US technology company Sonatus has opened an R&D and engineering centre in Dublin to expand its engineering and business capabilities.
The company develops in-vehicle and cloud software for several car manufacturers.
It said the new Dublin centre will support its service to existing and future customers, adding that Europe is an important hub for many major automotive manufacturers.
Sonatus has hired a local management team responsible for its Dublin operations.
So far there are nine employed, primarily in software engineering, but this is expected to grow to 15 by year end, with further growth into next year anticipated.
"Software technology in vehicles is accelerating and Sonatus is at the forefront of working with vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers to enable the future capabilities consumers will demand," Jeff Chou, co-founder and CEO of Sonatus, said today.
"We are investing in developing an R&D and engineering centre in Ireland to ensure we can respond effectively to the needs of our customers globally," he added.
Marc Synnott has been appointed as the General Manager of the Ireland office and brings over 20 years of management and financial experience to Sonatus.
The company said that staff in the new Dublin centre, which span a range of disciplines, will work closely with other Sonatus design centres around the world.
"The opportunities for software-defined vehicles are expanding significantly, but can be technically complicated, requiring close collaboration between automotive manufacturers and technology leaders like Sonatus," Marc Synnott said.
"This new R&D and engineering centre gives Sonatus access to Ireland's highly skilled and qualified pool of engineering and technical talent, and brings Sonatus closer to more customers as we continue to expand our business across Europe and the rest of the world," he added.
"IDA Ireland is proud of Ireland's reputation as a trusted technology hub and pleased to welcome Sonatus' new design centre in Dublin," Mary Buckley, Executive Director of IDA Ireland, said.
"This announcement is testament to the talent and expertise that global companies can access here. The automotive technology market is rapidly growing and Sonatus' arrival in Ireland will expand this important growth sector," she added.
