Skip to main content

Why Ireland for financial services investment

  • Be part of a thriving location for international financial services that serves every major economy in the world

  • As financial services and technology converge, Ireland is a strategic hub for industry collaboration and innovation

Source the skills you need to make your investment in Ireland a success

Connect with us

Source the skills you need to make your investment in Ireland a success

Connect with us
Saving Bank

A Global Hub

Over 40 years, global financial institutions have made Ireland their home, from international banks, investment managers and insurers, to aircraft leasing operators and administrators. Jobs in the sector have grown 25% since 2015.

  • 430+ financial services companies operate in Ireland
  • 47,000+ people employed in the industry
Trip Pins

A Choice of Locations

The financial services sector has multiple hubs across Ireland. In addition to Dublin, locations such as Cork, Galway, Limerick, Kilkenny, Waterford and Letterkenny give investors an excellent choice of potential sites.

  • Regional locations offer cost efficiency and talent retention
  • Wide range of finance functions ensure skills availability
Cog Double

Broad Industry Activity

Financial services operations in Ireland handle deposit taking, lending, compliance/AML, fund accounting, trade finance, investor relations, equities, FX sales, capital markets, portfolio management, technology support, software development, cybersecurity and more.

  • €11+ billion annual exports
  • €2bn spend on payroll and Irish-sourced materials
User Cash Scale

Fintech Opportunities Await

With its track record in attracting technology operations of large multinationals as well as international financial services providers, Ireland has grown into a strategic hub for innovation on payments, fintech and more.

  • Activity across software engineering, AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, RPA
  • Industry-focused research centres offer talent and collaboration opportunities
Shipment Cargo Boat

Government Supporting Industry

The Irish Government has prioritised the continued success of the financial services sector. Working in partnership with industry, academia, and key stakeholders, the State supports the sector's ongoing growth.

  • High-level strategy aligned with industry needs
  • Supports and incentives for industry R&D activity

We are a strong ecosystem with multiple parties, service providers like ourselves, management companies, commercial law firms, audit firms: it’s the synergy of all the different stakeholders working together… It’s the right balance between everyone having their own commercial imperatives but collaborating across an ecosystem that collectively facilitates growth and expansion.

See similar companies in Ireland

Stripe
Metlife
JP Morgan
Aon
Barclays
Bank of China
Deutsche Bank
AXA
HSBC
Sunlife
Clearstream
BNY
Credit Suisse
Fiserv
Citi
Allianz
Aviva
PayPal
BNP Paribas
Mastercard

Success Stories: Hear from leaders calling Ireland home

A proven path

See all Success Stories
Vanguard
State Street
Cadence
SAP
Diligent
Mediolanum
Ireland’s robust regulatory landscape a key factor

Ireland’s robust regulatory landscape a key factor

We are a steward of the assets of 50 million clients around the world. What’s important to them is that we are a trusted organisation, and the products and services that we offer are trusted. The UCITS framework, as overseen by the Central Bank of Ireland, has the interests of investors at heart. What Ireland offers is a robust and retail-oriented regulatory framework aligned to what we want to offer to our clients.

Irish site chosen as one of only two global cybersecurity centres

Irish site chosen as one of only two global cybersecurity centres

We are a strong ecosystem with multiple parties, service providers like ourselves, management companies, commercial law firms, audit firms: it’s the synergy of all the different stakeholders working together… It’s the right balance between everyone having their own commercial imperatives but collaborating across an ecosystem that collectively facilitates growth and expansion.

Cork facility designated as European R&D Centre of Excellence

Cork facility designated as European R&D Centre of Excellence

The timing and scale of this Cadence investment is a real boost to Cork’s growing reputation as a specialised R&D hub. Due to our proximity to the University College Cork and Munster Technological University as well as to Ireland’s largest ICT research centre, The Tyndall Institute, the region provides an amazing engineering and computer science talent pool to draw from.

Strong growth over decades at software giant’s Irish operations

Strong growth over decades at software giant’s Irish operations

On the occasion of SAP celebrating 25 years in Ireland I would like to thank the Ireland Leadership team and all SAP Ireland employees in Dublin and Galway for their expertise, flexibility, motivation and exceptional customer focus. Over the past 25 years we have helped guide customers and partners on their transformation journeys and as SAP celebrates its 50th anniversary globally we look forward to helping even more customers run better and improving people’s lives.

Educated workforce enables rapid ramp-up for software company

Educated workforce enables rapid ramp-up for software company

In other jurisdictions that we looked at, they literally wanted you to land and sign the deal. Whereas the IDA were very powerful in thinking about the next wave of growth beyond the first 200 people, and what type of skills we might look for then. It genuinely does feel like a partnership rather than a one-and-done, and the after-sales experience is excellent too.

The European asset management HQ for the group set up in Dublin in 1997

The European asset management HQ for the group set up in Dublin in 1997

What makes the Irish ecosystem unique from other financial services centres in Europe is the breadth of different types of companies and businesses in the financial services industry, paired with the presence of a massive technology cohort. The location has helped a lot of cross-pollination and access to talent with the mindset of the tech companies. Today, financial services companies must become tech companies; you need these cultures blending together if you want to stay relevant.

Find your European home

Find your European home