September 13, 2024 – According to a report by The Irish Times on September 6th, employees at Intel’s research and development department have been informed that the company plans to shut down its factory located in Shannon, County Clare, Ireland by the end of next year. The company’s operational base in Ireland will be relocated to Intel’s campus in Leixlip.
The report states that the research and development department in Shannon employs approximately 750 people, who have been offered the same options for layoffs or early retirement as employees in other departments of the group.
When asked about the future of the Shannon research center, a spokesperson for Intel said that the company is “changing our global real estate strategy to focus on more populated areas. We are still developing plans for each business unit. We will provide more detailed information in the coming months.”
According to the report, among the 750 employees, about 300 work in the local area, many of them being hybrid employees, while the rest are employed by the company but participate in broader teams, some in Leixlip and others outside of Ireland.
The company has indicated that it will take approximately one year to relocate the current laboratories and other equipment from Shannon to Leixlip. However, it has been suggested that if the campus near Dublin cannot accommodate more work, it may be transferred to international locations.
Last month, Intel announced plans to reduce its global workforce by more than 15% and seek to transform its loss-making manufacturing business.
