Motorola Solutions to create 200 jobs at new R&D centre in Cork

The new centre will focus on designing software for land mobile radio systems, which are commonly used by emergency services.

US telecoms company Motorola Solutions has today (8 July) announced the opening of a new R&D centre in Cork, which is expected to create 200 highly skilled jobs.

The new centre will focus on designing software for the company’s land mobile radio (LMR) portfolio and will reportedly work on other technologies in the future, according to the press release. The opening of the centre is being supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

LMR consists of a push-to-talk two-way communication system between radio transceivers, such as walkie-talkies. This system is used in a number of industries such as public safety organisations like the police or ambulance services. According to Motorola Solutions, the company has deployed 13,000 of these systems worldwide for governments and enterprises.

“Decade after decade, the durability of our mission-critical LMR technology helps protect those who protect us all,” said Greg Brown, chair and CEO of Motorola Solutions.

“Our new centre in Cork will contribute to advancing our future vision for LMR, while building upon the collective impact of our more than 20,000 employees who are innovating what’s next for our customers around the world.”

Claire D Cronin, US ambassador to Ireland, added that the investment “bolsters the strong trade and investment relationships between the United States and Ireland”.

The company says that this new R&D centre, which will be based in Cork city centre, will complement Motorola Solution’s “existing footprint in Ireland”, referring to the delivery of the emergency services’ secure communications network, the National Digital Radio Service, by Tetra Ireland, which the company acquired in 2022.

Speaking about the announcement, IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan described Motorola Solutions’ selection of Ireland as an “important vote of confidence in the technology sector”.

“The company’s plans to create 200 new jobs demonstrates Ireland’s ability to win strategic investments from global leaders looking for a location that can provide a talented and skilled workforce and a track record in delivering an innovative and pro-business environment for multinational companies.”

Motorola Solutions was established in 2011 after Motorola split into two companies; the other being mobile phone division Motorola Mobility. The company focuses on developing safety and security tech for governments and enterprise, and says it has invested more than $12bn in R&D and acquisitions over the past decade.

For more information on the new Cork-based jobs, see Motorola Solutions’ website.

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