Qumulo Selects Ireland for European Software Research and Development Hub

Qumulo, the enterprise leader in unstructured data management and provider of cloud data platforms, announces the official launch of its European Software R&D hub in Cork. Through this strategic expansion, Qumulo will create 50 highly skilled R&D positions in the coming three years to solve the major challenges for data management at enormous scale and scope for global business.

This project is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism & Employment, Peter Burke TD, said, “Qumulo’s decision to establish a new European software R&D hub in Cork is a strong endorsement of Cork as a location where cutting-edge engineering and global ambition meet. It highlights the depth of talent emerging from our universities, the strength of the region’s technology ecosystem, and Ireland’s ability to support companies delivering pioneering innovation on a global scale. I wish them the best of luck in their new office.”
Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and at the Department of Transport, Jerry Buttimer TD said: “Today’s announcement by Qumulo is a testament to Cork and the South-West region’s capacity for fostering meaningful collaboration and technological leadership. This expansion highlights Ireland’s reputation as a dynamic environment where innovation thrives and partnerships flourish.”

 

Information, derived from data, is now the core asset driving the modern global economy. The success of autonomous AI systems integrated into business operations depends on their ability to make real-time decisions with instant, trustworthy access to colossal datasets.

“After actively reviewing a wide variety of options for our second R&D centre, we found that the stellar third-level institutions in the South-West were the basis for a deep talent pool in Cork,” said Qumulo Chief Technology Officer Kiran Bhageshpur. “Additionally, the excellent support infrastructure for companies like Qumulo provided by IDA Ireland made Cork the obvious choice for us to build a team focused on leveraging AI to help businesses manage global-scale data infrastructure.”

For Qumulo’s global customers, this new site in Cork will also see an expansion of its Customer Success team in the region as a commitment to the long-term partnership and the outcomes that customers expect. To explore career opportunities at Qumulo, visit www.qumulo.com/careers .

“Cork is a milestone, not just a milestone for Qumulo — but for every customer who depends on us to be present, responsive, and invested in their success,” said Qumulo VP of Customer Success Dave Coughlan, “This investment is a direct reflection of the trust our customers place in us, and our responsibility to honour that trust every single day.”

This new R&D and Customer Success hub in Cork is a recognition of the challenges and opportunities presented by this new global, digital landscape. This team will research and develop solutions to enable the secure, frictionless, and instantaneous transfer of exabyte-scale workloads across the globe, delivering the trusted, AI-ready data requirement to power next-generation enterprise applications.

“Qumulo’s establishment in Cork is a statement of the ambition of Qumulo to continue its growth to meet customer demand, and Cork’s capacity to deliver on that future with the talent base and ecosystem to drive innovation,” said Qumulo Engineering Director Diarmaid Hogan. “Building and growing a European Hub for R&D is the next chapter in Qumulo’s already exciting story.”

CEO of IDA Ireland Michael Lohan said, “Ireland offers a compelling combination of talent, research excellence, and an open, collaborative business environment, and Qumulo’s expansion in Cork is another example of how that proposition continues to resonate with global technology companies.”

Infineon Technologies opens new R&D Centre in Cork

Infineon Technologies AG: a global leader in power systems and IoT, has officially opened its new Cork office at City Gate Park, Mahon. The new office has capacity for growth as the Cork team expands. This is  part of a €60 million investment plan announced in 2024, by Infineon for its Irish operations.

This R&D hub will focus Infineon’s innovations in the Automotive and Consumer microelectronics space such as Battery Management, Motor Control and Touchscreens. Supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland, the continued growth will include senior and junior positions as well as a strong contingent of local university graduates through the Infineon Ireland Graduate Program.

Minister for Enterprise Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD said: “I welcome Infineon Technologies’ continued commitment to Ireland, as well as today’s opening of their new Design Centre in Cork. This investment strengthens our position as a hub for cutting‑edge research and development in microelectronics and supports additional high‑quality jobs for both experienced engineers and new graduates. The expansion reflects Ireland’s strong talent base and our growing role in advancing innovation across the automotive and consumer technology sectors. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this centre will deliver for Cork, for Ireland’s technology ecosystem, and for the global transition toward digitalisation and decarbonisation.”

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and at the Department of Transport, Jerry Buttimer TD said: “This new centre reflects the increasingly international nature of research and development, where teams collaborate across borders to solve shared technological challenges. Infineon’s investment in Cork underlines Ireland’s role as a trusted partner in global innovation networks.”

The Infineon research teams in Ireland are focused on IP development for the automotive and consumer markets. The new hires will support the development of new technologies and products that help driving digitalisation and decarbonisation on a global scale.

