Speech by the Taoiseach, Mr. Enda Kenny, T.D., at the EMC Jobs announcement

This morning is another fantastic day for Cork and the whole South West region with this announcement of 200 new jobs as a result of a €100 million investment by EMC.

I understand that this year celebrates 25 years in Cork by EMC which is a fantastic testament of EMC’s commitment to Ireland.

The fact that a company the size and scale of EMC has remained committed to Cork for so long tells a lot about the location for investment and the talent available.
I understand from talking to David and Bob that the Ovens campus here recently received ‘Centre of Excellence’ status within the EMC group.

I’m sure that if they had asked locally they would have been proudly informed that Cork is indeed a centre of excellence in Ireland!

As the Government’s priority is to get Ireland working again the creation of 200 new jobs at EMC’s new facility in Citygate, Mahon is very welcome. They add to EMC’s already sizable workforce in Cork.

Throughout its 25 years in Ireland EMC has developed into one of Ireland’s leading US multinationals, developing innovative products and services for world markets and positioning Ireland as the vanguard of innovation.

EMC is making a critical contribution to Ireland’s economy, and the company’s focus on cloud and Big Data aligns well with the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs.

Through that Action Plan, both Minister Bruton and I are working to ensure we transition the economy from a failed system which was based on property speculation and debt to an economy built on enterprise, exports and innovation.

Our 2013 Action Plan included several landmark projects that the Government has identified as having potential to have a real and immediate impact on enterprise and jobs. Two of these reforms are to make Ireland the leading country in Europe in Big Data and the most attractive location in the world for ICT Skills availability.

Big Data is a sector which is growing at 40% per annum worldwide and Ireland has distinct advantages compared to other countries. Between our climate, skills base and existing strengths in ICT, we have the potential to reap substantial benefits in terms of jobs and growth from the global expansion of this sector.

To move on big data we are investing heavily in new research facilities in this area, establishing a new industry led Technology Centre, putting in place the skills needed to sustain this new opportunity and establishing a joint industry/Government task force to co-ordinate the delivery of these measures.

In addition, by 2018 Ireland aims to have the highest percentage of computing graduates as a proportion of all tertiary graduates. We are working towards this through a process of; increased programme places, re-skilling and conversion courses and through targeted migration of key skills groups. Through these mechanisms, we will deliver an additional 2,000 ICT graduate-level professionals available to industry in 2013.

EMC has been a welcome partner is developing Ireland’s ICT capacity and skills base. EMC is to be commended for partnering with higher education institutions, including Cork Institute of Technology and University College Cork, in developing programmes that equip us with the skills we need for new jobs in cloud and Big Data.

For a quarter of a century, EMC in Cork has transitioned from basic manufacturing to an innovation-intensive research and development and advanced manufacturing campus serving world markets. The Centre of Excellence here in Ovens is a beacon of innovation in the global EMC operation. Led by Bob Savage, the people who work here are among the most talented IT professionals in Ireland.

EMC’s further investment here reinforces Ireland’s reputation as a location for enterprise and investment.

Companies, when making a location decision take into account a multitude of factors at the core of which they are looking for a location with talent and technology backed up by a strong track record and a competitive tax environment.

Ireland has proven to be such a location. New and established multinationals continue to invest and build-out their operations making Ireland the destination of choice for mobile investment projects from the world’s best companies. We have a good research base and a good business environment and improving competitiveness.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank EMC for their continued investment in Cork. I would also like to thank Minister Bruton and IDA Ireland, for their ongoing work in making Ireland the best location for inward investment and for supporting companies such as EMC as they constantly transform and increase their operations here in Ireland.