![An image of Cork city and the River Lee, with buildings reflecting on the surface of the water and a blue sky above.](https://www.siliconrepublic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/AdobeStock_295971788-718x523.jpeg)
Image: © Cristi/Stock.adobe.com
The company said it is going through an ‘evolutionary change’ and aims to turn its Cork site into a software development centre of excellence.
Computer networking company Netgear has opened a new and improved international headquarters in Cork.
The company’s new €4.75m investment is situated at the Penrose Dock development within Cork city’s Victorian Quarter. Netgear said it plans to create a centre of excellence in the city, as part of plans to continue to develop its software development capabilities.
Netgear said its new office gives its staff a modern workplace designed for collaboration and that it supports the company’s flexible, hybrid working model.
The multinational company has been in Cork for decades, having opened its international headquarters in 2006 in the city. Netgear currently employs 46 people in Ireland across multiple departments, including finance, digital marketing, data operations, HR, legal, engineering and IT support.
“Building a software development centre of excellence in Ireland is an important and exciting step on our path to accelerate our transformation towards becoming a more software-centric company,” said Netgear software CTO Dr Martin Westhead.
“Ireland’s geographic location between the US and other global sites combined with the pipeline of highly educated and diverse talent found here make it an ideal location to expand our software development capabilities.”
The new international headquarters was officially opened today (27 October) by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney, TD.
“It’s 17 years since Netgear first established its presence in Cork and the company has been a fantastic contributor to the local economy and life in Cork,” Coveney said. “Long may that continue.”
Headquartered in California, Netgear is a large provider of Wi-Fi products for homes, businesses and service providers. The company launched in 1996 but said it is going through an “evolutionary change” to grow its software subscription services and complement its hardware offerings.
The multinational recently released its financial results for the third quarter of 2023, where its net revenue was $197.8m, a decrease of 20.7pc compared to the same period last year.
10 things you need to know direct to your inbox every weekday. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of essential sci-tech news.