A Clare manufacturer of electronic information boards will create a further 99 jobs following the expansion of its facilities at Ennistymon.
Data Display, which makes customised electronic display systems for railway stations, airports and car parks, has recently doubled its factory size to 60,000 sq ft. It will increase its workforce by 40 to 191 this year and by a further 59 to 250 next year.
The largest European company of its type and in the world's top five, it supplies the electronic signage signs for the DART system and for Bus Eireann.
The job announcement was made by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, who said that operating from the edge of Europe "can be a bonus rather than a drawback".
Data Display now has a €20 million (£15.74 million) turnover but Mr Kevin Neville, the managing director, said this would increase to €40-€50 million over the next three years. Its associate company in Listowel, Co Kerry, Celtic Circuits, manufactures the printed circuit boards used in the signs. Later, Ms Harney formally initiated the National Technological Park's five-year strategic plan, NTP 2000+, which aims to establish 20 more companies, launching five IPOs and investing £40 million in its base outside Limerick. She said that if Data Display could be a world leader, the goal of the 17-year-old park to be the best in Europe was not over-ambitious. "Now we have 4,000 employees and the plan is to grow that employment by a further 2,000 with graduates and postgraduates in self-start operations and in foreign direct investment in the next five years," she said.
The plan envisages the park, which includes the State's first digital park in association with Esat Telecom, becoming a nub for other regional centres in Tralee, Thurles, Birr and Ennis.
"The digital infrastructure is now being enhanced as a result of a decision by Esat Telecom to invest £3.5 million in providing a switching facility on the park," said Mr Paul Sheane, Shannon Development's chief executive and chairman of the park committee. He added that the park's other distinguishing feature was its University of Limerick-linked technology transfer process.
