HEWLETT-PACKARD (HP) is to create 105 high-tech jobs at its Galway operation, the company has announced.

The jobs, which will be in Ballybrit, are focused on enterprise data architecture, application development and software engineering and testing to support HP’s enterprise business division.

Between 50 and 70 of the positions will be filled immediately. The investment is being supported by IDA Ireland.

Minister for Enterprise Batt O’Keeffe said the jobs were a significant boost for research and development in Ireland.

“HP has chosen Galway for these highly strategic and knowledge-based roles in a move that reinforces our global reputation for high-end research and development activity.

“The investment shows that we can compete for highly skilled jobs in the information technology sector as we forge ahead with efforts to make Ireland Europe’s innovation hub.”

HP Ireland’s managing director Martin Murphy said one of the factors in winning the positions for Ireland was proof of the ability to provide the necessary skills.

The company, which employs about 4,000 people here, is trying to bring more projects to Ireland.

“We’re still actively working to bring additional high-value projects to Ireland. We can access the skills; we have a track record.”

Mr Murphy said Ireland’s return to competitiveness was also a bonus, but there was further to go. “I’d say there’s been a 10- 15 per cent improvement in competitiveness in the last 12 to 18 months. We could do the same again.”

He said HP intended to move towards research and development, including working with institutions such as the Irish Software Engineering Research Centre at Limerick University.

HP Ireland already works with a number of institutions, including NUI Galway.

Galway West TD Frank Fahey said the news was a “major boost” for Galway and the country.

“These are high-end positions of great value to the economy. The new staff will work in an exciting environment with the latest in HP technologies and they will have the opportunity to develop and test new applications.”

In October HP said it planned to create 120 jobs at its Clonskeagh facility in Dublin. It said it would create 50 high-end multilingual roles in its enterprise division. The creation of the remaining jobs would depend on whether the required skills were available.

Mr Murphy said he was confident the necessary skills would be available to allow the remainder of the jobs to come to Ireland.