’s international financial services sector is recovering and in expansion mode. IDA’s ‘Horizon 2020’ strategy identifies growth in services and technology as key strategic areas of opportunity for Ireland. The growth of Citi demonstrates Ireland’s continuing attractiveness as a location for foreign direct investment. The combination of talent, corporate tax, track record, technology capability and the ease of doing business positions Ireland to win further investments in international financial services.”

Notes to Editor
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.

Galway 8th November 2010– Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe TD announced that Industrial Info Resources Inc is establishing a European Operations Centre in Galway, creating 50 positions over 5 years, with the support of IDA Ireland.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Sugarland, Texas.  IIR performs in-depth market research on the industrial processing, heavy manufacturing and energy related industries worldwide and offers Knowledge Management Solutions to companies that sell products and services to these industries.

The company is now expanding its worldwide presence to support its clients on a global basis.  The Galway operation will have responsibility for developing subscription based industrial market intelligence databases in the European market as well as selling the global capabilities of IIR to European clients.  The specific functions within the centre will be in research, sales, administration and management, and recruitment is already underway.  The company is located in Ballybrit Business Park in Galway in a newly refurbished 6,000sq foot dedicated facility. 

Speaking in Galway today, Minister O’Keeffe described the announcement as “another significant foreign direct investment win for the city.  IIR’s investment in Galway reinforces the western region’s growing reputation as a location for high-end business services operations”.

“IIR has a strong track record in the industrial market research space for over 27 years and Galway is now well positioned to play a key role in the firm’s continued growth,” said Minister O’Keeffe.

Ed Lewis, President of Industrial Info Resources Inc. commenting on today’s announcement said “Galway is an ideal location to grow our operations to better service our customers throughout Europe. We are confident that the skills we require are readily available in Ireland for the long-term success of our European operations.”

Welcoming the announcement by IIR, IDA Ireland CEO, Barry O’Leary commented “IIR’s decision to locate this significant, knowledge-intensive part of its international business in Galway is in line with IDA Ireland’s strategic focus to win new investment in the diversified business services sector and is a very welcome addition to the growing cluster operating successfully from Ireland.”

Notes to Editor
IIR, a privately owned company, operates across twelve key industrial sectors including alternative fuels, electric power, pharmaceutical & biotech and industrial manufacturing industries. 

IIR’s clients include equipment manufacturers, servicing companies, distributors and other companies that sell products and services into the industrial market.  Specific clients include Siemens, Babcock & Wilcox, ABB and Pratt & Whitney.

The suite of products and services that IIR offers their clients include:
Databases
IIR’s database products include event tracking for major capital and maintenance projects, also known as PEC (Planning, Engineering and Construction), planned and unplanned unit maintenance outages, shutdowns and turnarounds, plus details on plant locations that include key decision makers, unit details, and equipment profiles for turbines, boilers, compressors and pollution control equipment.

Forecasting
IIR provides market forecasting services that include global capital and maintenance spending projections for twelve industrial markets segments.  IIR also provides specialised forecasts for equipment, materials and labour that help their clients determine market size and future demand.

Daily News
IIR’s research experts generate daily news on the main industrial markets to keep clients up to date with the latest developments.  This original content is collated from the extensive interviews conducted by IIR’s teams worldwide.

Ballina, Co. Mayo; The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe TD, announced today that Hollister ULC will invest €65 million in expanding its current manufacturing facility in Ballina, Co. Mayo.  This major development project will add approximately 75,000 square feet to the company’s existing manufacturing facility in Ballina and will allow the creation of 250 new jobs upon completion. The expansion project will create in the region of 200 jobs over the period of construction. The investment is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

Hollister Incorporated is an independent, employee-owned company that develops, manufacturers, and markets healthcare products and services worldwide.  Expansion of the company’s Ballina facility will allow for increased manufacturing capability in both the company’s Ostomy and Continence Care product ranges.  The expansion will further support training and development for both new and existing employees.

