I’m delighted to be here today for the official opening of LinkedIn’s new EMEA headquarters.
Thank you Sharon for the invitation to be with you all today to mark this important milestone for LinkedIn in Ireland.
Your CEO, Jeff Wiener, who visited here last year, likes to say that “You have to maintain a culture of transformation and stay true to your values”, in everything that you do, and today’s opening certainly reflects that philosophy.
This new EMEA HQ is the first such building outside the United States and will be transformative.
It is also a strong endorsement of the Government's economic and job creation strategy because it reaffirms that Ireland is the perfect location for investment.
We are an island at the centre of the world - at the heart of the common European home we helped to build - confident about our place in the world at a time when so many other countries are not.
Ireland's economy
When LinkedIn first came to Ireland in 2010 we were in the middle of one of our darkest periods economically. But even at the peak of our economic crisis we continued to attract high levels of investment from leading companies like LinkedIn.
You believed in us, even when others were writing us off. And you helped us through the worst. Today, thanks to your investment and the sacrifices of the Irish people, our economy has recovered, and we are now facing the future with renewed confidence.
We are now one of the fastest growing economies in Europe with growth of 4.3% forecast for this year.
When we introduced our Action Plan for Jobs in 2012 we wanted to create 100,000 jobs in four years. We more than met that target, and today over 225,000 more people are at work.
LinkedIn contributed significantly to this. When you first opened here in Ireland in 2010 there were only three members of staff. Today the number is 1,200 and we were delighted with your announcement last November of 200 new positions being created. You needed that growth to match your own incredible success, with an estimated two new members joining every second, making you the world’s largest professional network online.
Ireland as a location for investment
The talent that we have here in Ireland is central to the continued success of LinkedIn.
In this country, we have always been good as networkers and connectors. Perhaps it is no coincidence that we are now an important location for a company which specialises in leveraging personal relationships and linkages as a tool for success.
As a committed member of the Eurozone, we have a highly-educated English-speaking population and a business-friendly environment.
In addition to a pro-business environment, we offer a stable and competitive corporation tax regime and strong incentives for research and development.
We have an outward-looking vision and positive business environment, and it was no surprise that Forbes magazine ranked us the best country in the Eurozone in which to do business last year.
However, we cannot stand still. We will need to remain competitive in areas such as skills, and talent availability, and innovation to maintain and strengthen our growing position.
Education & Skills
One of your co-founders, and a former CEO, Reid Hoffman, liked to quote Theodore Roosevelt and say that:
Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
That will certainly be the case here in your magnificent new building. I also like another piece of wisdom from Teddy Roosevelt that has helped guide me in my political career: ‘Progress is accomplished by the person who does things’.
This Government is committed to making progress in building a Republic of Opportunity where people are encouraged to be the best they can possibly be. Encouraged to reach their potential and to make a better life for themselves and their children.
Education is crucial to achieving this vision. Our Action Plan for Education sets out our ambition to become the best in Europe over the next decade.
This is not a vague aspiration. The plan sets very specific objectives and actions to deliver this ambitious goal.
It will ensure that students emerge from our education system with the skills and talents needed to work in innovative companies like LinkedIn.
It puts a specific focus on STEM subjects and opportunities in computer science and coding at second and third level.
This ambitious and comprehensive plan for Education is complemented by our National Skills Strategy which provides a clear vision of sustaining and increasing Ireland's pool of talent to 2025.
It encourages active participation of employers in skills development, and promotes lifelong learning.
These initiatives will support the rich pool of talent available to companies like LinkedIn, and help to drive innovation in the interests of social and economic progress.
Only last week I was pleased to be present at the announcement of four new SFI Research Centres and it shows our commitment to funding, supporting and imagining the Ireland of the future.
We are also committed to supporting companies like LinkedIn to grow and develop.
Today represents just one further milestone in a long-standing and prosperous relationship between Ireland and LinkedIn.
And I wish you every success.
Thank you