Ericsson, a multinational telecommunications company, has announced a substantial €200 million (N367.18 billion) investment in its Athlone facility in Central Ireland over the next three years.

Ericsson announced this in a statement on Thursday.

It said the strategic move was aimed at bolstering the company’s leadership in high-performing programmable networks through pioneering research, development, and innovation.

According to the statement, the Irish government supports the project through the Investment and Development Agency of Ireland.

It said the investment would specifically focus on advancing the development of open network management and automation capabilities crucial for 5G networks globally.

Ericsson said these advancements would enable communications service providers to achieve greater operational efficiency and accelerate the deployment and value creation of 5G Standalone connectivity through differentiated service offerings.

The statement added that it provides an open environment for developing and running apps from various vendors and radio technologies, facilitating the integration of innovations from diverse technology partners.

It said the open framework aimed to accelerate the pace of RAN innovation through broad ecosystem support and collaboration.

Ericsson added that the investment seeks to deliver next-generation open network management and automation capabilities leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced analytics.

It said the capabilities were expected to help CSPs enhance network performance, speed up innovation cycles, and reduce operational costs through autonomous network operations.

The company said the significant investment underscored Ericsson’s long-term commitment to Ireland as a strategic hub for research and development, where it currently employs over 1,300 people.

It said the Athlone facility had been designated as the company’s centre of excellence for intelligent network management.

Ireland’s Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke, said, “Ericsson’s €200 million announcement at their Athlone facility is fantastic news. Their innovative R and D project, which spans a duration of three years, will improve efficiency in 5G networks globally.

The minister said it was encouraging that Ericsson had once again cemented Athlone as the key base for the company, selecting the campus and the staff based there to lead the pioneering work.

Michael Lohan, the chief executive officer of IDA Ireland, said Ericsson’s ambitious programme strongly aligned with the key growth drivers of IDA Ireland’s new strategy, which was ‘Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustained Growth and Innovation’.

According to him, the investment strengthens the long-term legacy of Ericsson in Ireland, building on the success of past investments spanning more than 60 years.

Denis Dullea, the head of Ericsson’s Athlone Site, said Ericsson had a long history and deep roots in Ireland, spanning more than 50 years.

Mr Dullea said the €200 million investment, supported by the IDA and the Irish government, was a testament to the company’s commitment to Ireland.

“By delivering on this cutting-edge project, we are both investing in Ireland’s future and empowering mobile operators worldwide,” he said.

(NAN)