One of Europe's largest software companies, SAP, is to provide 350 jobs over four years in a global technical support centre in Galway.
SAP, which is based in Germany, already employs 310 people at Citywest Business Park in Dublin.
The development of a new global technical support and customer interaction centre in Galway "consolidates recent successes of IDA Ireland", the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, said yesterday.
Speaking in Galway, Ms Harney said that SAP's new investment would employ people with a fluency in a European language and, depending on the position, a strong information technology background. Some 40 posts have been filled and recruitment is under way. The company will be based temporarily at the IDA's Mervue Business Park.
SAP had revenues of €7.4 billion last year, and employs almost 30,000 people in more than 50 countries.
Many Irish industries run SAP software, including Allied Irish Banks, Bank of Ireland, CIÉ, Eircom, Elan, Glanbia, Guinness, Irish Distillers and Ryanair.
Some 80 per cent of companies in the "Fortune 500" list use it and the company is listed on several stock exchanges.
"The new centre will carry out important customer relations functions for existing SAP global operations and will have sole responsibility to provide technical support for the new SAP small and medium business product 'SAP Business One'," the Tánaiste said yesterday.
"This will increase the strategic importance of the company's Irish operations within SAP globally."
Mr Liam Ryan, managing director of SAP Service and Support Centre (Ireland) Ltd, said Galway had proved to be "a skill leader" in terms of providing a poll of internationally experienced candidates for employment.
Ms Harney said that one new project had been confirmed by the IDA every week over the first quarter of this year.
Since January, 14 new IDA-supported investments had been announced, she said, involving more than 3,000 jobs and with a value of more than €220 million.
"This level of achievement continues the surge in new investments secured by IDA Ireland between September and December 2002, when 15 new projects, creating 2,300 new jobs, were announced," she added.
