Dublin’s seagulls are not happy. Multinationals from around the world continue flocking to the capital’s docklands – and beyond – leaving precious little room for the birds. Ireland’s open economic policy approach is now enjoying two decades of success.
And like a fine wine, it is improving with age. The healthy combination of innovative start-ups working in close proximity to various major multinationals that are now well established here, is giving us the kind of critical mass seen only in places like Silicon Valley or Singapore.
But unlike California, the cost of living here hasn’t skyrocketed. While Dublin is by no means the cheapest city in Europe, it is still relatively affordable when compared to many other tech hubs globally.
Money aside, the reason for Ireland’s success in attracting and keeping multinationals has been consistently happy clients.
The continued favourable tax environment combined with an English-speaking, highly educated workforce are major factors. But we cannot underestimate the value of Ireland’s ‘soft’ skills.
Aside from being one of the most beautiful countries on earth, the Irish are frequently voted as some of the friendliest and most welcoming people in the world.
It’s easy to be cynical about such things but the numbers don’t lie. Various impartial international tourism surveys have consistently ranked Ireland as one of the top spots to visit in the world, largely because of its people. When you talk to companies who have only recently joined the party, they say the same thing.
Niall O’Leary, vice-president and site head industrial operations and product supply, Regeneron
“How has Regeneron found Ireland as a place to do business? Outstanding! The local towns and businesses have been great. It’s like being at home when you walk into a local business. They greet you by name and update you on their lives.
“Local universities [LIT and UL] have been extremely supportive in proactively working to develop curriculum to drive workforce development. Last, and certainly not least, it is important to note that we couldn’t be happier with the support we have received from the Irish Government, IDA, Limerick city and Limerick county. Their involvement has made, and will continue to make, a huge difference.
“We have been able to identify and hire talent much faster than expected, creating over 450 full-time positions and, at peak, 1,200 contractors were on our site in Raheen to support realisation.
“In just over two years, we have turned the old Dell computer factory into the largest bulk biologics production facility in Ireland. This is an unprecedented accomplishment and a testament to the skills, drive and talent of our people. We are excited to continue hiring and expect to have another 50 to 100 full-time Irish employees by the end of 2017.”
“We looked at potential sites across Europe and Asia and kept coming back to Ireland as the best location to build a bulk biologics production facility. Ireland was an easy choice due to its proximity to European markets, pro-business climate, thriving biotech community, excellent education system and access to talented people with the right skill sets.
“We looked at over 20 facilities in Ireland, and when we first saw the former Dell site, it was love at first sight. Although it was great that the Raheen site had the structure, capacity and access to the utilities we needed to accelerate the project timeline, it was the feeling we had for the Munster region that personalised our decision to establish a site in Limerick. Once the work commenced, the talent, work ethc and warmth of the people here was palpable and confirmed we were wise to choose Limerick.”
Aidan McLaughlin, director of international communications, Indeed.com
“When considering Dublin as a location for Indeed, we were already well aware of its growing reputation as the location of choice for tech companies from all around the world. The Irish Government and State agencies put some strong foundations in place over the last decade or so, which has led to the positive trend for tech companies to group in innovation ‘districts’ such as the docklands in Dublin. This concentration is good for all of us. It gives us opportunities to foster a culture of innovation and creativity.
“Dublin is a young, vibrant city located within easy reach of Europe’s capitals, and with well-established global flight connections. It is already home to an enviable cluster of the world’s tech companies, and as such has developed both a reputation as a tech city, but also as a source of highly skilled graduates in the areas we are looking for.
“Dublin’s third-level institutions produce almost 27,000 graduates every year, offering a wealth of talent. In addition, the city’s location allows us to recruit from all over Europe also.
“The capital is also a draw for young graduates as the culture and lifestyle of Dubliners is attractive. With an accessible city centre, well-developed infrastructure and a wealth of social and sporting opportunities on the doorstep, it makes things that bit easier to convince people to come here.
“Indeed now employs over 400 people in Dublin. This is a strong endorsement of the quality and availability of talent in the Irish market.
“However, there is definitely competition for the best people and we work hard to communicate to potential recruiters that by joining Indeed in Dublin they are at the centre of decision-making for the EMEA region and can be part of an exciting growth story in a very entrepreneurial culture.”
Sara Cohen, director of communications, Etsy
“Etsy is a global business that is growing internationally, and we have communities of sellers and buyers in nearly every country in the world. We are proud to be building a team in Dublin that is working to deepen those local communities.
“We made Etsy Ireland our non-Americas headquarters because of the educated, multilingual, pan-European workforce, the large amount of skilled technology professionals, and the cost of doing business relative to other European cities. Our Dublin office is a crucial part of our international operations and we are committed to continuing to building a strong presence here.”