Ericsson celebrates 50 years in Athlone
Communications technology giant Ericsson today (Wednesday) celebrated the 50-year anniversary of its research and development (R&D) centre in Athlone.
In addition to marking the anniversary, Ericsson announced a new partnership with Enterprise Ireland and the Technical University of the Shannon (TUS), which aims to enhance and streamline management of network configurations.
Ericsson's Athlone site has evolved from a factory, initially established in 1974 with 250 employees, to a software development hub in 1979, marking the inauguration of one of the first R&D centers in Ireland.
Today, the facility boasts a workforce of over 1,300 employees, making it one of the largest R&D centres in Ireland.
Senior Ericsson executives, along with government and industry representatives, attended the celebrations.
Speaking in Athlone, Ericsson Senior Vice President and Head of Business Area Cloud Software and Services Per Narvinger said: “As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of our R&D centre in Athlone, we celebrate not only a significant milestone, but also the profound contributions of our dedicated workforce.
“Their expertise and commitment have been pivotal in advancing essential mobile technologies that power communications networks across the globe.
“Our ongoing R&D efforts and projects with governments and academic institutions, including what we have announced with Enterprise Ireland and the Technical University of the Shannon today, serve as key foundations in realizing Ericsson’s vision of intelligent and programmable networks.“
Attending the event, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment of Ireland, Peter Burke stated; ”The advancements made here over the last 50 years are truly amazing and it is exciting to see what unfolds in the future such as the new partnership with Enterprise Ireland and the TUS. I wish the Ericsson team here in Athlone continued success in that journey.
IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan said: ”Since 2000, Ericsson has invested more than €3 billion in the Athlone facility. Beyond economic contributions, each year more than 6,000 local individuals, from junior school students to adults transitioning into technology careers, have benefited from Ericsson’s presence.”
Ericsson said its partnership, announced today, with Enterprise Ireland, and TUS has the potential to revolutionize the management of mobile networks.
The initiative, ‘Digital Adaptive Twin for Unified Management’ (DATUM), will utilize digital twin technology as well as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to create a digital mirror of a live mobile network, in order to streamline the complex task of managing network configurations and thereby improve efficiency and responsiveness.