Project management and IT solutions business Aspira is opening two overseas offices and will be hiring to fill 30 high-level positions in the company as it expands.

The company is opening an Asia-Pacific regional HQ in Malaysia, and a second office in the Netherlands to cover the Benelux region. 

Chief executive Pat Lucey said: “As businesses transform to cope with the pandemic, we are helping our clients not just to survive but to thrive through technology. We have seen a three-fold increase in demand for digital transformation services as companies enhance their e-commerce capabilities and supply chain networks as a direct result of the impact of Covid-19.

“We can no longer jump on a long-haul flight to work alongside our global clients, so we are augmenting our ability to support clients remotely by having a physical presence in diverse parts of the world. To build these relationships and maximise our support to clients, we need to be on the ground in addition to meeting them virtually.”

The Malaysia office will absorb 18 of the 30 new jobs, with 12 positions opening in the Dutch offices in Amsterdam and the new office in the World Trade Centre, The Hague. The roles to be filled over the next 15 months include  project management, software development and e-commerce systems positions.

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Peter Ryan, Managing Director Europe, commented: “There has been a really positive response by companies in The Netherlands to our unique blend of technology and consulting services. To meet this increased demand, we are excited to grow our Dutch team, who will be based primarily here in our new office in The Hague.”

Lucey co-founded the project management and IT solutions business with Colum Horgan in 2007. Both had been senior executives in Motorola before the company closed its Irish operations in 2007 and made them redundant.

By 2014, in addition to its consultancy and software solutions Aspira had expanded its services to include employee training, and continued to add to its offering, including by acquisitions such as its purchase of fellow Cork company B-Tec Solutions for €1.5m in 2016.

The company now employs 160 staff and last year booked a profit of €627,000, bringing accumulated profits to €3.5m. Aspira finished the year with cash of €1.4m and net worth of €3.7m.

Photo: Pat Lucey (left) and Peter Ryan