Silicon island: ireland's bet on talent
In the European digital transformation, Ireland is ready to play a crucial role in the semiconductors sector. With its national strategy “Silicon Island”, the country is focusing on a fundamental asset for the entire ecosystem: people.
The global talent challenge
In an increasingly competitive global market, ensuring continued access to skilled workers is a critical challenge. According to Deloitte, the semiconductor sector will need 1 million new workers by 2030, increasing from 2 to 3 million units. And in Europe, already in 2022, 6% of companies struggled to fill positions with specialised ICT skills.
Ireland already has a strong and solid educational infrastructure in the ICT field, with programs such as “National Skills Strategy” and “Technology Skills 2022”. Despite its strengths, the country, acknowledges the necessity of a targeted quantitative study on the specific skills needs of the semiconductor sector.
The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) will start a deep analysis to develop a national roadmap about skilling and upskilling in the sector.
Collaboration between industry and university
Ireland’s semiconductor industry is already characterised by close collaboration between industry and academia to meet its skills needs. Initiatives such as MIDAS Skillnet report on skills needs for the electronics sector, which identified a need for talent across a broad spectrum of technical skills.
The Competence Center will work to provide access to technical expertise and experimentation in the area of semiconductors; assist companies, SMEs in particular, to approach and improve design capabilities and developing skills; connect and be an active participant in the European network of Competence Centres in Semiconductors, acting as an access point to other nodes of the network.
Engineering & Construction: Irish excellence
Over 200 companies have been identified as key players across engineering and construction services underpinning advanced technology construction. Ireland offers strong engineering capability, making it an attractive destination for new investments. Its expertise in building state-of-the-art factories (fabs) represents a strategic competitive advantage and allows the country to expand its role in the semiconductor industry.
Intel
Intel has invested more than €30 billion in the Leixlip campus, with Fab 34 (€17 billion) among the largest private industrial investments in Irish history. In addition to manufacturing, Intel promotes the training of engineers and technicians, is a co-founder of MIDAS Ireland, and collaborates with numerous research institutes.
“Intel’s commitment to Ireland spans over three decades, and our continued investments in our Leixlip facility is a testament to that dedication. Being at the forefront of Intel’s transformation journey, while shaping the future of semiconductor technology in Europe is an incredible opportunity.” Joe English, VP Foundry Technology and Manufacturing, Fab 34 Factory Manager, Intel Ireland.
Eblana Photonics
Eblana Photonics projects and produces high-performance semiconductor lasers, using its own platform: Discrete Mode. This technology enables narrow-line-width, high-stability, low-noise lasers, ideal for industries like telecommunications, environmental sensing and medical diagnostics.
The integration of semiconductor technology allows Eblana to manufacture lasers that are not only highly efficient but also scalable and cost-effective.
Looking ahead
In the future Ireland commits to:
Double the number of companies and designers active in chip design;
- Review work permit criteria to attract critical skills;
- Increase technical and advanced training courses;
- Promote diversity and improve the completion rate of studies in the STEM sector.