Opportunities on your doorstep: Stem companies in Ireland

Abbott Ireland

Since 1946, Abbott has been developing a diverse range of science-based nutritional products, diagnostic tools and medical devices. Today the company is home to some 3,000 employees across nine sites, nationwide.

The US-based group, which is one of the longest-standing overseas investors in Ireland, announced in May it was moving its Irish nutrition division from its base at Ballytivnan, Co Sligo, to a purpose-built IDA factory in Finisklin industrial estate. The move, which will cost some €10m, is aimed at centralising the business's manufacturing and support operation in the one location.

Speaking on behalf of Abbott, Margaret Morrissey, country HR director said, "Science and innovation is at the forefront of everything we do. This is all made possible by the talented team we have in Ireland, where we have a range of Stem graduates in areas such as science, engineering and quality. We are passionate about breakthrough invention, and work to share that passion with our local communities. Abbott volunteers work throughout the year to spark an interest in Stem among young people. By fostering an interest in Stem from an early age, we're working to inspire the next generation of engineering and scientific leaders to shape the future of innovation."

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Intel

Ireland is Intel's centre of manufacturing excellence in Europe. Since 1989, Intel has invested $13.9 billion (€12.4bn), turning 360 acres of the Collinstown Industrial Park into the most advanced industrial campus in Europe.

Today Intel in Ireland represents a diversity of activities across the spectrum of Intel business from advanced manufacturing to cutting edge research and design, with some 4,900 employees across the country.

The majority of the Intel workforce in Ireland are based at the Leixlip campus in Co Kildare which is the location for Intel's high-volume, advanced manufacturing facilities which is currently producing 14nm process technology. Leixlip is also the home to a silicon design team who were instrumental in the delivery of the Intel Curie module, a complete low-power solution designed for wearable devices and consumer and industrial edge products.

A further 300 people work at the Intel campus in Shannon and a number of others are involved in the Intel Programmable Solutions Group (formerly Altera) in Cork, and Dublin-based machine vision technology company Movidius which was acquired by Intel in 2016.

Intel hires people across a vast array of Stem related disciplines including various types of engineering, software design, computer science, digital design, physics and chemistry.

Sarah Sexton, Head of Stem Programs at Intel Ireland said : "At Intel our very business relies on pushing the boundaries of science and technology and this is something that is enabled by people with a wide variety of Stem related qualifications. 75 per cent of future jobs will be underpinned by Stem and we are passionate about ensuring that people understand the opportunities of Stem and the significant role it plays in shaping the world around us."

Salesforce

In 2000, Salesforce became one of the first digital multinational companies to open an office in Ireland, and a founder of the digital boom for which Ireland is now famous. The Dublin office was opened just a year after the company was founded in San Francisco, making Ireland the first-ever Salesforce hub outside of the US.

Salesforce serves all of EMEA, as a major employer, with a diverse talent pool from more than 35 different countries. Salesforce is the world’s leading CRM software solutions and enterprise cloud computing company (salesforce.com).

Dr David Dempsey, Ireland Managing Director and Senior Vice-President of Salesforce, said:

“Stem related studies provide a gateway to opportunities where businesses like Salesforce are looking for people with 21st century skills and strong, creative minds. We want to see a focus on Stem that encourages participation, problem solving and real world application, where learning is fun and students realise that there are many varied careers that not only need these skills, but are accessible and welcoming of their talent and enthusiasm.

“At Salesforce, we rely on the successful application and use of digital technology, as do our customers, and we look for people with digital skills that will benefit our business. We also believe that the technology sector itself needs to actively support the development of digital skills. Here in Ireland, Salesforce is actively involved in community programmes that encourage youth to pursue their interested in Stem subjects, including support of programmes like CoderDojo, Stemettes and a partnership with St Peter’s School in Bray. It’s vital that we all play a role in nurturing a passion for Stem among the next generation of talent and that we are showcasing to them the range of exciting career opportunities that exist in the industry.

