The site is Ericsson’s R&D headquarters for its network management offering. It develops solutions across the company’s BCSS and Cloud RAN portfolios.
The occasion was marked by a gathering of senior company executives in Athlone, as well as government and industry representatives. The company also announced what it calls “a significant new partnership” with Enterprise Ireland and the Technological University of the Shannon.
Discussing the anniversary in a statement, a spokesperson said: “Over the past five decades, the Athlone site has evolved from a factory - initially established in 1974 with 250 employees - to one of the first R&D centres in Ireland. Today, the facility boasts a workforce of over 1,300 employees.”
The statement continued: “This new partnership between Ericsson, Enterprise Ireland and TUS has the potential to revolutionise the management of mobile networks. The initiative ‘Digital Adaptive Twin for Unified Management’ will utilise digital twin technology as well as AI and machine learning to create a digital mirror of a live mobile network.”
Ericsson senior vice president, Per Narvinger, said: “[Today] 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 serve as key foundations in realising Ericsson’s vision of intelligent and programmable networks.“
Peter Burke, minister of Ireland for enterprise, trade and employment, said: “The advancements made [in Athlone] over the last 50 years are truly amazing, and it is exciting to see what unfolds in the future. I wish the Ericsson team continued success in that journey.”
