It was announced today that Huawei, the global ICT company, has embarked on a new research partnership with Trinity College Dublin as part of its growing R&D footprint in Ireland. At an event at Trinity College Dublin, Guo Ping, Huawei Deputy Chairman & Rotating CEO, also announced the expansion of the company’s Cork R&D operation, which is growing from a small team to nearly 20 highly-skilled staff.
These developments bring Huawei’s R&D investment in Ireland to $21 million (€17.7 million) in 2017, a significant increase from 2016. As part of his visit to Dublin, the Huawei Rotating CEO, Guo Ping will also have a meeting with An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar to update him on Huawei’s 13-year presence in Ireland. Huawei now employs over 160 people in Dublin, Athlone and Cork across its business and R&D operations, of which 75% are locally recruited.
The company has been operating in the Irish market since May 2004 and its activities in Ireland include research into business innovation, network services, cloud and customer experience, as well as ICT transformation dedicated to service provider operation.
The new research cooperation with Trinity College will focus on Video Intelligence and how the emerging area of artificial intelligence will impact society, and will be supported by the Huawei R&D team in Dublin.
Welcoming the news today, An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar said, "Huawei's continued investment in Ireland illustrates the innovative technology ecosystem we have developed, with more and more major international tech firms basing and growing their operations here. The company’s new research partnership with Trinity and its expanding R&D footprint across its Dublin, Cork and Athlone operations are a strong endorsement of Ireland’s tech credentials and illustrates Huawei’s ongoing commitment to its Irish operations. Bilateral trade between Ireland and China is now worth over €12 billion each year, and by strengthening our links with companies like Huawei we can increase this further in the years ahead."
Huawei Deputy Chairman & Rotating CEO, Guo Ping added, "The Trinity partnership, as part of our growing R&D commitment, highlights our long-term dedication to investment and opportunities in Ireland. We are continuing to tap into Ireland’s growing clusters of video, artificial intelligence, cloud, telecoms and technology businesses, nurturing future talent and providing additional new opportunities for highly-skilled professionals."
The Trinity event, which was attended by Huawei’s business partners, members of the Oireachtas，academics and Huawei staff, also marked the return of 10 Irish undergraduate students, studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, from Huawei’s “Seeds for the Future” programme, where students receive a four-week programme of cultural, business and technical training in China. To date 30 Irish STEM students have now participated and benefited from the programme since its inception in 2015.
Source: www.businessworld.ie
