Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed that it will open a brand-new research and development centre in Shannon, Co. Clare this year, with the creation of 150 jobs.
The new facility will focus on software engineering for future autonomous vehicle technologies, including safety and electrification.
Nick Rogers, Executive Director of Product Engineering, said: “Technical innovation lies at the heart of Jaguar Land Rover and our innovation is continuous. The new facility provides an exciting opportunity for us to pioneer future autonomous and electrification technologies.”
“The creation of a team in Shannon strengthens our international engineering capabilities and complements our existing team of more than 10,000 engineers based in the UK.”
Welcoming the announcement, Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen said:
“This is a great boost for Shannon, Co. Clare and the Midwest Region. Jaguar Land Rover are iconic brands which have endured through innovation and staying ahead of their competitors. This new software engineering centre will bring 150 new high quality jobs to Shannon. The region has much to offer with qualified and talented people and I wish Jaguar Land Rover and its team well in its endeavours.”
CEO of IDA Ireland, Martin Shanahan said: “This is excellent news. Having a globally recognised company of such international standing will greatly enhance Shannon’s reputation as a Centre of Excellence for such business. The 150 jobs will be of significant benefit to Clare and the Midwest region. Attracting investment into regional locations is a key focus for IDA Ireland and this project shows how the particular strengths of regional locations can be harnessed to attract investments. I wish Jaguar Land Rover every success.”