Apple to boost Ireland operations with new building at Cork campus

Proposed four-storey building will run on 100% renewable energy and accommodate 1,300 staff

The production line at Apple's Cork campus in Ireland, the iPhone maker's first complex outside the US. Photo: Apple

Apple is planning to expand its Cork campus in Ireland with the construction of a new building to accommodate about 1,300 workers, it has been reported.

The four-storey building, which will run on 100 per cent renewable energy powered by solar panels, will also include transport for employees, storage areas for bicycles and charging points for electric vehicles, the Irish Examiner reported on Tuesday.

Apple plans to start building the facility by the end of 2023 and complete it by 2025, the newspaper report said. The planning application, which is pending approval, includes a partial lower-ground floor for offices and meeting rooms, plus staff welfare and service areas.

The iPhone maker did not disclose the cost of the project, but it has already invested €250 million ($268m) in its Cork campus – the first Apple headquarters outside the US – over the past five years.

“We’ve called Cork home for more than 40 years and are thrilled to accelerate our investments here as we grow our team and expand our campus," the Examiner quoted Cathy Kearney, Apple’s vice president of European operations, as saying.

"We are proud to be part of the community here and with this new project, we will continue to create new jobs, support local organisations and drive innovation on behalf of our customers.”

The announcement comes after Apple opened a new engineering and test centre last month in the former Banta warehouse complex in Cork, that will test and analyse products for distribution in Europe.

Apple's proposed new building will be constructed on an existing car park and be connected to the HH4 building with an elevated corridor, the Examiner said.

The move was welcomed by Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, who said it was "evidence of Apple’s strong commitment to Cork and a strong endorsement of Ireland as a location for tech companies to grow", the report said.

“Apple was a trailblazer in technology at the time they established operations in Cork and their presence here gave, and continues to give, confidence to many more global tech companies to locate in Ireland. It is most encouraging to see them continue to invest in their Cork site," the report quoted Mr Martin as saying.

Apple began operations in Ireland in 1980 and, as of its 40th anniversary in 2020, had more than 6,000 employees at its Cork campus, which serves as the company's European headquarters.

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Apple iPhone through the ages

The iPhone through the ages: Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces the iPhone to the world in San Francisco, California, on January 9, 2007. It had a 3.5-inch screen and 2MP camera. Reuters

The iPhone 3G was launched in 2008 with a faster 3G connection. It also added location services. Reuters

The iPhone 3GS was released on June 19, 2009. It was twice as fast as its previous version. AFP

The iPhone 4 was released on June 24, 2010. It featured FaceTime for the first occasion as well as a retina screen. Reuters

A later release, this time on October 14, 2011, the iPhone 4S had a new dual-core processor. Reuters

Apple CEO Tim Cook takes to the stage following the reveal of the iPhone 5 in San Francisco, California, on September 12, 2012. This was the first 4-inch screen and the phone was faster and slimmer. Reuters

The iPhone 5C arrived on September 20, 2013 and was less expensive and very similar to the iPhone 5 except it came with colourful casing. Getty Images

The iPhone 5s came at the same time as the 5C and introduced touch ID and a motion data processor as health and fitness apps started to come to the fore. Getty Images

The iPhone 6 marked another double launch when unveiled on September 9, 2014. The 6 had a 4.7-inch screen, faster processor and improved camera. AFP

The iPhone 6 Plus had a 5.5-inch screen and was $100 more expensive. Reuters

The iPhone 6s came on September 25, 2015 with 3D touch and a camera that could shoot 4K video. EPA

The iPhone 6s Plus is displayed at Tokyo's flagship store on September 25, 2015. Both new phones came in a new colour - rose gold. AFP

Unveiled on March 21, 2016, the iPhone SE had the same design as the iPhone 5 and saw a return to the 4-inch screen which was preferred by some users. It was more affordable and hence lacked features such as Touch ID. AFP

The iPhone 7 announced on September 7, 2016, said somewhat controversially goodbye to the audio jack. Reuters

The iPhone 7 Plus had a dual camera added. AFP

The iPhone 8 was released on September 22, 2017 and had a new glass and aluminium design, retina HD screen. Reuters

A customer gets his hands on an iPhone 8 Plus on launch day in Tokyo on September 22, 2017. The launches also saw speakers that were 25% louder and the most powerful and smartest chip in a smartphone (according to Apple). AFP

The iPhone X marked a decade of iPhones on September 12, 2017. It's main changes were an edge-to-edge super retina screen. Touch ID was removed with Face ID introduced. Reuters

The iPhone XS was released on September 21, 2018 and had a Super Retina OLED screen with improved scratch and water resistance. Face ID was faster. Reuters

The iPhone XS Max had the largest iPhone screen to date at 6.5 inches. It could handle 3 million pixels. Reuters

The iPhone XR was slightly cheaper than the XS and came with a 6.1-inch screen. AFP

A customer looks at the iPhone 11 at an Apple store in Dubai Mall on September 20, 2019. EPA

A man tries out the iPhone 11 Pro in Cupertino, California, on September 10, 2019. AFP

Midnight Green was introduced for the iPhone 11 Pro Max, while there was also a new three-camera system. Reuters

Arriving on April 15, 2020, the iPhone SE was for budget-minded customers and was pretty much a replica of the iPhone 8. Its 4.7-inch screen felt rather on the small side compared to the big screens of its big brothers. Apple Inc. / AFP

The iPhone 12 on October 13, 2020 introduced a new processor and a screen that offered four times better protection if dropped. Apple / AFP

The iPhone 12 mini offered a 5.4-inch screen. Getty Images

Mr Cook showcases the iPhone 12 Pro during an event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on October 13, 2020. This upgrade saw a faster chip, 5G speed, a "camera system that’s killer in low light. A LiDAR Scanner for more realistic AR. And two great sizes to choose from — including our largest display ever". Apple / EPA

The iPhone 12 Pro Max was categorised as a 'legacy phone'. Reuters

The new iPhone 13 was unveiled on September 14, 2021. It has a smart data mode which helps battery life, more 5G bands and antenna lines that use material made from recycled plastic water bottles. AFP

Apple CEO Tim Cook showcasing the third generation iPhone SE featuring 5G and the A15 Bionic chip on March 8, 2022. EPA

The Apple iPhone 14, 14 Plus, Pro Max and the Apple iPhone 14 Pro were unveiled during an event on September 7, 2022. It didn’t raise its US prices during one of the worst years for inflation in decades. The biggest addition was emergency calling after a car crash. Bloomberg