Sectoral Strengths: ICT | Meet in Ireland

Huge investment and learning potential

A key driver of the Irish economy with over €35 billion in annual exports

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Ireland is at the heart of Europe’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and software sector. As one of the top priorities of our economy, Ireland’s ICT industry is rich in expertise, innovation and development — while Dublin has quickly become known as one of the tech start-up capitals of Europe.

ICT in Ireland means hosting eight out of the top 10 global information technology companies (like HP, IBM and Apple) as well as creative game companies like Big Fish, EA and Jolt. The ICT sector in Ireland attracts global talent as well as homegrown researchers, developers, and entrepreneurs. High quality technical talent is readily available in the nation, due in part to the strong partnerships forged between government, industry and third-level institutions.

Learn more in our Sectoral Strengths digital flipbook

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A modern industry with a long history

The ICT sector has been growing in Ireland ever since IBM opened here in 1956; it now employs over 3,200 people across a broad range of businesses including R&D, software development, supply chain management and technical support.

Fact file

According to Enterprise Ireland, Ireland are the second largest exporter of computer and IT services in the world, just behind China.
Also according to Enterprise Ireland, Dublin is Europe's leading hub of innovative games companies with Big Fish, EA, Havok, DemonWare, PopCap, Zynga, Riot Games and Jolt all having a significant presence here.
Ten out of ten of the top ‘born on the internet’ companies have a presence here, including Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Airbnb. They are all located in Dublin in the waterfront area now known locally as ‘The Silicon Docks’.

A national network

ICT's reach is widespread

Ireland has attracted key international players; Dublin, for example, has drawn many leading organisations. However, there are a large number of companies across other regions in Ireland too. Sectoral clusters are located in the Midwest (Limerick and surrounding areas) and the southeast (Waterford/Kilkenny), while Cork plays a key role as the home of Apple Inc EMEA HQ.

Aerial view of Dublin City including Capitol Dock, Sir John Rogerson's Quay

Among the 900+ ICT & software companies based throughout Ireland, star players include:

Adobe
Airbnb
Apple
Facebook
Google
LinkedIn
Microsoft
Oracle
Salesforce
SAP
Twitter

Company spotlight

Selected success stories from the sector

Apple

Apple Inc. employs over 6,000 people at its European headquarters, based in Cork. Among other priorities, Apple HQ focuses on customer care, iTunes, finance, localisation, logistics and organises the supply of products to more than 147 countries.

Google

Google Ireland employs over 8,000 people from over 75 different countries, speaking 70 different languages. The sales team supports over 100 markets, while the engineering team is responsible for a fleet of data centres across Europe (among the most energy efficient in the world).

Microsoft

With a campus in Leopardstown in Dublin, Microsoft employs 2,000 people of over 71 nationalities. Services include everything from software development, testing and localisation to operations, finance, HR and sales & marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Key industry links

Sources of information and support at your fingertips

Planning your next corporate meeting, conference, or incentive trip in Ireland means a wealth of connections, collaboration, and creativity, set against the backdrop of a spectacular island experience. Here are some key sources of information.

Professional associations

Technology Ireland, an Association within IBEC (Irish Business and Employers Confederation) representing the ICT, Digital and Software Technology sector
Irish Computer Society (ICS)
Cyber Ireland
Artificial Intelligence Ireland (AI Ireland)

Research/innovation centres

Academia

Unrivalled knowledge centres attract talent from around the globe

An image of the plinth in trinity college

Ireland’s universities are at the forefront of ICT and software. As a result, strong co-operative links to the industry have been developed. The combined power of these centres of learning means Ireland has one of the youngest and most educated workforces in Europe. Just some of these educational institutions comprise of:

University College Dublin (UCD)
Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
University College Cork (UCC)
University of Limerick (UL)
National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)
Institute of Technology Sligo (IT Sligo)
Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT)

Your building blocks for success

The Meet in Ireland Team are ready to help

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With over 1,000 high growth multinational companies choosing Ireland as their strategic European base, as well as seven universities, numerous teaching hospitals and research centres, we are in a strong position to shape the content of your most successful conference yet.

Let Meet in Ireland assist you with recommendations on regional destinations in Ireland based on sector strengths and make introductions to industry and academic leaders or economic development agencies. We can also assist with financial support. Contact us today for more advice.

Find out more in our ICT Sectoral Strengths flipbook.