Hittite Microwave Corp(which designs and supplies analog,digital and mixed-signal RF,microwave and millimeter-wave ICs,modules and subsystems as well as instrumentation)is to create 30 new jobs by establishing two operations in Cork as part of a&€4m investment;19 new jobs will be created in R&D activities while 11 people will be employed at the firm's new International Operations Centre.The investments are supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland(Industrial Development Agency Ireland).
Products that will be designed at the new Cork R&D facility will be components for use in telecoms and sensor systems across a variety of applications.
The International Operations Centre will manage non-US business in closer proximity to its customers in order to enhance local market presence.As part of the Centre,a global supply chain and finance team will also be located in Cork.
"This is an innovative US semiconductor company deciding that Cork is the place to carry out very significant research activities due to the presence of high-end research institutes and the availability of talent,"says Richard Bruton TD,Ireland's Minister for Jobs,Enterprise and Innovation."I am determined,through continued implementation of the Government's Action Plan for Jobs,to ensure that we continue to develop our innovation infrastructure so as to support more investments by Irish and multinational companies and create the jobs we need,"he adds.
"The choice of Cork as the location for R&D activities is due to a combination of the availability of world-class engineers to contribute to the execution of the company's global R&D strategy and the proximity to the semiconductor and integrated circuit design capabilities in Tyndall Institute,University College Cork and Cork Institute of Technology,"says Jason Lynch,managing director of Hittite's new Cork operation."Meanwhile,the new international operations centre will bring us closer to our customers and will have responsibility for growing our international business.The operation will be the point of all sales to non-US customers of existing and future Hittite Microwave products,"he adds.
"In keeping with IDA Ireland's strategy to secure continued investment in R&D,Hittite Microwave will further add to Ireland's reputation as an R&D hub,"comments IDA Ireland's CEO Barry O'Leary."The company's plans to collaborate closely with a number of academic institutes including the Tyndall Institute,University College Cork,the University of Limerick,NUI-Maynooth and Cork Institute of Technology display Ireland's reputation for facilitating collaboration between industry and academia,"he adds."I wish Hittite Microwave every success with both of these new activities and offer the continued support of IDA Ireland into the future.''