Minister O’Keeffe said ‘The ambitious expansion plan will have an enormous economic impact on the west of Ireland, creating 250 new jobs and strengthening the region’s manufacturing backbone. In addition to this a further 200 jobs will be created in the construction of the facility. ‘Hollister has been part of the business community in Ballina for almost 35 years, contributing more than €52 million annually to the Irish economy including €40 million spent on salaries and materials sourced locally in the west of Ireland.‘

‘Ireland hosts 15 of the world’s top 25 medical devices firms and Hollister’s expansion plan demonstrates to the global investor community that our economic recovery is possible and we remain an attractive location for advanced manufacturing. I look forward to building on our strong relationship with Hollister and helping the firm to grow in Ireland,’ concluded Minister O’Keeffe
All planning applications and related documentation for this expansion project have been submitted, and construction is planned to begin later this year.  The project is expected to be completed before the end of 2011.

In a prepared statement, Hollister Chairman and CEO Alan F. Herbert said, “Our decision to invest in this major expansion project in Ballina was made after very thoughtful consideration.  This is a key strategic initiative for our company, and the support we have received from local business leaders and IDA lets us know that we have made the right choice for the continued success of our company and for the people who depend on our products and services.  At Hollister Incorporated, our overriding goal and commitment is to make a difference—to add value to healthcare and to improve the quality of life for the people who use our products,” Mr. Herbert said. 

“Throughout our company, we use the phrase ‘Making a Difference in the Journey of Life.’  That phrase is not just a marketing slogan; it reflects our company’s commitment to help healthcare professionals deliver better products and services and to make life more rewarding and dignified for those who use our products.  It also illustrates our commitment to Ballina and Ireland.  Our expansion here will not only help us to meet current market needs; it will also help us to meet the global challenges of the 21st Century.”

IDA CEO Barry O’Leary said, ‘Today’s announcement by Hollister clearly demonstrates Ireland’s continuing ability to secure high-end manufacturing investments in the Medical Technologies Sector. Hollister has had a strong presence in Co. Mayo since 1976 and the decision to increase its workforce here by a further 250 people and invest €65 million will further embed Hollister’s existing operations here while paving the way for further growth and transformation within the company’s Irish base. I would like to take this opportunity to offer IDA’s continued support to Hollister in its future development in Ireland.’

‘This investment will greatly enhance the development of the strong established medical devices cluster in Ireland and particularly in the West of Ireland with many of the world’s leading medical devices companies located in the region.’ He concluded.

About Hollister Incorporated
Hollister Incorporated is an independent, employee-owned company that develops, manufacturers, and markets healthcare products and services worldwide.  The company’s global headquarters are in Libertyville, Illinois, forty miles north of downtown Chicago.

About Hollister ULC (Hollister Ireland)
Hollister Ireland was established in Ballina, Co. Mayo in 1976.  The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hollister Incorporated and currently employs 330 people in both new product development and manufacturing.  Hollister ULC manufactures and distributes a range of both Ostomy and Continence Care products for the global healthcare community.

For further information:

Hollister
Ronald F. Geimer, Vice President Law, Hollister Incorporated, Tel:   +1 847 680 1000
Colm Murphy, HR Manager, Hollister ULC,     +353 96 60638

IDA Ireland
Thomas McEvoy, Press & PR Manager, Tel: 01 603 4255, Mob: 087 7426684
Jim Murren, Regional Manager, Mob: 00 353 87 2517480
Antoinette Tyrrell, Press Officer, Tel: 01 6034256, Mob: 087 7572053

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation
Bernard Mallee 087 917 3022 Email: bernard.mallee@deti.ie
Press Office, Tel: 01- 6312200

D&B, the world’s leading source of commercial information and insight on businesses, has increased its recruitment drive in Ireland. D&B Business Information Solutions Limited (DBIS) has already employed 40 people in highly skilled roles in Sandyford, Co. Dublin following the establishment of a strategic business centre earlier this year. Today’s announcement means the company will create 150 jobs in Dublin by 2011 rather than the original 100 previously announced. Positions currently being recruited by the company include researchers, software developers, analysts and support staff.

