Overview
Cpl partnered with a global technology manufacturer to support the establishment of a major Research and Development (R&D) Centre of Excellence in the southwest of Ireland.
Before recruitment began, the organisation needed confidence that the location could support a significant long-term R&D investment. Cpl provided strategic workforce insight to help inform the investment decision before delivering the specialist talent required to bring the new centre to life.
The partnership helped validate the location for global R&D growth and supported the successful expansion of the organisation's engineering capability.
Background
The existing operation employed around 50 people across shared services and technical functions, but the organisation planned to establish a much larger global R&D capability to expand its engineering presence. The proposed Centre of Excellence would support innovation across multiple technology sectors. However, the investment was not guaranteed. The region first had to demonstrate it could attract the specialist talent needed to support the expansion.
Challenge
The organisation needed to validate that Ireland could support a major R&D investment while recruiting scarce R&D, software engineering and platform talent. Employer awareness in Ireland was low despite the organisation's global leadership, and the available talent pool was extremely limited. Non-compete agreements and commercial restrictions further reduced access to key talent, while varying interpretations of technical role requirements across hiring managers added complexity.
The organisation needed a coordinated talent strategy that could attract specialist talent, deliver a consistent employer proposition and avoid fragmented candidate engagement.
