Apple opening new facility
Tech giant Apple this week announced it is opening a new engineering and test facility in Hollyhill.
The company said it’s the first of its kind in Europe and will test and analyse Apple products for the whole of Europe.
The team, consisting of highly skilled engineers and technicians, will use high-tech equipment on-site, with CT scanners and electron microscopes able to find the smallest detail when testing and analysing products.
Apple said it has invested tens of millions of euros to transform this former warehouse, acquired in 2020, into a state-of-the art facility.
The original warehouse structure has been maintained but the building has been completely reimagined with most of the 300 strong team who worked on the construction local to the Cork campus, the company said in a statement.
The statement added: “The opening of this new facility demonstrates Apple’s ongoing investment in advancing skills and capabilities in Cork, adding new roles and enhanced facilities across several business units and teams.
“Another recent example of this investment in high value skills and capabilities in Cork, is the exceptional growth of the Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AIML) team. Since the team was first set-up in Cork in late 2019, it has grown to over 680 people,” concluded the statement.
The news was described as “very positive” for the northside of Cork city by Independent Cllr Kenneth O’Flynn.
The city councillor explained: “It’s vitally important that a company such as Apple reinvest in and at its European headquarters. This has a huge knock-on affect to the local community and subsidiary industries.
“Apple computers has worked very hard with local groups and engage with the community.”
He said Apple has woven itself into the fabric of Cork life while also adding that Cork can now use Apple as a “tremendous marketing tool” for the southern region.
Meanwhile earlier this month, councillors agreed to sell a portion of land on the northside of Cork city to the IDA for €1.25m.
The land, located near Apple, was council-owned so permission was needed from city councillors to proceed with the sale.