A WELL-KNOWN MANUFACTURER of USB devices used to connect to mobile broadband services is to expand its Irish operations, creating over 50 new jobs.

Chinese firm Huawei is to open a new research and development centre, spread across two sites in Dublin and Cork.

The new facility, which will see investment from Huawei over a number of years, could then lead to future expansion where the centres will lead research into a new range of IT products.

“Huawei is one of the companies that I met on my recent trade mission to China and today’s announcement that they are opening a new research and development centre creating an additional 50 new jobs in Ireland is very welcome,” said jobs minister Richard Bruton.

“In recent months we have seen some good news in this sector and the Government will continue to work hard on implementing the necessary changes to ensure that we can see further announcements like this in the near future.”

The investment is being supported by IDA Ireland, whose chief executive Barry O’Leary described the announcement as “a vote of confidence in Ireland’s technological capability”.

“Huawei Technologies is one of the most prominent brands in the global ICT sector,” he said.

Derek Ding, managing director of Huawei Ireland, said the new centre represented a “significant commitment to Ireland”, and said the locations in Dublin and Cork had been chosen “for their well-educated, skilled workforce offering the high-quality of talent needed”.

Huawei has operated in Ireland since 2004 and currently employs 40 people. It is best known for manufacturing USB mobile broadband dongles used by operators including O2 and Three.

Read: IDA-backed companies created 12,722 jobs last year