Microsoft Invests in AI Innovation in Ireland, Creating 550 New Jobs

Microsoft Boosts AI Innovation in Ireland, Creating 550 New Jobs

Microsoft has announced that it has selected Ireland as a key location to invest in advancing its global AI innovation, creating 550 new engineering and research and development (R&D) roles based in Ireland for the development of new AI technologies. This initiative positions Ireland as a key location for Microsoft's global AI innovation strategy. Microsoft has not disclosed the investment amount. Also Read: Microsoft Says AI Demand Continues to Exceed Its Available Capacity The investment will see Microsoft undertake significant industrial research into AI to develop critical, leading-edge technology in the area of AI and cyber security, which will then be made available to public and private sector organisations all around the world, the company announced last Friday. The announcement was made by Taoiseach Simon Harris, Microsoft Ireland Site Leader James O'Connor, and IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan. The new positions will focus on advancing AI and cybersecurity technologies, allowing multidisciplinary teams to develop scalable, secure infrastructure and applications across various industries, including healthcare and education. "The new roles will ensure that Microsoft Ireland's Engineering Hub will have end-to-end AI product development capabilities," Microsoft said. According to Microsoft, "This investment will result in an additional 550 new jobs at Microsoft Ireland over the next three to four years, across areas such as software engineering, applied sciences, product management, program management, data science, design, technical writing and analytics." Also Read: Microsoft Expands AI Capabilities with New Autonomous Agents for Businesses Microsoft's investment is backed by the Government of Ireland through IDA Ireland, aligning with the nation's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy aimed at fostering advanced skills and expertise. With the addition of the new toles, Microsoft's Irish workforce will exceed 6,000 employees across its Leopardstown campus, Grange Castle data center, and LinkedIn offices. Taoiseach Simon Harris said, "Not only does this highlight Ireland's attractiveness as an investment destination, it also promises a significant boost for the AI ecosystem in Ireland. Fostering AI skills and advancing capabilities in the field are core to the Government's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and this project will help develop new specialist skills and expertise, thereby positioning Ireland for further investment in this critical area." Microsoft has been operating in Ireland since 1985 and aims to leverage local talent and expertise to drive its AI development and security efforts forward. James O'Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Leader and Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Global Operations Service Centre said: "AI is one of the most transformative technologies of our time - it will unlock profound possibilities for people, industry, and society. At Microsoft, we are delighted to be at the forefront of the AI era - delivering safe, secure and ethical solutions to all industries that will accelerate breakthroughs in healthcare, education, infrastructure and more for the benefit of society as a whole." James O'Connor emphasised the transformative potential of AI, stating, "Through this investment, we are building on our almost 40-year presence in Ireland, which has been characterised by continuous investment, transformation and the diversification of our operations from a manufacturing site to a significant international Hub for Microsoft providing software development, engineering, data centres, finance, operations, and sales and marketing for EMEA." "The creation of 550 new roles enables us to further strengthen our presence here in Ireland and take AI and cyber security innovation to the next level," he added. Also Read: Microsoft Announces New AI Models and Solutions for Healthcare CEO of IDA Ireland Michael Lohan said: "Ireland continues to prove itself as a location where the world's most innovative AI companies build groundbreaking technologies. In line with government's ambitions, by supporting innovative R&D projects like the one announced by Microsoft today, we are helping to shape the future of AI in Ireland and to harness AI as a driver for future economic growth. This investment by Microsoft is set to deliver exceptional economic benefit alongside 550 highly skilled jobs at the cutting-edge of the AI sector in Ireland."

Microsoft to create 550 Irish-based jobs in R&D investment

The jobs will include areas such as software engineering, applied sciences, data science, design, technical writing and analytics. Tech giant Microsoft is making a major investment to boost AI development in Ireland, creating hundreds of jobs in the process. The 550 new Irish-based roles will be created over the next three to four years and will help to pioneer the development of new AI technologies. The jobs will be in areas such as software engineering, applied sciences, product management, programme management, data science, design, technical writing and analytics. More than 100 of these new roles will be available to apply for from today (1 November) in software engineering, applied sciences, security research, product management and programme management. The investment and new roles are supported by IDA Ireland and will also aim to drive new applications for AI across multiple industries and create new AI-enabled product offerings for Microsoft. The new roles will bring Microsoft's Ireland-based workforce to more than 6,000 people across its campus in Leopardstown, its data centre campus in Grange Castle, and LinkedIn. Hiring Now Life-changing career opportunities for you Always at the cutting edge of new innovation Think for impact with Liberty IT. Delivering global software solutions Dare to make a difference Taoiseach Simon Harris, TD, said today's announcement highlights Ireland's attractiveness for investment and boosts the country's AI ecosystem. "Fostering AI skills and advancing capabilities in the field are core to the Government's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and this project will help develop new specialist skills and expertise, thereby positioning Ireland for further investment in this critical area," he said. James O'Connor, Microsoft Ireland's site leader and corporate vice-president of Microsoft Global Operations Service Centre said Ireland is "an established hotbed of engineering and cybersecurity talent" and that this was a significant contributing factor in Microsoft's continued investment in the country. "Through this investment, we are building on our almost 40-year presence in Ireland, which has been characterised by continuous investment, transformation and the diversification of our operations from a manufacturing site to a significant international hub for Microsoft providing software development, engineering, data centres, finance, operations and sales and marketing for EMEA," he said. "The creation of 550 new roles enables us to further strengthen our presence here in Ireland and take AI and cybersecurity innovation to the next level." Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Microsoft to create hundreds of new engineering jobs in Dublin

Microsoft said that the new roles at its Dublin office will focus on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). Microsoft is to create 550 new roles within engineering and research and development at its Dublin office over the next three to four years. The new posts will focus on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence services which will then be offered to both the private and public sector organisations globally. The specific roles are likely to be in software engineering, product management, design, programme management, analytics, data science, security research, applied sciences and technical writing, the company revealed. Out of the 550, 120 roles are already open for applications. Microsoft investment could boost Ireland's AI development With an increasing focus on artificial intelligence in the last few years, Microsoft's investment in building its AI capacities in Ireland has been much welcomed by the Irish government. Ireland's foreign direct investment (FDI) body, IDA Ireland, has also voiced its support for this move. Commenting on the announcement, the Prime Minister, Simon Harris said in statement on Microsoft's website: "Not only does this highlight Ireland's attractiveness as an investment destination, it also promises a significant boost for the AI ecosystem in Ireland. "Fostering AI skills and advancing capabilities in the field are core to the Government's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and this project will help develop new specialist skills and expertise, thereby positioning Ireland for further investment in this critical area." The Microsoft Ireland site leader, James O'Connor, said in a statement: "AI is one of the most transformative technologies of our time - it will unlock profound possibilities for people, industry, and society. "Through this investment, we are building on our almost 40-year presence in Ireland, which has been characterised by continuous investment, transformation and the diversification of our operations from a manufacturing site to a significant international hub for Microsoft providing software development, engineering, data centres, finance, operations, and sales and marketing for EMEA. "Ireland is undoubtedly an established hotbed of engineering and cyber security talent and leadership, with Irish universities producing some of the very best graduates, and this is a significant contributing factor to both our success and continued investment here."