Nikon Precision Europe plans to recruit up to 40 new staff at its base near Leixlip in Kildare, the company has announced.
NPE has been in Ireland since the early 1990s with local staff supporting a number of multinational semiconductor customers. The company currently has c.140 employees.
NPE GmbH is the organisation supporting Nikon’s lithography systems. Whether it is during installation, wafer production ramp-up or in a sustaining production environment, their team provide analysis and solutions to enable optimal usage around-the-clock of the capital equipment in the customer factory.
NPE in Ireland is funded by taxpayers through state aid from IDA Ireland.
Enterprise minister Leo Varadkar said: “This expansion, which will create 40 new jobs in Nikon’s new offices in the newly launched Kildare Innovation Campus, is a great boost for Kildare and the surrounding area. I’m sure it has taken a huge amount of work to make these plans a reality. The very best of luck with it.”
In Association with
Also located at the Leixlip business Park is MGS Manufacturing, which makes precision medical device components.
The company originally had a focus on manufacturing printer cartridges for HP, and employs 120 people.
With IDA Ireland backing, MGS has announced a €7m investment in a 20,000ft extension of its plant, to incorporate cleanrooms, new offices, injection moulding machines, precision measurement laboratory and warehousing space.
The company anticipates hiring an additional 100 staff in the coming years, and current vacancies can be viewed here.
Established in Wisconsin in 1982, MGS MFG now spans 11 facilities around the world, employs more than 1,200 people globally and completed the acquisition of Formteknik in Europe in 2021.
MGS Ireland site lead Michael Finneran commented: “When we set up back in 2011, we had ambitions to grow the site into the future. We started out supporting HP on site in the manufacturing of ink jet cartridges and as the business grew we diversified into medical devices, which is now the predominant sector we focus on.
Under new ownership, the 78 hectare KIC business park was formerly occupied by Hewlett Packard.
Around 1,000 people work in firms located at KIC and the new owner’s vision is for the campus to accommodate potentially in excess of 4,000 jobs over the next ten years.
According to Minister Varadkar: “This campus will act as a real beacon, attracting jobs and investment to Kildare, where companies can expect to find a wealth of talent and a network of other global leading companies.”
Speaking on behalf of the owners, Iwan Iwanow stated: “The overall vision for the campus is to re-establish the widely recognised importance of the former Hewlett Packard site as a major scientific and technological hub.
“We chose to invest in KIC for that reason as well as the exceptionally high quality of the local talent pools; potential for collaboration with third level education bodies; and its connectivity to key transport nodes.”
KIC expansion plans envisage a new public road to connect the Celbridge Road at KIC’s entrance to the M4 Interchange Junction 6. The business park owners will also seek planning permission for a pedestrian and cycle overpass of the M4, linking the Wonderful Barn at Leixlip to Castletown Demesne in Celbridge.
“We are currently working with Kildare County Council, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and other key stakeholders to agree the funding and delivery of the new bridge,” said a spokesman. “KIC has confirmed that they will contribute substantially to this important piece of community infrastructure.”
Photo (l-r): IDA Ireland’s Martin Shanahan, Leo Varadkar TD and Iwan Iwanow.
