TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANCY FIRM Accenture is set to expand its presence in Ireland with the creation of 500 jobs.

The majority of the roles will be based in Cork and Munster while Dublin will also benefit from the announcement, although the company did not give a breakdown of how many jobs will be in each location.

They will be created over three years with a focus on cloud technology, security and artificial intelligence.

The jobs will add to Accenture’s 5,000-strong workforce in Ireland.

A new regional technology hub will be established in Munster as part of the plans to support the growth of Cork-based manufacturing services provider Enterprise Systems Partners, which Accenture acquired in 2019.

The new regional hub will link up with ESP’s biopharma manufacturing expertise and will aim to build on already existing tech start-up and research firms in the Munster region, as well as collaborating with Accenture’s laboratory in Leopardstown.

Dublin will also benefit from the announcement through new roles at the company’s R&D and Innovation Centre in Grand Canal Dock. These roles will specialise in quantum computing.

The company said the regional hub will also allow greater support for opportunities in the food and agricultural sectors.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin welcomed the news, saying it would provide a boost to the economy: “This investment to create 500 jobs over the next three years will increase the skills and manufacturing capacity in Ireland’s life sciences industry – and provide an important boost to the economy.”

Alastair Blair, country managing director of Accenture in Ireland, said the new roles will aim to meet demands of the increasingly important life sciences industry, ranging from pharmaceuticals to food processing.

“Over the last 50 years, we have seen tremendous change and growth, and these new roles are a great indicator of the direction of change in Ireland,” he said. “We are also committed to building Ireland’s talent base to meet the demands of the increasingly important life sciences industry.”

The news was especially good for the Munster workforce according to IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan.

“The need for companies to innovate and keep pace with technology change, enhancing their digital and competitive capability, is all important and Accenture’s support of the life sciences sector in this regard is timely and welcome.”

Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath said it was a vote of confidence in Cork and the wider Munster region, noting that it comes only a day after 70 jobs were announced by Carriglaine-based pharma manufacturer SimoTech. 

“It shows that Ireland continues to be an attractive location for investment in high quality cutting edge technology,” the Cork TD said.