“We also believe in equal access to education. To support education for all, Salesforce has Trailhead, a free, online learning tool. This provides anyone, inside or outside of our business, with the opportunity to learn about our technology together with essential business skills. It has already been used by 25,000 people across Europe from a variety of professional backgrounds and across many different sectors of the economy.”

“We have entered the fourth industrial revolution, a time in which technology will change every aspect of our lives. Smartphones, wearables, subscription-based entertainment, and an endless selection of apps have changed how we work, play and stay in touch. Preparing for this requires a skilled workforce to continue to drive innovation.

“In fact, the World Economic Forum estimates that 65 per cent of children entering primary school must prepare for jobs that don’t yet exist. Clearly the earlier youth begin an education in Stem, the better it will be – not just in developing their own skills but building the pipeline of digital talent to ensure Ireland is well placed to stand out as a tech leader in the world’s stage.”

Dell

Dell EMC, a part of Dell Technologies, enables organizations to modernise, automate and transform their data centre using industry-leading converged infrastructure, servers, storage and data protection technologies.

Ireland serves as a strategic global hub for Dell EMC in the areas of Sales, Services, Centres of Excellence, Operations, IT, Manufacturing, Finance and Solutions Development, with 5,000 employees in campuses located in Dublin, Limerick and Cork. Each of these three campuses is home to global and regional leaders and teams across all key parts of the business.

This provides a trusted foundation for businesses to transform IT, through the creation of a hybrid cloud, and transform their business through the creation of cloud-native applications and big data solutions. Dell EMC services customers across 180 countries – including 98 per cent of the Fortune 500 – with the industry’s most comprehensive and innovative portfolio from edge to core to cloud.

Bob Savage, VP Dell EMC Centres of Excellence EMEA said:

“Stem skills are vital for a whole host of roles across our three Irish sites – from sales to solutions development. It’s vital that Ireland’s young people receive the maximum possible grounding in these subjects at primary and second level, so they are ready to specialise at third level. The future success of Ireland’s economy depends in part on the availability of talent with skills in the emerging areas of technology.

"We believe that industry has a role to play in encouraging uptake in the Stem subjects among young people. For instance, Dell EMC and VMware were the co-anchor sponsors of I Wish 2017, an initiative which sought to inspire young women in particular to take up Stem careers. Facilitating industry leaders, together with local government and higher education institutes and colleges, to have direct engagement with young women who are just about to make some critical choices about subjects and careers will have a real and meaningful impact on the decisions they make.

“Dell EMC also recently announced a new three-year partnership with Barnardos, the children’s charity. Barnardos has a network of well-established homework clubs and friendship clubs throughout the country. Working together, we plan to introduce technical literacy and coding skills to children who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to learn what is increasingly becoming a core life skill.”

Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. In Ireland, Accenture employs nearly 2,500 people serving Irish and multinational clients.

Earlier this year, Accenture announced plans to hire more than 300 technology, operations and design professionals throughout 2017. This included 100 new roles at The Dock, the company’s multidisciplinary research and incubation hub.

Located in the heart of Dublin’s tech quarter, The Dock is a connected, state-of-the-art workspace and is currently recruiting Stem talent across a range of areas including artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics and Internet of Things (IoT). Current open roles include software engineers, analytics managers, IoT developers, data scientists and designers.

Paula Neary, a Managing Director at Accenture Ireland said: "At Accenture, inclusion and diversity is core to our DNA and through our Girls in Stem and other programmes, we aim to build a more diverse pipeline of Stem talent. We set out by conducting important research into attracting more women into Stem based careers and identified a skills gap in Stem that develops from early schooling. Some of the initiatives we have undertaken to address this include running large events with school girls and their teachers to explore Stem, teaching young girls how to code, and collaborating with DCU and the 30 per cent Club to develop a Stem Student Teacher Internship in Accenture which is now rolling out across other companies."