IDA Ireland is seeking advance planning permission for a new 150-acre technology campus near Clondalkin, west Dublin, which would be big enough to employ up to 2,500 people.
Assuming advance planning permission is approved, the State investment body will market the site at Grange Castle as an ideal location for a large-scale investment by a big technology or biopharmaceutical group.
The site is next to an existing business park, where US biotech giant Wyeth employs more than 1,000 people in an 111,500sq m (1.2 millionsq ft) complex. Wyeth is investing some €1.6 billion in this plant, where it makes biopharmaceutical products.
"In the face of severe global competition for internationally mobile projects, having an attractive site with planning permission in place for a high-tech manufacturing and research facility will further enhance Ireland's ability to win these major strategic investments," said IDA Ireland chief executive Seán Dorgan.
"We hope that this is the beginning of a process that will see another major, high-value, knowledge-intensive project locating in Ireland."
While the planning application for the new development is subject to permission from South Dublin County Council, IDA Ireland said it wanted to attract a major integrated circuit maker to the site.
The submission to the council includes plans for a 103,000sq m four-storey integrated circuit production building, a 13,000sq m headquarters building and a 39,000sq m manufacturing support building. It also includes plans for a 12,000sq m utilities and water treatment building and a 20,000sq m laboratory.
The concept of seeking pre-approval for a site is not new. IDA Ireland received advance planning permission for a biopharmaceutical campus at Oranmore in Galway only last November.
IDA Ireland said it had engaged consultants Jacobs to design the campus. "This design conforms to the best-practice standards in use in integrated circuit manufacturing facilities in the world. In this sense, any high-tech multinational company choosing to locate on the site in the future should be able to work within the terms of the planning permission. If not, a separate planning application will be required," it said.
The development agency said the location had good access to the road, rail, air and sea transport networks.
"It is in proximity to the N4, N7 and M50 road arteries. Planned transport infrastructure includes a number of direct public transport links to the business park, a direct rail link planned for nearby Kishogue and Adamstown and significant road development for the area over the next few years."
