Workday commits €175M to Dublin AI Centre of Excellence, adding 200 specialised roles
Workday will invest €175 million over three years to establish an AI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Dublin, backed by IDA Ireland. The move expands the role of Dublin-Workday's EMEA headquarters-in global product research and development.
Workday's Dublin teams have delivered notable AI-driven capabilities since 2008, including Workday Learning and Workday Assistant. The new CoE will accelerate product development on Workday's AI platform, Illuminate, while deepening local expertise across AI, cybersecurity, engineering, and research.
Why this matters for engineering and product teams
- Hiring signal: 200 new roles across AI, cybersecurity, engineering, and research.
- Product velocity: Expanded R&D in Dublin feeding directly into Workday Illuminate and next-gen ERP.
- Closer customer feedback loop: A new Customer Experience Centre will bring European customers and product teams together.
- Stronger ecosystem: Formal pathways for academics and Irish AI start-ups to work with Workday.
Focus areas of the AI Centre of Excellence
1) Product development
More than 200 roles will be added in Dublin to infuse regional AI and security expertise into Workday Illuminate. Today, Workday employs 2,200 people in Ireland, with roughly 80% in product R&D-this investment deepens that core.
2) AI upskilling
Workday will upskill 300 employees through the AI Business Academy with Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet. Through a partnership with TU Dublin, over 285 employees have completed certifications across machine learning, cybersecurity, entrepreneurial leadership, leadership and team enablement, and product creation.
3) Academic fellowships and partnerships
Industry Fellowships with Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University (DCU), and Research Ireland will embed post-doctoral researchers within Workday R&D. The goal: apply academic expertise to real-world AI and machine learning problems.
4) Collaboration with Irish tech scale-ups
Via the Workday Innovation Network, created with Enterprise Ireland, Workday will partner with Irish AI start-ups and SMEs-including Wrksense and Workhuman-to accelerate practical innovation.
Leadership perspective
Peter Burke T.D., Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, highlighted Ireland's blend of talent, technology, and innovation since Workday's 2008 acquisition of Cape Clear, and confirmed government support for the CoE to maximise its impact.
Graham Abell, VP of Software Engineering and Ireland Site Lead at Workday, said the investment fuels the company's next chapter: building the next generation of ERP for the AI era.
Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland, noted that the €175 million investment and 200 new roles strengthen Ireland's position in AI research and development and welcomed ongoing collaboration.
New EMEA HQ and Customer Experience Centre
To support growth in Europe, Workday will open a new EMEA headquarters at College Square, Dublin 2. A dedicated Customer Experience Centre will give European customers an immersive space to work alongside product experts and senior leaders.
What to do next
- Engineers and researchers: Watch for roles across AI, security, data, and platform engineering. Explore current openings via the Workday careers centre.
- Product leaders: Expect faster delivery of AI features across finance, HCM, and platform services-powered by Illuminate and grounded in customer collaboration at the CXC.
- Founders and SMEs: Engage through the Workday Innovation Network (in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland) for co-development opportunities.
- Teams investing in skills: Build momentum with focused AI upskilling and certifications. See relevant options by job role at Complete AI Training.
Additional context
The investment is supported by IDA Ireland and extends Workday's long-standing R&D presence in Dublin. The CoE connects product teams, academia, and Ireland's tech ecosystem to ship practical AI into enterprise workflows.
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