“At Infineon, we are committed to actively driving decarbonisation and digitalisation. As a global semiconductor leader for the automotive industry, we are shaping the future of mobility with products and solutions to make cars clean, safe and smart,” said Thomas Mende, Senior Vice President of Development, Microcontroller Automotive at Infineon. “The strategic development of our research and development sector in Ireland is central to this mission with semiconductor-based system integration and artificial intelligence for highly connected and increasingly autonomous vehicles being among major trends. This new office enables us to strengthen our team even further with the high-calibre talent that Ireland has to offer.”

Positions in the new office have already been opened online and include roles in Analog Design, Digital Design, Architecture and Verification.

“Just over two years ago, Infineon announced a multimillion-euro investment in its Irish R&D activities, which will result in the addition of approximately 100 jobs across its sites in Dublin and Cork“ said Executive Director of IDA Ireland, Dónal Travers. “I am honoured to join the team here today in Cork to celebrate the progress that has been made since then. This investment not only enhances Ireland’s deep-tech landscape, Infineon is also a critical part of the South West’s recognised semiconductor cluster. I wish the company, and the teams here in Ireland, continued success“.

 

Ekco acquires Datalogix as it accelerates expansion strategy

Ekco, one of Europe’s leading security-first managed security service providers (MSSP), today announces the acquisition of Cork-based Datalogix. Ekco, founded and headquartered in Dublin, is continuing its ambitious acquisition trail, following a busy year in 2025 with three strategic acquisitions.

Datalogix is a Cork-headquartered operational technology (OT) business with over 20 years’ experience delivering proactive OT services to enterprise customers across Ireland, the UK, and the US. It provides secure OT infrastructure design, implementation, and support services that automate industrial processes for companies in the life sciences, pharmaceutical, general manufacturing, and critical national infrastructure sectors.

The company’s team will join Ekco’s workforce of more than 1,000 people globally across Ireland, UK, the Netherlands, Malaysia, and South Africa. Datalogix will form part of Ekco’s security division, bringing the division’s revenues to a €100 million share of Ekco’s overall group revenues of €200 million. The acquisition will significantly expand Ekco’s OT capabilities in the Irish, UK, and US markets, under the leadership of Ekco Ireland CEO Steve MacNicholas. It will enable Ekco to increasingly secure IT and OT convergence for customers amidst a growing OT threat landscape and a complex regulatory backdrop.

As part of Ekco’s rapid growth strategy, Datalogix marks the eighth company to be acquired by Ekco in the last two years. The acquisition follows the 2025 purchases of cybersecurity consultancy Predatech, and managed service providers (MSP) Solsoft and Adapt IT. It signifies another milestone in Ekco’s ambition to build a security-first unified MSP platform across Europe.

Datalogix is led by Managing Director Der Cremen and Chief Technical Officer Damian White, who will bring over 50 years’ combined industry experience to Ekco.

Steve MacNicholas, CEO of Ekco Ireland, said: “Having known Datalogix well for many years, we have always admired their highly specialised and client focused capabilities as trusted OT advisors in the life sciences, pharmaceutical, and critical national infrastructure markets. With Ekco’s world class expertise in security-first managed services and cutting-edge technology, this partnership is a perfect match – and we are looking forward to growing and learning together.” 

Der Cremen, Managing Director of Datalogix, added: “Joining Ekco enables us to increasingly invest in and develop our OT capabilities to bring enhanced resources and resilience to our customers, backed by Ekco’s scale—while maintaining the responsiveness they value.”

Ronan Murray, EY M&A Partner, said: “EY were delighted to provide sell side M&A lead advisory and tax services to the shareholders of Datalogix on the company’s sale to Ekco. Congratulations to the combined team.”

Apple opens new Dublin Office and expands in Cork

IDA Ireland today welcomes Apple’s official opening of its new Hollyhill 5 building in Cork, representing another strong endorsement of Ireland as a location for global innovation and advanced operations. The purpose‑built facility, which can accommodate 1,300 employees, reinforces Apple’s long-term commitment to the South West region and builds on more than four decades of continuous strategic investment in Ireland.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said: “I’m delighted to open this state-of-the-art new facility in Hollyhill today and to see firsthand the major investment that Apple is making here. The contribution Apple has made in Cork and Ireland over the last 45 years cannot be overstated  – creating thousands of highly-skilled roles and continually investing in their Irish operations.”

Apple’s presence in Ireland has evolved significantly since 1980, growing from a small manufacturing facility to become the company’s European, Middle East, India and Africa headquarters. Its continued expansion reflects both the strength of the Irish talent pool and the competitive environment that supports global technology leaders.

