Hewlett-Packard establishes strategic R&D Centre for Ireland

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney T.D., announced today (Thursday, 2 September 2004) that Hewlett-Packard (Manufacturing) Limited, one of the world’s leading companies and the market leader in laser and inkjet printers,is toinvest €21.4 million at its Dublin Inkjet Manufacturing Operation (DIMO) in Leixlip, Co. Kildare, in the establishment of a world-class Technology Development Centre. The Government has approved IDA Ireland support for the project.

Under this investment DIMO will be responsible for a number of activities. These include partnering with the US Supplies R&D organisation to develop a new generation of Integrated Print Head inkjet technology, which incorporates a sophisticated integrated circuit on each print cartridge.

Making the announcement the Tánaiste said “this is a further significant high-value high-end project for Ireland from a global leader in its business, and it demonstrates that Ireland remains competitive for such strategic investments by international companies. The investment is a perfect fit with the Government’s policy for the expansion of R&D in Ireland and the attraction of further high calibre, knowledge-led activities into Ireland. The investment is important in moving Ireland further along the way to becoming a leader in next generation engineering, manufacturing and related information technologies.”

“The new Centre will also provide new opportunities for external research facilities in Ireland, which are to benefit through increased collaboration between Hewlett-Packard and Irish Universities and research institutions. Some proposed research programmes are already under discussion with NUI Maynooth, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University and NMRC in Cork,” added the Tánaiste.

Mr. Lionel Alexander, Vice President and General Manager of DIMO said “This investment at the Leixlip site underlines the natural progression of the site from being purely a manufacturing entity, to an organisation having a greater level of responsibility for earlier stages of research and development cycles. In addition, the new Centre is a significant capability step-up for DIMO to further exploit the available competencies. This model enables Hewlett Packard to create an effective global R&D capability, using the huge talent the company has due to its geographical and global presence”.

“The management team, working with IDA Ireland, secured this latest investment based on the DIMO’s high technical competency, its development and IP creation track record, and its success in its mandate for worldwide engineering responsibility for current technologies and the support from IDA, which demonstrated clearly the Government’s support for Hewlett-Packard and for R&D in general,” said the Tánaiste.