Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton officially opens HID Global’s new 500 staff capacity Centre of Excellence in Galway city as hiring plans ramp up

Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton officially opened the new 500-staff capacity HID Global Centre of Excellence in Galway city.

This new, state-of-the-art facility will increase efficiencies across HID’s EMEA business activities and give HID the capacity to triple its current headcount in Galway over the next three-to-five years. HID currently employs 250 people in Ireland, and that number is expected to reach 300 by year-end.

Physical and digital access

HID, a pioneer in trusted identity solutions, gives people and businesses convenient access to physical and digital places and connects things that can be identified, verified, and tracked digitally. HID makes it possible for people to transact safely, work productively and travel freely.

Operating in Ireland since 2006, HID has steadily expanded its manufacturing, R&D, supply chain customer service, IT, finance, human resources, and other business functions in Galway to support a growing customer base across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

Passport card program

HID provided Ireland with a passport card program that allows travellers to cross borders in Europe with an electronic passport

The 7,980 sqm Centre of Excellence facility in Galway will give HID the capability to cater to its growing employee headcount in Galway and their needs in terms of accommodation and lifestyle ambitions over the coming years. The availability of highly skilled staff in the region, proximity to an international airport, and strong language skills in the area have been key factors in the company’s decision to locate in Galway.

HID first established itself in Tully, County Galway in 2006. The company is best known in Ireland for providing the enabling technology for Ireland’s revolutionary passport card program which was the first of its kind to allow travelers to cross borders in Europe with an electronic passport card rather than a traditional passport booklet.

Centre of Excellence

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State at the Department of Transport and Galway West TD Hildegarde Naughton said, “I’m very happy to see such a strong commitment from this well-established company to the development of its operations here in Ireland."

"Opening a Centre of Excellence as we emerge from a difficult period is a great achievement and signals a bright future for businesses both here in the West and across the country. I wish Trevor and his team every success.”

State-of-the-art facility

This facility will improve efficiencies across our operations and continue to deliver for our growing customer base"

Craig Sandness, Senior Vice President and Head of Secure Issuance and Citizen ID Solutions said, “We are very pleased to have our new Centre of Excellence open today here in Mervue. The hard work and determination demonstrated by everyone involved with this project to get it to completion have been nothing short of admirable, and we are very grateful for the huge effort by all."

"This state-of-the-art facility will allow us to improve efficiencies across our operations and continue to deliver for our growing customer base across EMEA."

Identification and access-related applications

"Ireland is a hugely important central hub for our operations, including the production of access and identification-related applications, such as electronic passports and access cards, which represent large and growing segments of HID’s business.”

“We are very fortunate to have very strong local support and a strong talent pipeline here in Galway and along the Western seaboard,” Sandness continued. “We look forward to developing our presence even further here over the coming years.”

Sustainability

Mervue was designed with sustainability in mind, ensuring that design plays a role in HID’s goal of becoming a net zero

HID continued to operate during the extraordinary conditions presented by COVID-19, due to a dedicated staff and early rollout in March 2020 of a thorough safety protocol on site. A large proportion of its new hires were onboarded successfully while working remotely.

The new Mervue facility was also designed with sustainability in mind, ensuring that all elements of the building design play a role in supporting HID’s goal of becoming a net zero company by 2050.

Employee dedication

Speaking about the opening of the Centre of Excellence HQ in Galway, Trevor Fox, VP and Site Lead at HID, Ireland said, “We are thrilled to open the new Centre of Excellence here today."

"The opening of this facility is a testament to the dedication of our employees and contractors throughout a very difficult period for all of us during COVID-19."

Capability and growth plan

Our move to this new building represents a new chapter for HID and we’re very excited about how we can continue to grow"

"Our move to this new building represents a new and exciting chapter for HID and we’re very excited to see how we can continue to grow both for our customers and our employees.”

Fox also stated, “Galway has been an excellent foundation for us to build from, and the continuing investment from HID to underpin our capability and growth plan can be seen as a huge boost of confidence in the area and the people behind the success.”

Identity solutions

IDA Ireland’s Head of Technology Donal Travers, said,  “HID Global’s move to its new premises is a landmark in the company’s evolution and development in Galway where it has been a substantial and valued employer for many years."

"An innovative and progressive company in the identity solutions space, HID Global has, with this move, strongly endorsed Galway and the West Region as an excellent location for its continued evolution and future growth.”