Apple’s campus in Cork is about to get a major upgrade, as the tech giant adds a new building to Hollyhill with a capacity for an extra 1,000 jobs, to be filled in 2017.
Apple CEO Tim Cook’s arrival in Ireland today (11 November) for an event at Trinity College coincides with news that his company is eyeing significant expansion plans in Cork.
Already employing 5,000 people in Ireland, the added capacity in Hollyhill will – if filled – bring that figure to more than 6,000. Apple has already added in and around 1,000 new jobs to Ireland in the past 12 months.
Speaking at Trinity earlier, Cook confirmed* the creation of the additional 1,000 positions in the new facility, which will bring its Irish employment figures up to one-quarter of all Apple’s European employees.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who met with Cook this morning, noted that the new jobs are a testament to the labour pool in the area.
Offshore energy plans
Apple has also announced that it is putting €1m into a partnership with the SEAI to support research into offshore energy technology, creating an Ocean Energy Industry Fund.
This will support innovative new ways of capturing wave energy and converting it to renewable electricity in support of their global commitment to powering all facilities with renewable energy.
“For any company to be located at the same campus for over 30 years is a remarkable thing – that Apple continues to expand at this rate in 2015 is truly exceptional,” said the IDA’s Martin Shanahan.
“The scale of the operation in Hollyhill is vast, with manufacturing, supply chain, AppleCare and shared services operations taking place within one campus.”
Earlier this year the company announced plans to pump €850m into a new data centre in Athenry.
*Updated at 11 November, 14:35 to reflect confirmation by Apple CEO Tim Cook that 1,000 jobs would follow the expansion plans.
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Image of Tim Cook via Hadrian/Shutterstock
