Ireland has been at the forefront of technology growth in Europe for decades. Many of the world\u2019s largest and leading technology companies have established significant European operations here, creating jobs, investment and expertise and helping Ireland to build a strong, successful technology sector. <\/p>\n
AI is the next test of that success. Ireland is already one of Europe\u2019s leading adopters of AI, but the question now is how we use that position to build AI businesses, to develop intellectual property and to create lasting economic value in Ireland.<\/p>\n
This question feels particularly timely after the recent International AI Summit hosted in Dublin as part of Ireland\u2019s presidency of the Council of the European Union, which very much brought the topic into focus. <\/p>\n
Ireland has spent decades building an enviable position at the intersection of US technology investment and the European single market. Ambition is everything and Ireland should now aim not only to host, regulate and use AI, but also to become a place where valuable AI products are developed and commercialised.<\/p>\n
There is a strong foundation from which to do so. Microsoft\u2019s latest Global AI Diffusion report puts Ireland\u2019s AI user share at 49.9 per cent, the highest in the EU and significantly above the global average of 18.8 per cent. It gives Ireland a strong starting point. <\/p>\n
Much of the global debate about AI has focused on the foundations of the technology: energy, chips, data centres and large AI models. Those layers do matter and Ireland already has significant assets in technology infrastructure. <\/p>\n
For Ireland, however, the greatest opportunity may lie higher up the value chain in the application layer, the applications that turn AI capability into useful products and services for particular industries. <\/p>\n
Where Ireland Can Compete<\/p>\n
Ireland already has considerable expertise in sectors where AI could change how complex businesses operate, including technology, financial services, life sciences and healthcare. Businesses here do not need to build the next frontier model to create valuable AI intellectual property. They can combine their knowledge of those industries with increasingly capable AI tools to develop products that their clients will actually use and which can solve real commercial problems.<\/p>\n
The investment environment is also encouraging.<\/p>\n
Pitchbook data records \u20ac947.3 million across 182 Irish AI deals since January 2025, including \u20ac256 million across 75 deals so far in 2026. It places Ireland second in Europe for AI venture-capital deal count per capita. <\/p>\n