Kaspersky Lab leads Russian tech invasion of Dublin’s ‘Silicon Docks’
The Moscow-based company, which is the fourth biggest seller of anti-virus software, is planning to open a “significant” R&D centre in Dublin
Jun 04, 2016
Kaspersky Lab, the global cyber-security firm, is leading an invasion of Dublin by Russian technology companies, start-ups, programmers and developers – many of whom are looking abroad as Russia remains stuck in recession and worries grow over the political and legal environment there.
The Moscow-based company, which is the fourth biggest seller of anti-virus software, is planning to open a "significant" R&D centre in Dublin and is already hiring specialists. The news was first reported on May 29 by Ireland’s Sunday Independent.
"We choose Dublin because we see it as a great opportunity to access a highly qualified European talent pool," Alexander Moiseev, managing director at Kaspersky, told the newspaper. "At this early stage, we don’t have the exact number of employees confirmed, but we are very interested in speaking with as many appropriately skilled candidates as possible."
The decision to set up in the Irish capital, known as the Silicon Docks due to the presence of many of the big US tech firms, was cemented after founder Eugene Kaspersky met and hung out with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny and U2 rockstar Bono, according to two sources close to the deal.
Numerous emerging Russia tech companies have left Moscow for foreign shores in the US, Singapore, Dubai and Latvia over the past few years as the country struggles to emerge from its deepest recession since 2008. Repression of social media and fear for intellectual property has accelerated that trend.
Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland, the state agency responsible for attracting foreign investment, was in Russia in mid-May meeting a number of companies and explaining why Ireland was the right place for them to do business. "In recent years, we have seen increased investment from Russian companies and, as these firms grow, they have the potential to create several hundred jobs over the next few years," Shanahan told bne IntelliNews. "Ireland is proving to be an attractive location for Russian companies looking to expand their operations abroad and tap into the tech talent pool here."
The Moscow-based company, which is the fourth biggest seller of anti-virus software, is planning to open a "significant" R&D centre in Dublin and is already hiring specialists. The news was first reported on May 29 by Ireland’s Sunday Independent.
"We choose Dublin because we see it as a great opportunity to access a highly qualified European talent pool," Alexander Moiseev, managing director at Kaspersky, told the newspaper. "At this early stage, we don’t have the exact number of employees confirmed, but we are very interested in speaking with as many appropriately skilled candidates as possible."
The decision to set up in the Irish capital, known as the Silicon Docks due to the presence of many of the big US tech firms, was cemented after founder Eugene Kaspersky met and hung out with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny and U2 rockstar Bono, according to two sources close to the deal.
Numerous emerging Russia tech companies have left Moscow for foreign shores in the US, Singapore, Dubai and Latvia over the past few years as the country struggles to emerge from its deepest recession since 2008. Repression of social media and fear for intellectual property has accelerated that trend.
Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland, the state agency responsible for attracting foreign investment, was in Russia in mid-May meeting a number of companies and explaining why Ireland was the right place for them to do business. "In recent years, we have seen increased investment from Russian companies and, as these firms grow, they have the potential to create several hundred jobs over the next few years," Shanahan told bne IntelliNews. "Ireland is proving to be an attractive location for Russian companies looking to expand their operations abroad and tap into the tech talent pool here."