Cathy Kearney, Vice President, Operations, Apple said: “We’ve called Ireland home for more than 45 years and are proud to continue expanding our operations and investing in our people and community here. Our 6,000 team members in Ireland play a critical role in supporting Apple’s customers in Europe and beyond and we’re delighted to build on this later this year with our new office in Dublin.”

IDA Ireland also congratulates Apple on the opening of its new Dublin office – the company’s first permanent presence outside Cork –  which will support the ongoing diversification and development of its Irish operations.

Dónal Travers, Executive Director, IDA Ireland, said: “Apple’s continued investment demonstrates clear confidence in Ireland as a strategic base for its global operations. The new Hollyhill 5 facility, together with Apple’s new Dublin City Centre office, further strengthens the company’s ability to grow, attract talent and innovate from Ireland. We look forward to deepening our partnership with Apple and supporting its continued success.”

Tyndall Delivers Significant Insights for Ambitious European Space Agency Mission

Tyndall National Institute, based at University College Cork, has wrapped up a multi-year project with ESA, contributing critical expertise to the ambitious Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission.

Scheduled for launch in 2035, LISA will be the first observatory of its kind to detect gravitational waves from space, revealing new insights into the most powerful events in the universe, such as pairs of black holes coming together and merging.

Tyndall’s role focused on evaluating the reliability of commercial photonic components, small but vital parts that will help power LISA’s ultra-precise laser system. These lasers will span millions of kilometres between three spacecraft flying in formation, measuring minuscule changes in distance caused by gravitational waves.

Tyndall conducted long-term reliability testing and detailed construction analysis on a wide range of active and passive photonic devices, including laser diodes, photodiodes, UV LEDs, modulators, switches, isolators, and more. Each component was assessed against ESA’s demanding space standards, with risk levels identified for their potential use in the LISA laser system.

The outcome is a comprehensive dataset that will help ESA make informed decisions about which components to use, ensuring the mission’s laser system performs as intended when deployed.

Finbarr Waldron, Principal Engineer at Tyndall, said: “This project showcases the depth of Tyndall’s expertise in photonics and reliability engineering. Space is a very unforgiving environment, and many commercial photonic components are built using materials that may not be suitable for use in space. Our task was to rigorously test and analyse these components to determine whether or not they could withstand the extreme conditions of launch and long-term operation in space.”

Quest Software Opens New Centre for Advanced AI Architecture in Ireland

Quest Software, a global leader in data management, cybersecurity, and platform modernization, today announced the opening of its new Centre for Advanced AI Architecture. The opening is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland. To learn more, visit quest.com.

AI adoption is increasing across every sector, and organizations need stronger foundations in data, security, and modern platforms. The new centre will play a central role in meeting these needs through applied research and development, and engineering work, to deliver market-leading and first-of-a-kind innovations that will help drive customer success and Quest growth.

The centre expands Quest’s global AI initiative and strengthens the company’s focus on helping customers succeed in the AI era. This includes a $350 million capital infusion announced earlier this year along with new executive leadership to support Quest’s growth. The planned investment in the Cork Centre for Advanced AI Architecture is a key part of that initiative and supports the company’s strategy across three key areas: trusted AI-ready data, AI-powered cybersecurity, and platform modernization to scale with AI demands. The centre will serve as a hub for applied research and development. Teams in Cork will work across AI engineering, data science, cybersecurity, and software development to advance these priorities and strengthen Quest’s market-leading products in these areas.

Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection said: I am very pleased to join the team at Quest Software here in Cork to celebrate this significant investment in skills, talent, and jobs. The European Commission recognises the urgent need to expand Europe’s pool of AI expertise. That is why, a few months ago, we launched the AI Continent Action Plan — to train and attract more AI researchers and professionals, and to strengthen AI skills and literacy across our workforce.

The announcement aligns perfectly with that ambition. It strengthens Europe’s innovation capacity and is a strong endorsement of Cork and the wider Southwest region. It demonstrates the role Cork plays as a dynamic contributor to Europe’s digital future, and its importance for companies like Quest as they scale their European presence.”

Tim Page, CEO at Quest Software said: “This investment strengthens our growth and supports the work we are doing to advance our products for the AI era and help us deliver AI that customers can trust. By investing in technology and talent, and partnering with local universities and research institutions, we can help develop the next generation of AI and cybersecurity professionals.”

Peter Burke, TD, Minister for Enterprise Tourism and Employment said: “Quest Software’s decision to expand in Cork is a fantastic endorsement of Ireland’s reputation as a hub for innovation and talent. This investment will create high quality jobs and strengthen our technology ecosystem. The Government is committed to fostering an environment where companies like Quest can thrive, and to supporting long-term regional growth. The announcement is a clear signal of confidence in our workforce and enterprise strategy. I wish Quest Software every success in the future with the new Centre for Advanced AI Architecture.”