This follows the company’s announcement that it would undertake a two-year strategic technology investment program to strengthen its commercial data and rebuild its technology platforms to meet the emerging needs of customers.  The project is being supported by Government through IDA Ireland.

Minister O’Keeffe said the extra jobs showed investor confidence in Ireland’s capacity to recover was strong because the Government is pursuing the right policies for a return to economic growth in the near term.  “D&B’s decision to ramp up its recruitment drive shows confidence to hire and to invest is returning to the economy and our high-calibre graduates are exceeding the expectations of global market leaders.”

“I was very encouraged by a recent meeting I held with met senior members of the DBIS team and today’s announcement aligns well with Government policy to position Ireland as the top European location for innovation-led knowledge-intensive global business services.  The company’s decision to locate a strategic centre in Dublin and recruit for more positions endorses our global standing in the international services sector and prospects for economic recovery”, said Minister O’Keeffe.

Walter S. Hauck III, Senior Vice President, Technology and Chief Information Officer said “DBIS is using leading edge technologies that will allow a new D&B suite of products to be delivered to customers quickly and efficiently.  This project is of major significance and commercial importance to D&B and forms an integral part of the future strategy of the corporation. The Dublin centre will focus on and deliver the next evolution of our technology strategy, delivering maximum value to customers around the world.”

IDA Ireland CEO, Barry O’Leary said “In recent years Ireland has been building a growing and diversified business services cluster particularly in the operations, analytics and technology areas.  IDA’s Horizon 2020 highlighted the growth in business services as a key area of opportunity for Ireland.  D&B is a world leader in business information solutions and its recent decision to locate a strategically important part of its global operations in Ireland which is now significantly larger than originally envisaged, is very welcome indeed.”

About Dun & Bradstreet® (D&B)

Dun & Bradstreet (NYSE:DNB) is the world’s leading source of commercial information and insight on businesses, enabling companies to Decide with Confidence® for 169 years. D&B’s global commercial database contains more than 165 million business records. The database is enhanced by D&B’s proprietary DUNSRight® Quality Process, which provides our customers with quality business information. This quality information is the foundation of our global solutions that customers rely on to make critical business decisions.

D&B provides solution sets that meet a diverse set of customer needs globally. Customers use D&B Risk Management SolutionsTM to mitigate credit and supplier risk, increase cash flow and drive increased profitability; D&B Sales & Marketing SolutionsTM to increase revenue from new and existing customers; and D&B Internet SolutionsTM to convert prospects into clients faster by enabling business professionals to research companies, executives and industries. For more information, please visit www.dnb.com.

For information on recruitment opportunities please contact
Premier Group, Tel: +353 (0) 1 665 2222 or Email: dnb@premierjobs.ie

Cork, September 27th, 2010 – Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe TD today announced that OtterBox® , an innovator of protective solutions for  leading global handheld manufacturers, wireless carriers and distributors, is establishing its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) HQ in Cork, creating up to 50 jobs over 2 years.  The company is being supported by Government through IDA Ireland.

OtterBox designs and produces device specific protective covers for high value smartphones and handheld devices. Incorporating creativity and cutting-edge design into every product, OtterBox creates sleek and durable cases that offer reliable device protection.  The activities to be carried out from the Cork site will include in-house sales, customer service, accounting, engineering, public relations, marketing, web design, graphics, supply chain, human resources and warehousing.

Making today’s announcement Minister O’Keeffe said that “OtterBox is an innovative firm that has grown rapidly in line with an expanding smartphone market.  OtterBox is a market-leader in the design and production of high-quality and durable protective covers for the handheld mobile phone market.  The firm’s decision to establish its EMEA headquarters in Cork reaffirms the county’s global reputation as a hub for innovation and advanced product design and production, with access to an educated and skilled workforce and modern transport infrastructure.  The Cork operation will be at the heart of the firm’s global growth.”

OtterBox is an innovative company which has experienced exceptional growth in recent years due to the expansion of the smartphone market.  The Cork operation is at the heart of the company’s future growth strategy to expand its footprint globally.”

