Genworth investing €15m in new Shannon base
Fortune 500 insurance company Genworth is investing over €15m in a new base in Shannon, which will include the development of a data centre to support its global operations. Genworth’s new international service centre will be located in the Westpark Business Campus following its purchase of the facility from global biopharmaceutical firm UCB. It will occupy 103,000 sq ft of office space and will house world class facilities, providing a flexible working environment for Genworth staff. Founded in Virginia, Genworth established operations in Shannon in 1997 and has nearly 400 people employed at the current site, the largest concentration of Genworth staff outside the US. The current Shannon base is…
Read MoreDublin city centre vacancy rates now stand below 10pc
Vacancy rates across Dublin city centre now stand below 10pc within the Dublin City Business Improvement District (BID). The BID area stretches from Stephen’s Green on the south side of the city to Parnell St on the north side. This is a reduction from the peak of 15.4pc experienced in February 2011 and is the first time since BID began collecting occupation data in 2009 that the level of vacancy has fallen below 10pc. Meanwhile, Dublin City BID has welcomed the news that Carraig Donn is opening a store in the Jervis Shopping Centre. “The news that Carraig Donn is coming to Mary St is a huge vote of confidence…
Read MoreAon hiring 30 people at innovation and analytics centre in Dublin
Provider of risk management and other services Aon is creating 30 new highly skilled jobs at its centre for innovation and analytics in Dublin, which opened in 2008 and already employs 100 people. The innovation and analytics team in Dublin has designed and developed the world’s largest proprietary platform of insurance placement data. The ability to analyse this data on behalf of clients gives Aon a unique competitive edge globally, according to Constantin Beier, CEO of the Aon Centre for Innovation and Analytics. Employing 600 people in total in Ireland, Aon plans to recruit the 30 new people by March 2014. The new roles will strengthen ACIA’s expertise in the…
Read MoreAnn Riordan appointed as chairperson of Science Foundation Ireland
Three new members have been appointed to the board of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), including Ann Riordan as chairperson along with Geraldine Ruane and Aidan Donnelly. Minister for Research and Innovation Seán Sherlock TD said their appointments would bring “fresh industry perspective” to the work performed at board level in order to enable SFI to meet its Agenda 2020 objectives. Riordan said: “I am particularly excited about the role SFI can play in enabling Ireland to gain international global advantage in the areas where Ireland has research and industry strengths and further potential. “As an early evangelist of the economic benefits that knowledge based industries can contribute to the country’s…
Read MoreRetail sector could create 40k jobs by 2020 – Ibec report
The Irish retail sector could create up to 40,000 new jobs by 2020 if it can be put on a sustainable path to recovery, according to Ibec group Retail Ireland, which has published its ‘Strategy for Retail 2014-2016’. Retail sales figures up to now have been disappointing and many retailers continue to struggle, but Retail Ireland is optimistic about Christmas sales. “Consumer sentiment is at a five-year high and there are 58,000 new jobs in the economy,” said Retail Ireland director Stephen Lynam. “This should translate into higher spending this Christmas. Together with the fantastic value available in Irish stores right now, we are hopeful that tills will be ringing…
Read MoreWomen in the boardroom: Fidelma Healy
Fidelma Healy, chief operating officer at Gilt, talks about her career path and about the importance of working hard, doing a good job and not being afraid to self promote. Could you tell us a bit about your career path and what your role involves now? I trained as a teacher but with permanent jobs in short supply studied computers and human resources by night. This led me into a career in the financial services and ICT sectors. My first job was in a HR role in Systems Dynamics, Ireland’s longest established software company, and I then went on to be involved in establishing new tech companies in Ireland including…
Read MoreUCD officially opening €25m law school today
University College Dublin is today officially opening what it says is Ireland’s first purpose-built university law school, following a €25m investment. Designed by Molony O’Beirne architects, the UCD Sutherland School of Law measures over 5,100 square metres and is located on the edge of a newly designed and landscaped lakeside setting on the Belfield campus. The €25m project was financed from a major leadership gift from Peter Sutherland SC, significant government investment under the National Development Plan 2007 – 2013, and gifts from other leading benefactors, major law firms and private donors. According to UCD, teaching spaces in the new school are designed to promote the active engagement of students…
Read MoreFrench lager Kronenbourg 1664 debuts in Ireland
Kronenbourg 1664, the most sold French beer in the world, has officially launched in the Republic of Ireland this week. Owned by the Carlsberg Group since its acquisition of Scottish and Newcastle in 2008, the beer will be sold by Diageo in Ireland. Made by master French brewers since 1952, the lager is brewed from Strisselspalt hops, which are grown in the Alsace region of France “We are delighted to be bringing Kronenbourg 1664 to the Irish market for discerning lager drinkers to enjoy,” said Diageo country director David Smith. “Kronenbourg 1664 is a great addition to our beer portfolio in Ireland. There is an increasing appetite for premium lager…
Read MoreCompany involvencies down by 18pc in 2013 – Vision-net
The number of firms becoming insolvent has fallen by 18pc during 2013, while the number of company and business start-ups is up by 9.4pc in the year to date, according to new data from Vision-net. In November, 130 companies, 58pc of which have a Dublin-registered address, were declared insolvent. Of those, 65 were liquidated, 52 entered receivership, and an examiner was appointed to 13 companies. Vision-net’s figures show that 84 companies held creditors meetings this month – a 26pc fall on November 2012 – with the total amount owed by these companies just under €40m. November has recorded 2,550 company and business start-ups, an average of 102 each day. While…
Read MoreIrish economy set for 2.5pc growth in 2014 – Davy
Irish GDP is set to grow by 1pc this year and by 2.5pc in 2014, according to Davy. The financial advisory company is more optimistic than the majority of other forecasters, including the Department of Finance, which last month revised downwards its projection for growth in 2014 from 2.4pc to 1.8pc. Last week, EY said it expected the Irish economy to contract by 0.2pc this year and to grow by 1.6pc next year. However, Davy said a range of indicators signify that Ireland is set for a robust recovery. The company also predicted a re-rating of Ireland’s credit worthiness by Moody’s as an inevitable and positive milestone for Ireland. Davy…
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