IBM and Jacobs announce 900 new jobs

Big day on the jobs front with news this morning that computing giant IBM has announced plans to create 800 new roles in Ireland over the next three years to leverage its investment in artificial intelligence to develop new software products. Ian Curran has the details.

Meanwhile another US giant, engineering group Jacobs says it will be hiring 100 new staff over the next two years. The announcement comes as it opens a new Dublin office and marks 50 years since its first investment in Ireland.

Meanwhile the founder of fast-food chain Supermac’s says the group has spent between €6 million and €7 million housing its staff. Recruitment of staff was “the biggest challenge” facing his business, PatMcDonagh said as new accounts showed profits at the business jumping 15 per cent to €34 million in 2002 when revenue rebounded 41 per cent post-pandemic. Gordon Deegan has the details.

Temu is one of the fastest growing online shopping portals in internet history but a report from European consumer protection agencies say it is using manipulative sales techniques illegal under EU law and failing to protect European consumers. Conor Pope reports.

Ireland has agreed with Belgium and Britain to scale up co-operation on renewable energy – specifically offshore wind – and increased interconnection of energy grids as it looks to sharply ramp up investment in renewables over the coming years. Kevin O’Sullivan reports.

Dawn Meats has signed a major deal with a South Korean group just a day after that country agreed to allow Irish beef into its market for the first time.

And estate agent Savills says Irish office owners face bills of at least €7 billion to bring their properties into line with tough new EU environmental standards, writes Barry O’Halloran.

The debate on children’s use of smartphones often veers towards two extremes – those who see a generation made fragile by technology and suffering mental health issues, and those who see this as a misguided moral panic, arguing that even if teenagers’ phone use were damaging, it probably could not be radically curtailed anyway, given how essential social media has become to adolescence. Social psychologist Sonia Livingstone feels there is room for compromise and that phones and tablets offer benefits as well as risks.

In her column, Karlin Lillington takes a step away from her usual fare to examine the collision of a vintage operating system and trashy Euro-pop at last week’s Eurovision Song Contest.

Finally, in Innovation, we unveil the The Irish Times Innovation Awards 2024 with all the details you need to know.

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