Speaking about the announcement Matt Clark, Managing Director OtterBox EMEA, said “This has been a very exciting year for OtterBox with the opening of the EMEA office here in Cork and also OtterBox’s inclusion on the INC 500 list of fastest growing companies in the United States. As the company expands, we are looking to firmly establish our presence in the EMEA market and Cork is the perfect location for that with its access to Europe, the Middle East and Africa as well as our headquarters in Colorado.”
 
Welcoming today’s announcement, IDA Ireland, CEO Barry O’Leary said “IDA recognises the importance and potential of attracting emerging, high growth companies such as OtterBox to Ireland.  The company has achieved phenomenal growth to date in the US and plans to replicate this success in the EMEA region through its new operation in Cork.  I am confident that as the demand for smartphones continues to grow, OtterBox will be the leaders in providing durable and high-quality protective solutions in the region.”

For more information, visit www.otterbox.com

About OtterBox:

Built upon fundamentals of hard work, innovation and perseverance, OtterBox is a leader in the production of premier protective solutions for global handheld manufacturers, wireless carriers and distributors.

Incorporating creativity and cutting-edge design into every product, OtterBox creates sleek and durable cases that offer reliable device protection to complement any lifestyle.
OtterBox was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado.

For vendor queries please contact –
OtterBox EMEA
2 Georges Quay
Cork
+353 (0)214910200

For media queries please contact -
Rhona Cashman
Public Relations Coordinator EMEA
rhona.cashman@otterbox.ie
+353 (0)21 4910218
+353(0)87 6978477

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe TD today announced that Fi-Tek, a US based financial services solutions provider, is establishing its European Headquarters in Dublin.  Fi-Tek, a SAS 70  II and ISO 9001:2008 certified company, expects to create 50 jobs over 5 years, for candidates with skills in hedge fund administration to support its expanding base of clients in Europe.  IDA Ireland worked closely with the company to secure this investment for Ireland.

Fi-Tek develops and provides specialised software products and solutions for the alternative investments, trust, asset servicing and securities processing industries.  The company’s HedgeTek product is used by many of the leading hedge fund administrators, accounting firms and fund managers responsible for over 3,500 funds with over $400 billion in assets under management.  HedgeTek is a fully integrated book and tax allocation platform for hedge funds, covering both partnerships and unitised funds.

Announcing the new jobs, Minister O’Keeffe described the investment as significant for Ireland’s financial services sector.  “Ireland is the largest hedge fund administration centre in the world with almost half of all global alternative investment funds operated from here.  Fi-Tek’s decision to establish a European headquarters in Dublin shows we can out-perform rival locations for major global investments in the financial services sector.  More than half the world’s leading financial services firms now have operations in Ireland.”

Peter Marshall, Managing Director, Fi-Tek Ireland said “We are very happy to establish this important part of our international business in Dublin.  Ireland’s pro-business environment, availability of highly skilled personnel, the presence of many of our clients, and working with IDA were the key reasons Ireland was chosen as the location for our European Headquarters.”

IDA Ireland CEO Barry O’Leary welcomed the announcement and said “Fi-Tek adds to Ireland’s growing reputation for financial services technology which is a key target for IDA.  We look forward to working closely with the company as it develops its international presence in Ireland over time.”

“Fi-Tek Ireland has just gone live implementing HedgeTek with two leading global banks in Dublin,” stated Subir Chatterjee, Fi-Tek founder and CEO.  “Dublin has become a centre of expertise for hedge fund administration globally, and our intent is to make Fi-Tek Dublin a centre of excellence for us as well.”
For recruitment opportunites please contact

Peter Marshall
Managing Director
Fi-Tek (Ireland) Ltd.
PMarshall@Fi-Tek.com
(353) 1 640 1947

The Irish Times reports that 70 jobs are being created in the cloud computing sector following an announcement by Service Source that it is expanding its operation in Sandyford, Dublin. Service Source, which provides cloud computing services to the high-tech, healthcare and life science sectors, is to immediately begin recruiting for “highly skilled” positions at its EMEA headquarters. The expansion is being supported by IDA Ireland. Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe described the jobs announcement as “a strong signal that confidence is returning to the economy and major investors are now planning for the recovery”.

