Ericsson,the communications technology and services company, has celebrated the 50-year anniversary of its research and development (R&D) centre in Athlone.

Over the past five decades, the Athlone site has evolved from a factory, initially established in 1974 with 250 employees, to a software development hub in 1979, marking the inauguration of one of the first R&D centres in Ireland. Today, the facility boasts a workforce of over 1,300 employees, making it one of the largest R&D centres in Ireland.

Senior Ericsson executives, along with government and industry representatives, were welcomed to the R&D headquarters for Ericsson’s network management portfolio to mark this historic milestone.

Per Narvinger, senior vice president and head of business area cloud software and services at Ericsson, said: “As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of our R&D center in Athlone, we celebrate not only a significant milestone, but also the profound contributions of our dedicated workforce.

Intelligent and programmable networks

"Their expertise and commitment have been pivotal in advancing essential mobile technologies that power communications networks across the globe. Our ongoing R&D efforts and projects with governments and academic institutions, including what we have announced with Enterprise Ireland and the Technical University of the Shannon today, serve as key foundations in realising Ericsson’s vision of intelligent and programmable networks."

Enterprise minister Peter Burke said: !"I am delighted to be here today to join in the celebrations to mark Ericsson’s 50 years in Athlone. Ericsson’s presence here continues to be of immense benefit to Athlone, the midlands region and to Ireland as a whole.

"There is a long-standing partnership between Ericsson, IDA Ireland and the Irish government and regional investments such as this are a priority for both government and IDA.

"The advancements made here over the last 50 years are truly amazing and it is exciting to see what unfolds in the future such as the new partnership with Enterprise Ireland and the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS). I wish the Ericsson team here in Athlone continued success in that journey.

Denis Dullea, head of Ericsson’s Athlone site and Network Management Engineering Unit, added: “It is an honor for me to welcome members of Ericsson’s executive team and Minister Burke to join us as we celebrate 50 years in Athlone.

"Over these 50 years, we have established a track record of leadership which is a testament to the fantastic employees who have contributed to our journey so far. Together with our people, engagements with academia, and connections with the community, we will continue to lead and shape our industry for many years to come right here from Athlone.”

CEO of IDA Ireland Michael Lohan said: "Ericsson has shown consistent commitment to its Irish operations over the past 66 years in Ireland and 50 years in Athlone. Their ongoing investment and expansion in this campus have led to significant growth in their portfolio of strategic functions.

"Since 2000, Ericsson has invested more than €3bn in the Athlone facility. Beyond economic contributions, each year more than 6,000 local individuals, from junior school students to adults transitioning into technology careers, have benefited from Ericsson’s presence."

In conjunction, Ericsson also announced a significant new partnership with the government agency Enterprise Ireland and the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).

This new partnership between Ericsson, Enterprise Ireland, and TUS has the potential to revolutionise the management of mobile networks.

The initiative, ‘Digital Adaptive Twin for Unified Management’ (DATUM), will utilise digital twin technology as well as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to create a digital mirror of a live mobile network, in order to streamline the complex task of managing network configurations and thereby improve efficiency and responsiveness.

'Innovation key to boosting competitiveness'

Leo Clancy, CEO, Enterprise Ireland, said: “Enterprise Ireland believes innovation is key to boosting competitiveness and enhancing productivity, and is crucial for agility. We are committed to fostering research, development, innovation, and collaboration, and Enterprise Ireland is proud to support the delivery of several programmes and initiatives on a national and European level, including the new ‘Digital Adaptive Twin for Unified Management’.

“Delivered in partnership with Ericsson and TUS, the DATUM programme will help to deliver efficiencies and responsiveness, and will help to shape the industry globally. I would like to thank Ericsson and TUS for their partnership on this important initiative, and we look forward to collaborating with them on this project which will contribute to shaping the future of open, programmable, and intelligent networks.” 

President of TUS, Professor Vincent Cunnane said: “Ericsson and the Technological University of the Shannon have grown together in Athlone over the last half century, and we join with Ericsson in celebrating this milestone. The relationship between us is one of close alignment and symbiosis, which ultimately benefits both organisations, the region and Ireland as a whole. We look forward to the next half century of growth together, and all that that might bring.    

The Athlone site boasts industry-leading expertise in software development, with dedicated teams responsible for developing products and solutions across the Ericsson BCSS and Cloud RAN portfolios.

The R&D centre represents a pivotal arm in Ericsson’s strategy to develop open, programmable, and intelligent networks of the future. Key technologies for the open management of 5G mobile networks, developed by teams in Athlone, are being utilised by leading CSPs around the world, including AT&T as part of their five-year network transformation and digitalisation agreement with Ericsson signed last year.