Ericsson Announces €200m Investment In Westmeath Base

Thursday, 24 April 2025 06:50

Ericsson's Athlone base in Westmeath - photo credit: Google/Barry Vickers

The Swedish tech and comms company says they're investing in Ireland future.

Ericsson is announcing a €200m investment in their Westmeath base over the next three years.

The Athlone site is getting the funding boost for a research, development, and innovation project to develop its 5G networks.

The Swedish telecommunications company first based itself in Athlone in 1972, and today employs around 1,300 people at the site.

This €200m investment is to upgrade their internal networks in order to improve and speed up its Intelligent Automation Program which manages its open networks.

The program runs its 5G and 4G networks across the world, and is largely managed at the premises in Athlone.

It will improve the network's capability with AI, Machine Learning and advanced analytics, which will reduce costs and speed up innovation cycles.

This investment will be spread out over the next three years and is supported by the Government through IDA Ireland.

Enterprise Minister and Longford-Westmeath TD Peter Burke is welcoming the development, saying that Ericsson's Athlone facility has been a significant employer for the area and an integral part of the fabric of the community for over 50 years.

The head of Ericsson in Athlone Denis Dullea says the support from the IDA is invaluable.