Jaguar Land Rover chooses Ireland for latest global expansion

JLR's new Software Engineering Centre (Credit: Shannon Property Group)

Jaguar Land Rover is to expand its technology infrastructure after confirming plans to open a new site in Ireland.

The company said today (Monday) that it had selected Shannon to be the site of a new software engineering centre.

The centre should open later this year, creating 150 jobs.

Working alongside the group’s engineering team in the UK, the Shannon facility will play an important role in realising the company’s vision for electric and automated driving vehicles.

It will develop new technologies to support electrification and self-driving features on future Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.

The company said it had selected Shannon as the location for the centre because it was a globally recognised centre of excellence for current and future software engineering talent.

Nick Rogers, Executive Director of Product Engineering, JLR said: “Technical innovation lies at the heart of Jaguar Land Rover and our innovation is continuous. The new facility provides an exciting opportunity for us to pioneer future autonomous and electrification technologies.

“The heart of our business will always be in the UK. The creation of a team in Shannon strengthens our international engineering capabilities and complements our existing team of more than 10,000 engineers based in the UK.”

Supported by the Irish Development Agency, the Shannon team will start by developing the next generation of electrical architecture as well as exploring advanced driver assistance systems features for future vehicles.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen said: “This is a great boost for Shannon, Co. Clare and the Midwest Region.

“Jaguar Land Rover are iconic brands which have endured through innovation and staying ahead of their competitors. This new software engineering centre will bring 150 new high quality jobs to Shannon. The region has much to offer with qualified and talented people and I wish Jaguar Land Rover and its team well in its endeavours.”

As a part of the expansion, JLR has agreed a partnership with online education provider Udacity, which specialises in courses such as automated driving, artificial intelligence, robotics and data analytics.

These courses will provide the skills to support Jaguar Land Rover’s engineering capabilities and ongoing technological innovation.

The company is also looking to recruit software engineers with experience in a range of disciplines such as artificial intelligence, safety critical systems and vehicle architecture.

Close