Ericsson has announced a €200m (£171m) investment over the next three years in a research, development, and innovation (RD&I) project at the company’s Athlone facility in central Ireland.
The investment aims to deliver next-generation open network management and automation capabilities with AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics.
Such capabilities will help communication service providers, known as CSPs, to improve network performance, accelerate innovation cycles, and reduce costs through autonomous network operations.
The project, supported by the Irish government through IDA Ireland, will underpin Ericsson’s development of capabilities for the management of high performing, open programmable networks.
These capabilities are key to enabling CSPs to improve operational efficiency, as well as accelerating the global deployment and value generation of 5G standalone connectivity through differentiated offerings.
The project will also advance support for open, multi-vendor, disaggregated and programmable network deployments.
The investment will focus on the Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform (EIAP), and network powered rApps which are applications to automate radio access network management and optimisation.
EIAP is Ericsson’s open network management and automation platform for multi-vendor and multi-technology 4G and 5G Radio Access Networks (RAN), which is largely designed at the Athlone site.
Ericsson’s presence in Ireland spans five decades, with the Athlone facility serving as the company’s designated centre of excellence for intelligent network management.
Ireland’s minister for enterprise trade and employment, Peter Burke, praises the news of investment to the facility. “Ericsson have been established in Ireland for decades, with the Athlone facility a significant employer and an integral part of the fabric of the community for over 50 years.
“It is encouraging that Ericsson have once again cemented Athlone as key base for the company, selecting the campus and the staff based here to lead this pioneering work.
“I wish all the team in Ericsson the very best with this exciting new chapter.”
Denis Dullea, head of Ericsson’s Athlone site and network management engineering unit, added: “Ericsson has a long history and deep roots in Ireland spanning more than 50 years.
“This investment is a testament to our commitment to Ireland and confidence in our exceptional talent here.
“By delivering on this cutting-edge project, we are both investing in Ireland’s future and empowering mobile operators worldwide.”
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