Ericsson's Athlone R&D center celebrates 50th anniversary, forges national partnerships for future innovation

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), a global leader in communications technology and services, today celebrates the 50-year anniversary of its Research and Development (R&D) center in Athlone.

Over the past five decades, the Athlone site has evolved from a factory, initially established in 1974 with 250 employees, to a software development hub in 1979, marking the inauguration of one of the first R&D centers in Ireland. Today, the facility boasts a workforce of over 1,300 employees, making it one of the largest R&D centers in Ireland.

Senior Ericsson executives, along with Government and industry representatives, were welcomed to the R&D headquarters for Ericsson’s Network Management portfolio to mark this historic milestone. In conjunction, Ericsson also announced a significant new partnership with the Government agency Enterprise Ireland and the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).

This new partnership between Ericsson, Enterprise Ireland, and TUS has the potential to revolutionize the management of mobile networks. The initiative, ‘Digital Adaptive Twin for Unified Management’ (DATUM), will utilize digital twin technology as well as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to create a digital mirror of a live mobile network, in order to streamline the complex task of managing network configurations and thereby improve efficiency and responsiveness.

Speaking in Athlone, Per Narvinger, Sr. Vice president and Head of Business Area Cloud Software and Services at Ericsson, said: “As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of our R&D center in Athlone, we celebrate not only a significant milestone, but also the profound contributions of our dedicated workforce. Their expertise and commitment have been pivotal in advancing essential mobile technologies that power communications networks across the globe. Our ongoing R&D efforts and projects with Governments and academic institutions, including what we have announced with Enterprise Ireland and the Technical University of the Shannon today, serve as key foundations in realizing Ericsson’s vision of intelligent and programmable networks.“

Denis Dullea, Head of Ericsson’s Athlone site and Network Management Engineering Unit, added: “It is an honor for me to welcome members of Ericsson’s executive team and Minister Burke to join us as we celebrate 50 years in Athlone. Over these 50 years, we have established a track record of leadership which is a testament to the fantastic employees who have contributed to our journey so far. Together with our people, engagements with academia, and connections with the community, we will continue to lead and shape our industry for many years to come right here from Athlone.”

Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment of Ireland, said: “I am delighted to be here today to join in the celebrations to mark Ericsson’s 50 years in Athlone. Ericsson’s presence here continues to be of immense benefit to Athlone, the Midlands Region and to Ireland as a whole. There is a long-standing partnership between Ericsson, IDA Ireland and the Irish Government and regional investments such as this are a priority for both Government and IDA. The advancements made here over the last 50 years are truly amazing and it is exciting to see what unfolds in the future such as the new partnership with Enterprise Ireland and the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS). I wish the Ericsson team here in Athlone continued success in that journey.”

The Athlone site boasts industry-leading expertise in software development, with dedicated teams responsible for developing products and solutions across the Ericsson BCSS and Cloud RAN portfolios. The R&D center represents a pivotal arm in Ericsson’s strategy to develop open, programmable, and intelligent networks of the future. Key technologies for the open management of 5G mobile networks, developed by teams in Athlone, are being utilized by leading CSPs around the world, including AT&T as part of their five-year network transformation and digitalization agreement with Ericsson signed last year.