Bearing Fruit

IDA Ireland celebrated Apple’s 40-year contribution to Ireland at an inaugural award event, Looking to the Future.

IDA IRELAND’S INAUGURAL SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD RECOGNISING THE CONTRIBUTION OF ITS CLIENTS TO IRELAND WAS PRESENTED BY AN TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR AND IDA IRELAND TO APPLE, AND ACCEPTED BY ITS CEO TIM COOK, AT A SPECIAL LOOKING TO THE FUTURE EVENT IN THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL IN JANUARY, 2020.

“We are introducing this annual Special Recognition Award as we believe it is important that we celebrate the huge contribution our 1,500-plus FDI companies have made to Ireland,” explained CEO of IDA Ireland, Martin Shanahan. “Foreign Direct Investment continues to be a substantive driver of the economy. Our client companies in Ireland have demonstrated longevity, resilience and continued commitment, creating jobs – the numbers directly employed in the multinational sector in Ireland is at an alltime high of 245,096 (10% of the Irish labour force) – and delivering enormous benefits to the national and regional economies. In introducing this award, we are also recognising the achievement that is Ireland’s proven ability to be an enduring partner for businesses with international ambitions. It is also an opportunity to showcase internationally the level and sophistication of FDI in Ireland.

“Apple has invested and reinvested in Cork for over 40 years now – Apple’s Cork site is an example of what is possible when a great company finds an exceptional pool of talent. Apple and its CEO have demonstrated continued commitment to Ireland over that 40 years – making Apple a very deserving recipient of this inaugural award. Having established in Cork in 1980 as its first operation in Europe, with 60 employees, the company has grown to become the valued employer of some 6,000 people. The impact of Apple’s investment and innovation extends far beyond its own campus to the hundreds of companies and merchants across the country who benefit from Apple’s presence in Ireland.”

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar spoke of Apple’s role in Ireland’s success as a centre of excellence for technology, saying, “Only four years after it was founded, Apple opened a factory in Hollyhill in Cork, employing 60 people. Today Apple is Cork’s largest employer with 6,000 people of over 100 different nationalities and is a global operation. During this period, Ireland has become the tech capital of Europe. We succeeded by looking to the future, opening our country to trade and competition.

“As a country we continue to look to the future. With Global Ireland 2025, we are doubling our footprint across the globe, opening new embassies and consulates, expanding some of the ones we currently have, and investing in agencies like IDA Ireland, so we can attract investment from outside our traditional target markets. We are particularly focused on attracting investment to locations outside of Dublin.

“This inaugural award recognises the contribution Apple has made to Ireland over the past 40 years, and it reminds us of all that can be achieved.”

Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO praised the Irish team for their commitment to the company and its customers. “Ireland has been a second home for Apple for 40 years and this honour is even more special for us because it recognises the contributions of our incredible team here who work tirelessly to serve our customers around the country and around the word. I believe deeply that our most important work together is still ahead of us, and I'm grateful to the people of Ireland for their commitment to openness, to innovation and to the cooperation that will make possible the next generation of world-changing ideas."

Martin Shanahan CEO IDA Ireland

Tim Cook’s address to the audience

I accept this award on Apple’s behalf... as a symbol of our unshakeable commitment to, and investment in, this place we have called home for 40 years, almost as long as Apple itself has existed. We chose Cork to be our first operation outside of Cupertino and our gateway to our European customers for good reason. It sits at a geopolitical, economic and cultural crossroads, where the winds of innovation and opportunity blow freely.

While getting ready for this trip, I went back and watched a 1980 RTÉ interview between Apple’s founder Steve Jobs and Pat Kenny. Steve was 25 then, Pat not much older. And Pat asked him, with no small hint of scepticism, ‘Do you actually believe that every home is going to have its own personal computer within the next few years?’ You know, we can laugh now. But it was a fair question then. We have always had our doubters. But nobody ever went far wrong by betting on the people of Cork to achieve the impossible. As the saying goes, Tús maith, leath na hoibre. A good start is half, the work.

It is no exaggeration to say that Cork gave Apple the sure foundation that made us the company we are today. Those first 60 employees took a chance on an idea that seemed a little crazy in 1980. Today we have nearly 6,000 employees across Ireland. In Cork, our employees are made up of 104 nationalities. And they tell the story of Ireland’s welcoming and inclusive culture, it’s commitment to attracting and developing the top talent, and its resolute belief that we can do great things when we do them together.

And as we look forward to our next decades together, Apple could not be more grateful for your partnership and your leadership.