Dublin, Ireland – July 20, 2010 – Covidien, a leading global supplier of healthcare products, today announced the official opening of its Cherrywood European Services Centre and the creation of more than 200 jobs since 2009. €11 million has been invested in the state of the art Cherrywood contact centre which houses customer services, credit control, contracts & pricing and import & export functions for 16 European countries.  The Cherrywood site is also the base for Covidien’s sales and marketing teams in Ireland. 

Covidien also announced today that it will be putting an initial €1.8 million investment into a medical technologies research and development project which will involve three Irish academic institutions.  Full details of the project will be announced later in the year.

The opening of the centre was performed today by the Taoiseach/Prime Minister of Ireland Mr. Brian Cowen who was accompanied by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Mr. Batt O’Keeffe, and Richard J. Meelia, Chairman, President and CEO of Covidien.

At the opening today, the Taoiseach said, “This new European Services Centre and today’s announcement of new investment in collaborative research and development is very much in keeping with the Government’s policy to build a Smart Economy and to position Ireland as a global innovation hub.”

In his remarks, Mr. Meelia highlighted the benefits of centralising the European functions into Ireland. “Covidien has manufactured in Ireland for more than 30 years,” he said. “Ireland is, in fact, where we have the greatest number of employees in all of Europe. Our excellent experience here, coupled with the Government’s long-standing policies supporting business and innovation, clearly makes Ireland an ideal base for our Company.”

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe TD, said, “Covidien is one of the leading medical device firms based in Ireland. The new European Services Centre reaffirms Covidien’s commitment to Ireland and demonstrates to the global investor community that we have the right mix of skills, workforce flexibility and pro-business policies to support business expansion plans and create jobs. I look forward to Covidien’s planned medical technologies research and development investment which will recognize our reputation as Europe’s emerging innovation hub.”

Prior to the investment in Cherrywood, each country operation of Covidien in Europe was responding to customer questions, product orders, inquiries and returns separately and independently.  Now, the activity is centralized in the Cherrywood center, which is directly responsible for 16 countries and supports 58 countries indirectly. The employees in Cherrywood handle 6,500 contacts daily with over 50,000 products ordered each day.  Recruitment for positions at the site is nearing completion.

The official opening was also attended by Mr. Barry O’Leary, CEO of the IDA. Commenting at today’s opening, Mr. O’Leary said, “The establishment by Covidien of its European Services Centre in Dublin is strategically important to Ireland and the Company.  It is a welcome addition to the increasing number of leading life science companies who have recognised the benefits of locating European Services Centres here.  This operation fits neatly with IDA’s Horizon 2020 strategy, which places a strong focus on winning services-based investment and assisting companies to win new international mandates for Ireland.  Covidien’s Centre is an excellent operation and its establishment here is a vote of confidence in Ireland as a key location to carry out international services.”

About Covidien
Covidien is a leading global healthcare products company that creates innovative medical solutions for better patient outcomes and delivers value through clinical leadership and excellence. Covidien manufactures, distributes and services a diverse range of industry-leading product lines in three segments: Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies. With 2009 revenue of $10.7 billion, Covidien has 42,000 employees worldwide in more than 60 countries, and its products are sold in over 140 countries. Please visit www.covidien.com to learn more about our business.

Contact: 

Lisa Clemence                                               Suzanne Sullivan
Covidien                                                           Q4PR
Tel: 001-508-452-4375                                 Tel: 086-3797291
Email: lisa.clemence@covidien.com         Email: ssullivan@q4pr.ie

IDA Ireland -

Antoinette Tyrrell, Press Officer, 01-6034256 / 0877572053

Galway, Ireland, 19 July 2010 —- Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe T.D, today announced that the global leader in operational endpoint security, Lumension®, is expanding its Galway-based global R&D Centre.  The company, which established the operation in October 2009 with the intention of employing 30 people in the facility, now expects to employ over 50 people by the end of 2010.

