Auto parts giant Aptiv moving headquarters from Britain to Ireland

DUBLIN, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Aptiv, a global auto parts technology company, announced on Wednesday that it is moving its global headquarters to the Irish capital Dublin from Britain due to Ireland's more favourable business operation environment.

The announcement was made following a meeting of Aptive's President and CEO Kevin Clark with Irish officials in Dublin.

"With Ireland's strong pro-business environment, Dublin's talented workforce, and strong partners in government and the private and academic sectors, this vibrant city is one of the most attractive and appealing locations in which to operate," said Clark, adding that Dublin is "the right choice for our global headquarters".

"Aptiv's decision to relocate their global headquarters to Dublin is a great vote of confidence in Ireland and what we have to offer," said Heather Humphreys, Irish Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, during the meeting.

She said the Irish government has been making strenuous efforts to ensure that Ireland has the right conditions in place to meet the needs of leading global technology companies such as Aptiv, and Ireland is now well-established as a vibrant technology hub.

"Aptiv is at the forefront of innovation and technology and the establishment of their headquarters here will lead to the creation of quality jobs in the coming months and years," she added.

Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland, a state agency responsible for attracting of foreign direct investment in Ireland, said that Aptiv's decision to relocate its global headquarters to Dublin is an excellent endorsement of Ireland's attractiveness for high quality foreign direct investment.

According to IDA Ireland, Aptiv's global headquarters in Dublin will employ hundreds of professionals in information technology, supply chain management and finance. So far the company has reportedly recruited 150 people in Dublin and it plans to grow its Irish workforce to 250 by the end of 2018.

According to local media reports, Aptive will move into its new offices in downtown Dublin by the middle of this year.

Originally headquartered in Gillingham, Kent, Britain, Aptive operates manufacturing sites, technical centers and customer centers across over 40 countries. Enditem