TLDR: Workday, a leading enterprise AI platform, has announced a significant €175 million investment over three years to establish a new AI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Dublin, Ireland. This strategic move will create 200 specialized AI-focused roles and reinforce Dublin’s position as Workday’s EMEA headquarters and a global innovation hub. The CoE will drive product development, foster AI upskilling, and strengthen academic and industry partnerships.
Dublin, Ireland – Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY), a prominent provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources, has unveiled plans for a substantial expansion of its artificial intelligence capabilities in Europe. The company announced a three-year investment of €175 million to establish a new AI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Dublin, Ireland, which serves as its EMEA headquarters. This initiative is set to generate 200 new specialized roles focused on AI, cybersecurity, engineering, and research expertise.
The new AI Centre of Excellence will play a pivotal role in Workday’s global innovation strategy, accelerating the development of next-generation enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions built for the AI era. The investment is strongly supported by the Government of Ireland through IDA Ireland, underscoring the country’s growing reputation as a leader in technology and innovation.
Graham Abell, Vice President of Software Engineering & Ireland Site Lead at Workday, emphasized Dublin’s long-standing importance to the company. “Dublin has been a cornerstone of Workday’s innovation for close to two decades,” Abell stated. “This latest investment will power our next chapter—pioneering the next generation of ERP, built for the AI era.”
The CoE’s strategic focus areas include:
Product Development: The new roles will contribute to enhancing Workday Illuminate, the company’s AI platform, ensuring European perspectives are integrated into AI, cybersecurity, engineering, and research efforts.
AI Upskilling: Workday is committed to developing its talent, partnering with Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet to train 300 current employees through its AI Business Academy.
Academic Partnerships: The centre will foster collaborations with leading academic institutions, including AI Industry Fellowships with Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University, embedding researchers directly into Workday’s R&D teams.
Industry Collaboration: Through the Workday Innovation Network, established with Enterprise Ireland, the company will engage with Irish AI start-ups, SMEs, and industry leaders such as Wrksense, Payslip, and Workhuman to accelerate innovation.
Workday has maintained a significant presence in Dublin since 2008, following its acquisition of Irish tech innovator Cape Clear. Currently, over 80% of Workday’s 2,200 Ireland-based employees are involved in product research and development, contributing to core AI-embedded solutions like Workday Learning and Workday Assistant.
Peter Burke T.D., Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, highlighted the long-term impact of Workday’s presence in Ireland: “Since Workday acquired Irish tech innovator Cape Clear in 2008, it has evolved into a research and development powerhouse, based on a blend of talented people, technology and innovation which Ireland can uniquely provide.” He added that Workday’s decision to expand its AI footprint in Dublin is a ‘testament to Ireland’s reputation as a global leader in technology and innovation.’
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In addition to the AI CoE, Workday will open a new, state-of-the-art EMEA headquarters at College Square, Dublin 2. This facility will feature a dedicated Customer Experience Centre (CXC), designed to facilitate deeper collaboration between European clients and Workday’s product experts and senior leadership. This expansion positions Workday to lead the future of enterprise software, driven by advanced AI capabilities, while further solidifying Ireland’s role in the global technology landscape.