The R&D Centre in Galway serves as Lumension’s international centre for product research and development, customer support and auxiliary services, employing highly talented individuals to help build its innovative suite of endpoint security solutions.  Today’s announcement will create even more opportunities for skilled, team-oriented individuals who wish to be part of an established, fast growing global company in a dynamic market space.

Minister O’Keeffe described Lumension’s expansion plans as ‘very encouraging for Ireland’s information communications technology sector’.

‘Eight of the world’s top 10 technology firms are based in Ireland so Lumension’s decision to hire more highly skilled workers for its research and development centre fits well with the Government’s focus on innovation and high-tech industries.

‘The Galway operation is a key component of Lumension’s global activities and the software engineers should be very proud of their role in helping the firm to exceed its growth targets.

‘This is another example for the global investor community that Ireland can outperform our competitors in attracting and retaining multinationals and then helping them to develop their businesses,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.  

Speaking on behalf of Lumension, Ciaran Kelly, Director of R&D, said: “We are excited to be growing our Irish operation so rapidly, less than a year after we established the facility.  We’re delighted to have assembled an excellent team of highly skilled software engineers in Galway in such a relatively short timeframe. Their contribution to Lumension’s product suite has resulted in the confidence to grow the Galway R&D centre capabilities. We look forward to continuing our success in Ireland working closely with business partners and IDA Ireland.” 

Welcoming the announcement, CEO of IDA Ireland, Barry O’Leary said: “I am delighted Lumension has exceeded its growth plan for Ireland and continues to expand in Galway.  Ireland has a strong track record for attracting ICT companies. Today’s decision shows the company’s confidence in its Galway operation as a key part of its global R&D activities”. 

For further information please contact:    
Lumension –
Lumension media contact – Ruth Jones, PR  Tel : +44 20 7842 3263 

Lumension HR – To learn more about the new positions available at the Ireland office, please visit www.lumension.com/careers.

IDA Ireland –

Gillian Lawless, Press & PR, Tel: 01-6034095/ 0879050699
Jim Murren, IDA Regional Manager, West Region, Tel: 087 2517 480

The Irish Times reports that UCD and Trinity College Dublin have secured a major share of a new EUR358 million fund for third-level research. The programme will be unveiled by Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Minister for Enterprise Batt O’Keeffe on Friday. TCD has secured more than EUR75 million in capital funding for Biomedical Sciences Development, while UCD has secured over EUR50 million to develop a new science centre. NUI Galway has secured EUR31.5 million for a project named Advancing Medicine Through Discovery. UCC will receive EUR19 million for a project entitled Translating Bio Sciences into Health. DCU will get over EUR16 million for a nano-bioanalytical research facility, NUI Maynooth will receive EUR4.6 million for ICT infrastructure development, while UL will get more than EUR12 million for a national centre for applied materials research.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe, TD, today (Wednesday July 14th 2010) revealed that IDA Ireland is on track to achieve ambitious Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) targets set out for 2010. Minister O’Keeffe made the announcement at a media briefing at IDA Headquarters in Dublin outlining the achievements of the development and investment agency for the first half of 2010.

2010 has seen IDA already secure 63 new investments of which 20 were from companies setting up operations in Ireland for the first time, 22 were expansion investments from existing client companies and 21 of the investments were in Research and Development. A number of key trends are driving the current success in FDI in Ireland including the growth in the US technology sector, growing trends in Cleantech, an improvement in Ireland’s competitiveness, currency movements and an overall global recovery in FDI.

Commenting at the press conference, Minister O’Keeffe said, ‘The impact of FDI on Ireland’s economic recovery is highly significant. FDI accounts for €110 billion or over 70% of total exports in the Irish economy, 240,000 jobs, 55% of corporation tax, €19 billion in direct expenditure, €7 billion in payroll costs and 73% of business spend on Research, Development and Innovation. The Agency continues to attract and secure for Ireland leading Foreign Direct Investment that will add to Ireland’s Smart Economy reputation.’

