By Business & Finance 
First Data has announced its plans to establish a research and development centre that will house up to 300 employees Nenagh, Co. Tipperary.
First Data is a global leader in commerce-enabling technology and solutions and serves six million business locations and 4,000 financial institutions in 118 countries around the world.
The company already employs 300 workers in two separate facilities in Dublin. The new facility in Nenagh will be the company’s first Irish location outside of Dublin.
“We have always enjoyed outstanding collaboration with authorities in Ireland to grow our business there and have benefitted from the country’s extraordinarily talented and diverse workforce,” said Tom Higgins, First Data’s chief administrative officer. “We are looking forward to expanding our presence in Ireland with this new facility in Nenagh that will house some of our most advanced research work in payments technology.”
Among the anticipated work at the new R&D centre in Nenagh will be application/software development, application analysis, business analysis, technical project management, systems consulting, and enterprise architecture.
Pending the signing of a lease for the property and the completion and renovation of an existing facility at Stereame Business Park, hiring will commence for the opening of the centre later this year, with occupancy expected in 2017.
The centre, which will be operational in early 2017, will house up to 300 highly skilled employees to centralise work on a number of the company’s leading technology platforms.
An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD welcomed the news. “Having met with the CEO of First Data in May, I am delighted to warmly welcome this announcement of 300 new jobs, which is great news for Nenagh and the Mid-West Region,” he said. “First Data’s investment is a vote of confidence in the Mid-West and in the Irish workforce. The Government is determined to support strong job creation all over the country as the best way to keep the recovery going.”
Martin Shanahan, IDA Ireland, CEO, commented: “This is an important investment by First Data in a regional location, with significant local economic benefits. First Data’s decision to establish a part of its business in Nenagh is a strong endorsement of the Mid-West region. Since launching our new strategy in 2015, IDA has instituted a renewed focus on winning high quality jobs and investment in locations outside of major urban areas. IDA Ireland looks forward to continue working closely with First Data to establish its new centre in the Mid-West region.”
