SOFTWARE company Workday has announced it will create 200 jobs at a new AI Centre of Excellence in Dublin.
The US company, which specialises in enterprise cloud applications for the finance and human resources sectors, currently employs 2,200 people at its EMEA headquarters in the capital.
The new centre, part of a three-year €175m investment, will focus on developing AI products, up-skilling staff on AI, forging academic partnerships and supporting Irish businesses.
"Dublin has been a cornerstone of Workday's innovation for close to two decades," said Graham Abell, Vice President, Software Engineering & Ireland Site Lead, Workday.
"This latest investment will power our next chapter — pioneering the next generation of ERP (enterprise resource planning), built for the AI era."
Customer Experience Centre
The investment, supported by IDA Ireland, expands the role of Workday's EMEA headquarters in the company's product research and development globally.
Since 2008, Workday's Dublin-based teams have driven impactful R&D, including AI-driven solutions like Workday Learning and Workday Assistant.
To support its continued growth in Europe, Workday will open a new, state-of-the-art EMEA headquarters at College Square, Dublin 2.
It will include a new Customer Experience Centre (CXC) — an immersive space for European customers to collaborate alongside Workday product experts and senior leaders.
Workday says the new Centre of Excellence will help to ensure that regional expertise in AI, cybersecurity, engineering and research is reflected in its products.
As part of its AI up-skilling focus, the firm has partnered with Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet to up-skill 300 current employees through its AI Business Academy.
The company will collaborate with universities and Research Ireland to embed post-doctoral researchers within its R&D teams, allowing top academic talents to apply their expertise to real-world AI and machine learning challenges.
Meanwhile, Workday's Innovation Network — created with Enterprise Ireland — will see the firm collaborate with Irish AI start-ups, SMEs and industry leaders to drive innovation.
'R&D powerhouse'
"Since Workday acquired Irish tech innovator Cape Clear in 2008, it has evolved into a research and development powerhouse, based on a blend of talented people, technology and innovation which Ireland can uniquely provide," said Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.
"Workday's decision to expand its AI footprint in Dublin is a testament to Ireland's reputation as a global leader in technology and innovation.
"We are very pleased to support this investment and partner with Workday to maximise its new AI Centre of Excellence."
Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland, added: "This investment of €175m and 200 jobs over the next three years will further strengthen Ireland's position at the forefront of AI research and development.
"I would like to wish Workday every success for this AI Centre of Excellence and I look forward to our continued partnership."