IDA CEO Barry O’Leary said, ‘A number of factors have contributed to a positive first half of 2010 for FDI. Ireland’s increased competitiveness and leanings towards an upturn in the world economy combined with Ireland’s excellent corporate tax regime, talent, track record and technology capability have lead to investments in the Services Sector from Zurich, EA, Hertz, Dun and Bradstreet and Stream Global Services. Investments in RD&I have come from IBM, United Technologies and Alcatel-Lucent while manufacturing announcements highlight a strong regional aspect with investments from MCi (Leitrim), Merit Medical (Galway), Warner Chilcott (Dundalk) and Valeo (Tuam) in addition to investments in Dublin announced by Lufthansa Technik and Biotrin.’

‘IDA’s pipeline for FDI remains positive and while we face strong competition our focus on achieving Transformation by working with client companies to promote company-wide competitiveness initiatives, technology uplift, skills uplift, research and development, process development and energy efficiency means IDA is confident of its ability to continue to secure the best in FDI for Ireland.’

Mr. O’Leary continued by saying, ‘Despite substantial improvements in our competitive position with reductions in labour, energy and property, continuous improvement in Ireland’s competitiveness throughout the economy is critical to the success of FDI here.’

IDA Chairman Liam O’Mahony said, ‘IDA’s results for the first half of 2010 are encouraging with a positive outlook for the coming months. Ireland’s FDI landscape remains healthy and has a strong global reputation which is further enhanced by IDA’s integrated marketing campaign highlighting Ireland’s attractiveness as a location for FDI. Ireland now hosts operations from 8 out of the top 10 ICT companies, 8 out of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies and 15 of the top 20 medical devices companies. By working closely with Team Ireland, including local and national Government, IDA’s sister enterprise agencies, industry and academia, to constantly enhance Ireland’s value proposition, IDA will retain its place as the most competitive, client focused FDI agency in the world.’

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe T.D, today announced that Eli Lilly and Company, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world, is to establish a European Financial Services Centre in Cork.  The company plans to create up to 100 new high-skilled finance positions at the operation, the majority of which are to be recruited by the end of Quarter 1, 2011.  IDA Ireland worked closely with Eli Lilly to attract this investment to Ireland against significant competition from other European locations. 

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Eli Lilly employs nearly 40,000 people worldwide. The European Financial Services Centre, to be located in Cork City, will support Lilly’s European operations, providing general accounting, order-to-cash and purchase-to-pay activities.  Recruitment for finance professionals will commence immediately and it is planned that the centre will be fully operational in 2011.  

Speaking at the announcement, Minister O’Keeffe said: “’The Government has worked closely with Eli Lilly to secure this investment in Cork and the firm’s decision to invest in the county attests strongly to the academic calibre of the local labour pool and the quality of our higher education institutions”.

“Eli Lilly is a firm known the world over for high standards of quality and innovation in pharmaceutical products. We have shown again to the world that we can attract strategic investments from leading multinationals by providing the right mix of skills, workforce flexibility and pro-business policies to support business expansion plans and create jobs for our people. The Cork team deserves high praise for attracting this new investment for Ireland” he added.

Speaking on behalf of the company, Kay Flynn, Snr.Finance Director, European Shared Services said: “The decision to locate this important operation in Cork was based on our track record here, the availability of a skilled workforce, language ability and the presence of a strong shared services base here in Ireland. We look forward to continuing our success in Ireland with this new venture. We recognise and appreciate the continued support and partnership of the IDA as we extend Lilly’s footprint in Ireland”.    

Commenting on the announcement, IDA Ireland’s CEO, Barry O’Leary said: “This investment is strategically important to Ireland and Eli Lilly, and is a welcome addition to the growing number of leading pharmaceutical companies who have recognised the benefits of locating Financial Shared Services Centres here.  Today’s announcement by the company fits neatly with IDA Ireland’s, Horizon 2020 strategy – IDA Ireland places a strong focus on winning services-based investment and assisting companies to win new international mandates for Ireland, strengthening their strategic importance to their parent company.”