The expansion highlights Ireland’s strength in tech, cybersecurity
By Doreen Hemlock
Miami software company Kaseya recently made headlines with plans to expand its Ireland offices to 1,000 employees by 2026. Now, software maker UKG, with headquarters in Weston, is growing in Ireland too, adding 200 employees there at a new operations hub focused on cybersecurity.
UKG, formerly known as Ultimate Software before its 2020 merger with Kronos, said it is scaling up in Ireland’s southern city of Kilkenny, just one year after it bought a payroll tech provider there. Hugo Sarrazin, UKG’s president, explained the decision this way: “We’re on a mission to give every organization the opportunity to become a great place to work through technology built for all, and Kilkenny’s vibrant technology community will provide key talent to help us achieve this goal.”
The moves underscore a tech boom in Ireland, the European Union (EU) member-nation now ranked among the top sites for foreign direct investment by U.S. tech companies. Investors often choose English-speaking Ireland as their door into the 27-member EU, lured by its educated workforce and targeted incentives, sometimes linked to high-skill jobs. The nation of 5 million people has a greater percentage of people ages 25-34 with post-secondary education than the EU average: 62 percent, vs 42 percent. It also has the highest per-capita rate in the EU of 20-somethings who have graduated in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), says development group IDA Ireland.
Indeed, UKG is so keen on Ireland that it was among sponsors of the recent Cyber Ireland National Conference 2024. The meeting looked at ways to bring together academia, tech startups, research groups, government agencies and others, recognizing that complex cybersecurity issues can’t be addressed with isolated solutions. UKG’s Chief Security Officer Mustapha Kebbeh spoke at the conference on enhancing cybersecurity through public-private partnerships.
Cybersecurity cluster growing in Ireland
Cybersecurity has emerged as a key focus within tech in Ireland, with the sector now employing some 8,000 people. Today, six of the world’s top 10 cybersecurity companies operate in Ireland, says Catherina Blewitt, vice president of technology, consumer content and business services at IDA Ireland’s office in Atlanta. Beyond Kaseya and UKG, other Florida companies with cyber operations in Ireland include Orlando-based ThreatLocker and Tampa-based ReliaQuest. ThreatLocker unveiled its EU headquarters in Dublin last year, aiming to employ 120 people there. Reliaquest chose Dublin for a security operation in 2018, citing among its reasons, cyber collaboration fostered by Ireland, said Blewitt.
“By working on innovative solutions to combat cyber threats,” says IDA Ireland’s Blewitt, “these companies contribute significantly to Ireland’s dynamic cybersecurity ecosystem and help enhance Europe’s overall cyber resilience.”
Miami-based Kaseya set up its headquarters for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region in Ireland’s capital of Dublin in 2016. Later, it added a “Center of Excellence” in Ireland’s Dundalk, focused mainly on engineering, technical support, sales, and research and development functions. The company committed to an initial 250 jobs at the Dundalk center over three years, but has been growing so fast it now expects to employ 1,000 people across Ireland by 2026, Kaseya’s President Joe Smolarski has said.
Irish consulate in Miami promotes tech ties
Growing tech links are among the reasons why the Republic of Ireland opened a consulate in Miami in 2022, led by Consul General Sarah Kavanagh. The office is Ireland’s eighth consulate in the US and part of the country’s push to double its diplomatic impact from 2018 levels. The Miami office oversees Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
Kavanagh said Miami was selected because of Florida’s rising political and economic importance. Ireland’s then-prime minister, Leo Varadkar, formally inaugurated the Miami consulate last year, noting the office’s role in aiding Irish citizens and visitors and now, hosting Ireland’s Caribbean office. During that visit, Varadkar also met with Florida, Miami-Dade, Miami and Miami Beach officials, and he viewed a celebrated Irish artwork, Harry Clarke’s “Geneva Window” in the Wolfsonian collection in Miami Beach.
The consulate and IDA Ireland have teamed with Venture Miami to present “Irish Innovation Night” featuring talks by leaders of Irish tech companies in South Florida including Brenock, which makes software for the marine industry, and Fenergo, which develops compliance software for banks and financial institutions.
Kavanagh sees growing business opportunities between South Florida and Ireland not only because of their shared tech focus but also, their similar roles as international hubs. Said Kavanagh: “Miami is the gateway to Latin America, and Ireland is the gateway to the European Union.”
Photo at top of post: UKG and Irish government officials met recently, as UKG announced plans to add 200 employees in Ireland. From left to right: Michael Lohan, CEO, IDA Ireland; Taoiseach Simon Harris, head of the Irish government; Hugo Sarrazin, President, Chief Product and Technology Officer, UKG; and Richard Limpkin, VP. Multi-country Payroll Solutions, UKG. Photo Credit: Iain White
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