Dónal Travers, Executive Director, IDA Ireland said: “The opening by Quest Software of its Centre for Advanced AI Architecture, which is being announced, signifies the company’s vote of confidence in Ireland’s AI innovation environment. This project positions Quest at the forefront of Enterprise AI transformation, delivering technically differentiated solutions that offer global impact. I wish to congratulate the Quest team and assure them of IDA Ireland’s continued support and partnership.”

Quest’s investment and the creation of new roles will contribute to an economic impact in Cork and across Ireland. According to IDA Ireland, every 10 jobs created in IDA client companies support an additional eight jobs in the wider economy.

As part of its expansion plans with the new Centre for Advanced AI Architecture, Quest plans to collaborate with Irish universities to develop courses, training programs, and skills development opportunities focused on AI and cybersecurity for people interested in technology careers.

Ireland has become a leading location for AI research and skills. The country produces nearly 1,500 AI-related Masters graduates each year and has nearly doubled its PhD output in AI fields since 2019. Ireland was also the first country to develop an industry-driven nationwide Postgraduate Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence. This depth of talent and the active research environment were important factors in selecting Cork for the new centre.

Fixify Chooses Cork for EU Hub, Creating 50 High-Tech Jobs

Fixify, a leading provider in AI-driven IT support automation, has selected Cork City as the home of its new EU Centre of Excellence, creating 50 skilled jobs in the region over the next 18 months. The new facility will serve as a regional base for Fixify’s development, support, and customer success for worldwide operations.

This project is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

Attending the event, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said: “This announcement from Fixify to select Cork as the home of its new EU Centre of Excellence demonstrates a deep commitment to the region and creates 50 high-tech jobs in an exciting and growing sector. I have no doubt that these highly skilled jobs in IT, software engineering and data analysis will be a further boost to the workforce in the region.   I want to acknowledge the role of IDA Ireland in supporting this project and I look forward to seeing the continued growth of Fixify in Cork over the coming years.”

Minister for Enterprise Tourism & Employment Peter Burke TD said: “Fixify’s decision to establish its EU Centre of Excellence in Cork is very welcome news and is a strong endorsement of Ireland’s position as a global leader in technology and innovation. This investment will bring 50 high-quality jobs to the region and further strengthen our thriving digital ecosystem. Cork’s deep talent pool, supported by world-class institutions like UCC and MTU, and its proven track record in attracting and sustaining high-value FDI, make it ideally placed to support Fixify’s growth. I wish the Fixify team in Cork the very best for the future.”

Fixify is now hiring in roles including IT Helpdesk Analysts, Software Engineers, Data Engineers, and Data Scientists. To explore career opportunities with Fixify, please visit Fixify careers.

“We chose Cork for Fixify’s European base — a city that brings together deep technical expertise, quality of life and community spirit — the conditions that make great work last,” said Matt Peters, CEO Fixify. “Establishing our base here enables Fixify to tap into Ireland’s exceptional talent and contribute to its thriving tech ecosystem as we scale automation and support that remains genuinely human worldwide.”

“Our investment in Cork is a strong vote of confidence in Ireland’s technology talent and infrastructure,” added Caroline Coughlan, Director, Employee Experience & People Operations at Fixify “Over the next 18 months, we will be scaling our presence here in parallel with delivering outstanding value to our customers across EMEA.”

IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan said: “I am very pleased that Fixify has chosen Cork as home to its EU Centre of Excellence as it recognises the quality and depth of the South West region’s talent pool, Ireland’s vibrant culture, and our pro-business environment. I wish to congratulate Fixify on this expansion and look forward to supporting them as they enhance Ireland’s reputation as home to a thriving technology sector.”

Contec and National Space Centre to progress restoration of iconic 32-metre dish

National Space Centre, Cork and Contec Space Group of South Korea, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Space Tech Expo Europe 2025 in Bremen, Germany for the refurbishment and return to operation of the iconic 32-metre antenna, The Big Dish, at Elfordstown Earthstation in Cork.

Originally commissioned by Eutelsat in conjunction with Telecom Éireann in 1984, the installation of The Big Dish was for the purpose of hosting transatlantic communications between Europe and North America. It was decommissioned in the 1990’s with the advent of underwater fibre-optic links.

However, a new lease of life is underway for similar large dishes worldwide, which have since been repurposed for deep-space tracking, radio astronomy, and advanced communications. There are fewer than 100 large dishes of this class remaining worldwide and under thirty are estimated to be in active use.  But there are an increasing range of uses for large satellite dishes, along with a demand for the technical capability they can provide.

