IDA Ireland secures 190 investments in strong start to 2026 despite intensifying global competition

Ireland secured 190 investments during the first half of 2026, with projects expected to create more than 10,400 jobs, according to figures released by the country’s investment promotion agency IDA Ireland.

The figures, published alongside IDA Ireland’s 2025 Annual Report, include 54 first-time investors, 39 expansions by existing companies, 57 research, development and innovation (RD&I) investments, 31 talent development projects and nine green capital investments. Regional investment also remained a key feature of the agency’s performance, with 98 projects – accounting for 52% of the total – located outside Dublin.

The results represent the first major progress update since the launch of IDA Ireland’s five-year Adapt Intelligently strategy, which aims to strengthen Ireland’s competitiveness while accelerating innovation, sustainability and regional economic development.

“The increased investment activity we have seen over the past 18 months points to a strong concentration of next-generation R&D projects across life sciences, financial services and technology, including AI, with global companies continuing to choose Ireland as a European growth platform from which to scale and support their strategic EMEA operations,” said Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland.

“While there are challenges in the wider policy environment, international business continues to move. We have seen that momentum not only in the first six months of this year, but also throughout last year. Ireland is fortunate to have an enterprise base of more than 1,800 FDI companies, delivering value both to the Irish economy and to their global operations. That strength is the result of decades of stable government, consistent policy and a clear focus on supporting investment through IDA Ireland’s unique client partnership approach,” he added.

The investment pipeline reflects Ireland’s growing appeal for high-value, knowledge-intensive activities, particularly across technology, life sciences, engineering and financial services.

Among the largest investments announced during the period was Novo Nordisk’s €432 million expansion of its manufacturing operations in Athlone. Qualcomm committed €125 million to further develop its Cork operation as a strategic artificial intelligence hub within its global semiconductor business, while OpenText announced a €105 million investment focused on sovereign cloud capabilities and agentic AI, creating 400 new jobs across its Irish operations.

The first half of the year also saw continued momentum in financial services and fintech, with companies including Currenxie, Monzo, CoinJar and Quashio selecting Ireland for new investment projects, reinforcing the country’s position as an increasingly important European location for digital finance.

Artificial intelligence has become a defining feature of many recent investment decisions.

Alongside Qualcomm and OpenText, companies including Anthropic, Klaviyo, MongoDB, Medtronic and Rippling announced projects centred on AI development, software engineering and advanced digital capabilities. Anthropic plans to create 200 new jobs through its Dublin expansion, while Medtronic is establishing a European software development hub in Galway and Rippling is creating 150 positions to support AI-driven workforce technologies across the EMEA region.

The concentration of AI-related investment reflects Ireland’s broader strategy of attracting activities higher up the value chain, particularly in research, development, engineering and digital innovation rather than traditional back-office operations.

Speaking alongside the publication of the results, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke said Ireland’s investment performance reflected decades of sustained enterprise policy while emphasising that continued investment in infrastructure, housing, energy, skills and innovation would be essential to maintaining competitiveness.

“Our continued success in attracting world-class investment is built on a strong and stable enterprise platform,” he said. “Government is committed to ensuring the right enabling conditions are in place to keep Ireland competitive.”

The results come as countries around the world intensify efforts to attract internationally mobile investment through industrial policies, incentives and support for strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing.

Against this backdrop, Ireland’s continued success reflects its established strengths in talent, research capability, regulatory certainty and access to the European market. However, IDA Ireland also acknowledged that maintaining momentum will depend on continued progress in addressing the enabling conditions that increasingly shape investment decisions, including energy infrastructure, housing supply, planning, skills and innovation capacity.

For Ireland, the latest figures suggest that while competition for global investment is becoming more intense, the country continues to position itself as a preferred European location for innovation-led investment, with artificial intelligence, life sciences and advanced technologies expected to remain key drivers of future growth.