Industry & Business

Operating in Ireland since 1998 Automation Technology company Pilz Ireland has recently finalised the purchase of a site adjacent to its existing facility from the IDA in the Cork Business & Technology Park, Model Farm Road, Cork. Pilz Ireland is the Irish subsidiary of Pilz GmbH & Co KG, a leading international automation technology company providing safe manufacturing and process automation solutions.

The company is planning to begin construction on the site of a new facility to accommodate the Software Product Research and Development Centre, a global centre of excellence to configure and program intelligent automation systems.

As well as the creation of the new Centre the existing building will also be substantially redeveloped to create additional space for the expansion of the Pilz International Services Group which provides technical and project management support for Pilz subsidiaries around the world on international projects. New office space and lab facilities will also be developed for Pilz Ireland Automation and Safety Engineering Services Division which serves its Irish customer base with the provision of consultancy, project management and automation engineering solutions. This business unit assists manufacturers throughout Ireland to achieve high productivity and compliance within an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Ultimately such services enable Pilz customers to provide safe workplaces when using automated processes and machinery.

The addition of the new building will create a campus of ‘connected’ facilities which will use advanced building management solutions to create a unified, collaborative and comfortable working environment.

In line with the development of the Pilz campus the company is currently recruiting from the areas of Software and Automation Engineering, Project Management and Support Services. The expansion is anticipated to result in an increase in the numbers employed at Pilz Ireland. As Cork is internationally recognised as having a wide pool of highly skilled talent in the software and engineering fields the company also attracts well qualified and experienced technical professionals from around the world to work and settle in Cork.

Pilz have been supported by the IDA since first establishing a presence in the IDA Business & Technology Park on the Model Farm Road and have fostered a long term partnership. Through this support Pilz Ireland has increased its R&D activities at its Cork base. The purchase of the site from the IDA positions Pilz Ireland as an integral part in the development of the Pilz group worldwide.

Welcoming this announcement, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O’ Connor, TD said the expansion of Pilz operations in Cork is a strong vote of confidence in Ireland and in the skills of the Irish workforce.  “We have developed extensive expertise in software development and the Cork area is rapidly becoming a very attractive location with a cluster of over 50 cutting edge technology companies employing close to 12,000 people.  A key priority of mine as Minister is to embed such companies in Ireland by creating the right business environment to encourage more job creation in our regions. Only a strong economy supporting people at work can pay for services needed to create a fair society. This will ensure a more inclusive prosperity for all. I am delighted that Pilz is now extending its operation in Cork and I wish the company all the best for the future.”