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

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

Success Stories: Hear from leaders calling Ireland home

A proven path

See all Success Stories
TikTok
Zendesk
Stryker
Blackrock
Johnson Controls
State Street
TikTok’s Rapid Rise in Ireland

TikTok’s Rapid Rise in Ireland

Its strong pool of skilled and diverse talent, booming digital and technology sector, and rich heritage of arts and culture, make it such an attractive base for a platform that prides itself on being an inclusive home for creative expression

Dublin site is a regional hub for product development

Dublin site is a regional hub for product development

Dublin is such a hub for big tech companies that you might think ‘if we come to Dublin, we’re going to be competing with all of them, we won't be able to get good staff’. But I think the opposite is true. Because we’ve got such a base of well recognised brands in Dublin, that actually brings qualified people from all over Europe here.

Ireland is home to Stryker’s European Operations headquarters

Ireland is home to Stryker’s European Operations headquarters

Stryker's presence in Ireland is more than just a business expansion; it's a journey of mutual growth, skills development, and technological innovation that helps position Ireland as a global hub for leading innovation in the medical technology industry.

$1.5 trillion of assets under management in its Irish-domiciled funds

$1.5 trillion of assets under management in its Irish-domiciled funds

We find the various government departments very approachable and always open to engaging with the industry, with the IDA a particularly strong partner. The ecosystem is excellent, and by that, I mean not only asset managers but who they interact with, professional services firms, fund service providers and industry associations. They’re arguably the best I know.

In 2022, the HQ opened a new R&D facility focused on sustainable technologies

In 2022, the HQ opened a new R&D facility focused on sustainable technologies

I am proud of how Johnson Controls is leading the way in sustainable innovation and I am particularly proud of how OpenBlue solutions and services are transforming buildings to help businesses, communities and governments to reach their net zero goals.

Irish site chosen as one of only two global cybersecurity centres

Irish site chosen as one of only two global cybersecurity centres

We are a strong ecosystem with multiple parties, service providers like ourselves, management companies, commercial law firms, audit firms: it’s the synergy of all the different stakeholders working together… It’s the right balance between everyone having their own commercial imperatives but collaborating across an ecosystem that collectively facilitates growth and expansion.

Find your European home

Find your European home