Skip to main content

Why Ireland for engineering investment

  • Ireland is the European location of choice for growing numbers of industrial engineering and technology companies in manufacturing, research and innovation

  • Principal industry sectors include automotive, aerospace, chemicals and advanced materials, automation and industrial technology

Source the skills you need to make your investment in Ireland a success

Connect with us

Source the skills you need to make your investment in Ireland a success

Connect with us
Business Deal Handshake

Leading Industry Names

Ireland’s strong and vibrant engineering industry supports a broad range of companies across many industries. It includes names like Liebherr, Henkel, Element Six, Sulzer and Thermoking. The sector contributes more than €5.6 billion annually to Irish exports.

  • The top eight industrial automation companies
  • Four of the top 10 global engineering design firms
Checklist

A Proven Track Record

Ireland has been attracting engineering companies for more than 50 years. Recently, many have expanded their operations to serve EMEA markets. Ireland is also developing into a hub for cutting-edge fields such as IoT, Industry 5.0, Connected Autonomous Vehicles and more.

  • 250+ industrial technology and engineering companies in Ireland
  • 23,000+ people employed in the engineering sector
Cash Bulb

Cutting-Edge Research

Ireland is an attractive location for researching new technologies, with 42% of engineering companies in Ireland already engaging in R&D activity. Ireland’s industry-led research centres specialise in areas like advanced materials, smart manufacturing and industrial automation.

  • Active R&D in emerging technologies
  • World-class research centres with strong industry focus
People Man Graduate

Strong Talent Pipeline

Engineering companies locating or expanding in Ireland can avail of skilled talent including recent graduates and staff already working in the sector. Ireland’s EU membership provides unrestricted access to a labour pool of more than 240 million people.

  • 45,000 third-level students enrolled in STEM fields at any one time
  • Ireland ranks first in the world for productivity in industry (OECD)
Cog Double

Ready for Disruption

As Industry 5.0 trends reshape engineering and manufacturing, IDA Ireland client companies are already working on R&D projects in augmented reality, industrial IoT, robotics and automation to enhance and optimise their manufacturing operations.

  • Government support for feasibility investigations to digitisation projects
  • 25% tax credit for all qualifying R&D activity

We selected Dublin because of its global business environment, talent, ability to support European languages, excellent long-term cost structure, and quality of life for employees. Dublin is a vibrant, multicultural and creative city. These qualities align well with our brand and culture and we think Dublin will be a great fit for us.

See similar companies in Ireland

Airbus Helicopters
Siemens
Ingersoll
Valeo
ElementSix
Aptiv
United Technologies
Pilz
DuPont
Jaguar
Enernoc
Schneider
Abbott
Liebherr
Honeywell
Henkel
GE
GM

Success Stories: Hear from leaders calling Ireland home

A proven path

See all Success Stories
Salesforce
World Nomads
ServiceNow
Novartis
Takeda
Qualtrics
2,500+ people now work at Salesforce in Ireland 

2,500+ people now work at Salesforce in Ireland 

We have tonnes of amazing customers, we continue to innovate so Salesforce is going to be in Ireland for a very long time.

Since reopening after Covid, team in Ireland has doubled in one year from 18 to 37

Since reopening after Covid, team in Ireland has doubled in one year from 18 to 37

Cork is renowned for its dynamic blend of innovation, skilled talent pool, and accessibility, so it really ticked all the boxes in terms of our ambitions. The city benefits from a robust infrastructure and connectivity. Its strategic proximity to other European markets facilitates efficient engagement with partners and customers, amplifying the potential for growth.

Company makes Ireland one of its largest international sites

Company makes Ireland one of its largest international sites

We think that Ireland has really become the gateway to the European Union. There’s so many things that US companies gain from their relationship with Ireland.

Pharma giant’s 60-year history of investing in Ireland

Pharma giant’s 60-year history of investing in Ireland

The NGSC in Dublin is Novartis’s leading digital science centre globally. This is due to the fact that there is such a large amount of digital talent and a significant tech ecosystem in Ireland... We have an innovative team of data scientists and data managers who are harnessing the power of digital to revolutionise the way that we manage disease and ultimately get our medicines to patients faster.

Varied functions in Ireland for Asia’s largest pharma company

Varied functions in Ireland for Asia’s largest pharma company

The Grange Castle site is growing from strength to strength thanks to a great team and strong investment in our people and technology. The treatment produced here will be delivered to patients within 72 hours of being released from Grange Castle which means we are closer to the patient than we have ever been and this brings a great sense of pride to our team.

Qualtrics Chooses Ireland for its Skills Base

Qualtrics Chooses Ireland for its Skills Base

Ultimately, what you want is a geography where you can build an office that has broad market coverage. For a company going into Europe, Ireland has the lowest cost to set up a business, with a broad pool of talent from across the EU

Find your European home

Find your European home