Huawei is to create 110 new jobs by the end of 2022. The Chinese telecoms company says it also intends to invest €80 million in research and development (R&D) activities locally, doubling its commitment from 2019 when it announced a €70 million investment programme.
The new roles are across a number of business lines including sales, R&D and IT development. Huawei said the jobs would be based mainly at its Dublin headquarters and across operations in Cork and Athlone.
The company has already added 200 jobs in the past 15 months, and now employs 480 people in the Republic.
The new investment comes on the back of sustained demand for the company’s products and services, Huawei said.
"We are delighted to see such growth in our workforce and business. Huawei has a long-term commitment to Ireland where, since 2004, we have built a world-class team servicing our ever-growing consumer and enterprise customer bases," said Huawei Ireland chief executive Tony Yangxu.
“Our story in Ireland is one of mutual success as we assist with the national digital transformation and Ireland continues to grow its international reputation as a pro-business environment with great talent available.”
Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Huawei is the world’s largest telecoms equipment maker. Its Irish arm recorded a 38 per cent jump in turnover to €164.8 million, from €119.5 million, in 2019 as pretax profits rose just over 10 per cent to €5.5 million.
Software services
The subsidiary’s strong performance came despite the impact of restrictive sanctions from the US government that have made it more difficult for its Chinese parent to operate.
The company has a broad range of activities in the Republic, where it counts all major telecommunications providers as customers. As well as its core business, Huawei transferred many of its mobile software services to an Irish-based subsidiary called Aspiegel in 2019.
Founded in 1987, Huawei employs more than 194,000 people across 170 countries and regions. While initially focused on manufacturing phone switches, the company has significantly expanded its business over the years to include building infrastructure equipment used in mobile and broadband internet networks, including for 5G.
