Semiconductors are the backbone of virtually all of today’s tech and it’s an area in which Ireland has been a major player for nearly 50 years.
As the chip sector continues to grow, so too does the intense battle for dominance in this sector. From geopolitical challenges to talent shortages, semiconductors have become an important area of focus around the world.
Ireland boasts a strong semiconductor industry dating back to 1976 when Analog Devices founder Ray Stata decided that Limerick would be the base for a new manufacturing centre.
Then, the late Maurice Whelan founded Silicon & Software Systems – later known as S3 Group – in 1986 in Dublin. This was quickly followed by Intel’s decision to establish a major manufacturing site in Leixlip in 1989. Fast forward to today and Ireland is now home to 14 of world’s top 30 semiconductor companies by global revenue.
Dónal Travers, head of technology, consumer and business services at IDA Ireland, said the country’s long track record continues to make it an attractive location for chip investment.
“In Analog Devices, Ireland is home to a really strategic base for the global leader in mixed signal integrated circuits, which are present in devices, cars and appliances all around us. With Intel, Ireland is proud to be home to Europe’s most advanced semiconductor volume manufacturing facility, in Fab 34, while global leaders like AMD and Qualcomm have cutting edge design activities,” he said.
“A further sign of the strength of the sector has been the continuous pattern of acquisition of innovative Irish start-ups. The roll call of acquiring companies is notable and includes Arm, Intel and Oculus (Meta), all of which have continued to build on the acquired companies’ presence in Ireland.
“Lastly, we have an important research base at university level, including the Tyndall Institute, which has been responsible for several global innovations over its near 40-year history. Research Ireland supported centres such as IPIC (Photonics) and AMBER (Materials), are also highly valued for their research output and for their support of the research talent agenda.”
The Department of Enterprise and Employment are currently finalising a National Semiconductor Strategy, which will speak to Ireland’s strengths and set out the country’s ambition for the sector.
In the meantime, SiliconRepublic.com has profiled those 14 top semiconductor companies that have set up shop in Ireland over the last 50 years.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
Advanced Micro Devices’ (AMD) Irish site, formerly operated by Xilinx, was first established in 1994 with a focus on manufacturing, operations support, engineering and administration services.
AMD acquired Xilinx for $35bn in 2022, making Ireland home to one of AMD’s largest R&D sites in Europe. In 2023, the US semiconductor giant announced plans to invest up to $135m in Ireland over four years, set to create almost 300 new jobs at the site.
Analog Devices
Having been founded in 1965, Analog Devices set up shop in Ireland in 1976, marking one of the earliest signals that Ireland could be a powerhouse in this industry.
Analog Devices employs more than 1,300 people in Ireland at its manufacturing, design, and R&D campus in Limerick. The company also has a design facility in Cork with more than 100 engineers. In 2023, the company announced 600 new jobs at its Limerick facility as part of a €630m investment.
Applied Materials
Founded in 1967, Applied Materials supplies equipment, services and software for the manufacture of semiconductor chips. In Ireland, Applied Materials arrived in the 1990s and now operates from two locations in the vicinity of Dublin, Leixlip and Maynooth.
As well as being part of Ireland’s strong semiconductor ecosystem, the company also teamed up with the SSPC Research Ireland centre for pharmaceuticals to help develop materials engineering solutions to help solve critical drug development challenges.
ASML
Dutch company ASML is one of the semiconductor industry’s biggest suppliers. Founded in the Netherlands in 1984, the company now has more than 42,000 employees worldwide.
The company develops technology for printing minute patterns on silicon wafers in semiconductors and operates an outpost in Maynooth where it serves Intel almost exclusively.
Broadcom
US semiconductor giant Broadcom has a significant presence in Cork, following its acquisition of VMware in 2023. The sale marked one of the largest in tech history, with a deal worth $69bn.
However, while the company had an Irish workforce of around 1,000, most of which was based in Cork, VMware by Broadcom announced more than 360 redundancies at its Ballincollig site at following the acquisition.
Infineon
Infineon Technologies is Germany’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, having spun out from Siemens in 1999. The company established its European customer logistic management office in Dublin in 2003 and has since expanded its R&D presence in both Dublin and Cork.
Last year, the company announced the creation of more than 100 engineering jobs across both sites as part of an expansion, bringing the total headcount in the country to more than 300.
Intel
One of the original heavy hitters, Intel settled in Ireland with a wafer fab in 1989. More than 30 years later, the company has invested approximately €30bn in existing and planned funds for Ireland and Leixlip remains a critical location for the tech company.
The company announced a pan-European investment in 2022, which included Ireland and in 2023, the Leixlip facility hit an important when it began running its “First Full Loop” of silicon. Last year, the company agreed to sell a 49pc stake in its Fab 34 chip plant in Leixlip to investment firm Apollo Global Management as part of an effort to expand its chip manufacturing facilities while maintaining a 51pc controlling interest in the joint venture.
KLA
Founded in the 1970s, KLA makes wafer fab equipment for the semiconductor industry and has a headquarters in California and several offices around the world, including a site in Dublin, where it focuses on customer service engineering.
Lam Research
Lam Research is another supplier of wafer-fabrication equipment, which was founded in 1980 by David K Lam, a former employee of Xerox, HP and Texas Instruments. The company also invests in semiconductor start-ups through its Lam Capital Venture competition.
Lam Research has several locations around the world, including two in Ireland: one in Celbridge, Co Kildare and one in Dublin.
Microchip Technology
Arizona-headquartered tech company Microchip Technology provides embedded control applications and semiconductors.
The company has had a presence in Ireland for about 20 years, with sites in Cork, Clare and Dublin. In February 2021, the company announced a $20m investment in a new development centre in Cork, creating 200 jobs. Specifically, it sought engineers for integrated circuit design and testing, hardware and software system design and applications development.
Qualcomm
California-headquartered company Qualcomm first established its presence in Cork in 2013. In the years since, it has invested heavily in its Irish sites, including its subsidiary, QT Technologies Ireland.
In 2020, Qualcomm announced plans to invest €78m to develop the Cork R&D facility. The company said it currently employs hundreds of people in the county. In 2023, the company expanded its R&D facility in Cork city with a $127m investment.
Onsemi
Onsemi, also known as ON Semiconductor, is a US sensor developer, which acquired Cork-based start-up SensL in 2018. SensL, which was involved in EIRSAT-1, Ireland’s first satellite, established a Cork Design Centre in 2004 and a Limerick Design Centre in 2008, both of which are now under the Onsemi name.
Most recently, Onsemi engineers created cutting-edge space technology that headed to space as part of the historic Proba-3 mission to unlock the secrets of the sun.
Synopsys
Chip design software maker Synopsys is one of the world leaders in electronic design automation systems and was recently given the green light from the EU to acquire software provider Ansys in a $35bn deal.
The company boasts a strong engineering team in Ireland and is currently looking for UI engineers, digital design engineers and R&D engineers.
TEL
Tokyo Electron Ltd (TEL) is a Japanese electronics and semiconductor company founded in 1963. The company is the purveyor of semiconductor and flat panel display production equipment.
Its subsidiary, Tokyo Electron Europe acquired Dublin-based Magnetic Solutions in 2012, giving it an Irish presence.
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Updated, 6.29pm, 21 January 2025: This article was amended to fix a mistake where it was stated that Intel’s site in Leixlip was its first wafer fab outside the US. The first wafer fab outside the US was actually established in Jerusalem in 1985.
