Openchip, a Europe-born company in the design and development of high-performance accelerator chips, platforms and software stacks for advanced computing applications, has announced the expansion of its operations in Ireland with the opening of a design centre in Limerick, providing capacity for up to 70 highly skilled research and development roles.
Headquartered in Barcelona, Openchip has grown rapidly over the past two years to more than 350 employees across sites in Spain, Italy, Poland, Belgium, France, Germany, and Ireland.
Recognised by the European Commission as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI), the company integrates in-house designed, high-performance RISC-V-based accelerators and systems-on-chip (SoCs) with an innovative full-stack software platform. Together, these technologies are set to power the next generation of AI and supercomputing systems across Europe.
Limerick’s first city-centre LEED Gold-certified office scheme
The new design centre is in the Gardens International building on Henry Street, which was developed by Limerick Twenty Thirty. This building is Limerick’s first city-centre LEED Gold-certified office scheme and is a multi-award-winning architectural fusion of old and new Limerick.
The Gardens International building on Henry Street.
The design centre features state-of-the-art laboratories and modern office facilities and currently houses around 40 experienced Openchip R&D staff, a number expected to grow to 70 within the coming year. Openchip’s Irish operations already include senior leadership across product management, hardware and software engineering, architecture, and sustainability, led by experienced professionals such as Robin Giller, chief product officer, with a long-standing career in the semi-conductor industry prior to joining Openchip.
The company continues to expand its Irish team, recruiting from graduates to senior experts, while leveraging the strong talent ecosystem and close collaboration between local universities and industry in Ireland’s midwest region.
Enterprise minister Peter Burke said: “The opening of Openchip’s new design centre in Limerick is another strong endorsement of Ireland’s global reputation as a hub for research and development in semiconductor and advanced technologies.
"Openchip’s innovation will power the next generation of AI and supercomputing systems across Europe and, through its involvement with the Commission’s Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI), will play a vital role in ensuring Europe’s place in advanced computing.
"This investment aligns with Silicon Island: Ireland’s National Semiconductor Strategy which positions Ireland at the forefront of emerging technologies, fostering a supportive environment which will promote investment in chip design, research and advanced manufacturing capabilities.
"It underlines our ambition to make Ireland a global leader in semiconductor investment, showcasing our manufacturing expertise, R&D capacity and enterprise supports, all working together to support high-quality, highly skilled jobs and driving economic growth across Ireland.”
Vital for achieving European digital sovereignty
Cesc Guim, CEO of Openchip added: “Openchip's growth is vital for achieving European digital sovereignty. Our expansion, including strategic locations in Europe like Ireland, is key to building the robust, homegrown semiconductor, AI and advanced technologies ecosystem Europe needs. By growing together, we will deliver the next generation of high-performance full-stack system on chip and software innovation to contribute to Europe’s technological sovereignty.”
Furthermore, Robin Giller, chief product officer at Openchip, said the company’s expansion in Ireland reflects its broader mission to advance Europe’s AI and supercomputing capabilities through sovereign technology.
“Openchip is a super-ambitious, Europe-centric project that takes a highly collaborative approach to solving real problems in AI data centres and supercomputing environments,” he said. “There is an incredible opportunity to help drive Europe’s AI infrastructure direction, and our Ireland operations are at the forefront of this effort with our highly skilled workforce and ecosystem of partners.”
Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland remarked: IDA Ireland is pleased to welcome Openchip – a leading global innovator in high-performance computing – to Limerick. The decision to establish a new design centre here is a strong endorsement of Ireland’s National Semiconductor Strategy and is firmly aligned with IDA Ireland’s strategic focus on that sector.
"This announcement is excellent news for the Mid West; a region celebrated for its vibrant technology cluster and highly skilled workforce. At the core of our Adapt Intelligently strategy lies a commitment to balanced regional development, and Openchip’s investment in Limerick clearly demonstrates our dedication to this goal.”
This project is supported by the government through IDA Ireland.