Contec will provide expert consultancy and guidance throughout the restoration. The South Korean company, is a renowned global leader in space communications and brings deep-space mission support expertise and experience operating large-aperture antennas.

Rory Fitzpatrick, CEO of National Space Centre, said: “This big dish in Midleton is part of European space heritage, but it has been idle since 1997.  In 2024, we kickstarted the preservation of the dish with the Save the Big Dish campaign on Go Fund Me, to stop the continuing degradation of the 32-metre dish.   Now this MOU with Contec will form the foundation for the next step towards restoration.  Bringing The Big Dish back into service to support international science and space collaborations is our goal and we welcome Dr Sunghee Lee and Contec on board for this mission. Their expertise in this area will be invaluable.”

Contec Space Group is a global provider of advanced space communication systems, based in South Korea, specialising in mission support, deep-space tracking, and high-reliability ground-segment technology.

National Space Centre Ltd. is a groundstation partner and teleport services company based in Elfordstown Earthstation and hosts a global ground station for Contec in Cork.

Cybersecurity Leader Proofpoint Launches AI Innvoation Centre in Cork

Proofpoint, a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, today announced that it is continuing to expand operations out of its international hub in Cork. The ongoing investment will bring new specialist roles to the city centre location, including data scientists and artificial intelligence (AI) and large language model (LLMs) specialists, as the company launches its AI Innovation Centre.  This project is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

Today’s cyberthreats are growing in sophistication and attackers are no longer simply targeting infrastructure; they’re targeting people. Proofpoint research shows that in response to this, 87% of global CISOs are looking to deploy AI-powered capabilities to help protect against human error and advanced human-centred cyber threats. Proofpoint continues to innovate on its AI-powered defences for organisations, with its human-centric solutions designed and deployed with data privacy and security at front of mind.

Proofpoint’s new AI Innovation Centre will create a privacy-attested AI environment, ensuring the safety and anonymity of all data used to train Proofpoint’s models. AI and ML require powerful detection models and a high-fidelity data pipeline to yield accurate detection rates, operational efficiencies, and automated protection. The AI Innovation Centre will allow the acquisition of larger data sets, allowing Proofpoint’s LLMs to be used in industry-leading, high-volume, high-velocity cases, improving overall threat detection for organisations.

“The ongoing expansion of Proofpoint in Cork is a clear reflection of Ireland’s continued success in attracting world-class companies to establish their international hubs here,” said Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. “The creation of up to 100 new roles in the coming years, including in AI and large language models, further strengthens our position as a global technology and innovation hub.”

To drive this initiative, Proofpoint will be bringing 45 new specialist roles to its Ireland location, with a continued growth trajectory of up to 100 additional roles over the coming years. The roles will include data scientists, and AI and LLM specialists.  Looking ahead, Proofpoint will also bring a security operations team to Cork, and increase roles in other functions such as its data security team. As part of this, Proofpoint is also expanding its office space in Cork.

 

“Our ongoing investment in our Ireland-based business is critical to our international growth, and to strengthening our ability to protect European organisations,” said Remi Thomas, Chief Financial Officer at Proofpoint. “Today’s cyber-attacks are growing in sophistication, and AI plays a critical role in an organisation’s defence against these threats. We are excited to tap into Cork’s technical talent base to further strengthen our industry-leading AI-driven solutions, enabling us to detect and prevent emerging threats at an unprecedented scale, while keeping data secure.”

 

“AI is a defining capability that truly sets Proofpoint apart.  We have some of the most extensive human-centric threat intelligence data, which amplifies the power of our AI solutions, and ensures that our models are continuously improving and adapting to new threats,” said Kevin Leusing, Chief Technologist, EMEA at Proofpoint. “The launch of our AI Centre here in Cork will further enhance these capabilities by integrating the latest AI advancements with our unparalleled dataset, staying ahead of even the most sophisticated attackers.”

 

“Cork continues to cement its position as a leading cybersecurity hub, and today’s announcement from Proofpoint underscores the region’s growing significance in this sector,” said Michael Lohan, CEO, IDA Ireland. “Ireland’s rich talent pool, particularly in emerging technologies like AI and cybersecurity, is a key factor in attracting such high-calibre investments.”

 

To find out more about Proofpoint’s human-centric security solutions, visit: https://www.proofpoint.com/uk

 

To read more on the launch of Proofpoint’s Cork operations, please visit: https://www.proofpoint.com/uk/newsroom/press-releases/cybersecurity-leader-proofpoint-expands-global-presence-international-hub