Cadence forges links with UCC

9 Mar 2023

Senior representatives from Cadence Design Systems Inc., a pivotal global leader in electronic systems design and automation recently visited UCC to meet academics from the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science.  

Cadence has forged strong links with UCC, ranging from funding support to donating high-end servers and software which will significantly increase computing power and facilitate leading-edge research in strategically important areas. 

Visiting staff from Cadence included Tarak Ray, Chief Information Officer and Corporate VP; Sreeni Kancharla, Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer; Brendan Pollard, IT Group Director, EMEA Operations; and Steven Hollands, International HQ Site Director.   

The company’s support has impacted students across the university, from the Schools of Engineering, Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science to research centres such as Insight SFI Centre for Data Analytics and the Environmental Research Institute. Many students studying electrical and computer engineering, computer science and mathematics now use Cadence tools in their project work. 

In 2020, Cadence opened a new R&D Centre of Excellence in Cork. This European R&D hub is already driving innovation in state-of-the-art electronic design automation tooling development and Intellectual property creation for areas such as hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, mobile, aerospace, and healthcare. 

Since 2020, Cadence has grown its international HQ (IHQ) to > 150 employees in Cork.  In the next phase of expansion, Cadence plans to add an additional 200 IHQ based R&D positions and will continue to expand its Irish footprint, with additional new offices in Dublin and Galway. 

Currently, more than 50 electronics companies in Ireland use tools produced by Cadence. The total annual exports from this sector are estimated at €9bn with 8,000 high-value jobs, 1,500 of these directly involved with design or product development. 

Steven Hollands, Software Engineering Group and International HQ Site Director, Cadence commented: 

“As we accelerate our expansion to develop our new international HQ, our partnership with UCC plays a central role and is pivotal to developing the wider STEM ecosystem. We are delighted to have UCC as a primary partner as we move into the next phase of our development.”

Emanuel Popovici, Senior Lecturer and Chair of Industry Relations Committee at the School of Engineering and Architecture and researcher with INSIGHT and MaREI Science Foundation Ireland research Centres said:

“We are delighted with the help and support from Cadence. Their help and generosity are instrumental in delivering excellence in both student experience as well as in research, in a connected campus and indeed within a connected Cork Technology Cluster. Cadence’s generosity touches already so many people”. 

Professor Sarah Culloty, Head, College of Science, Engineering and Food Science added: 

"We are delighted to welcome Cadence to Cork and thank them for their support of our students and our research. We are excited to see the potential innovations that will emerge from this new collaboration with UCC". 

About Cadence Designs Systems Inc. 

Cadence aim to influence the future design of everyday technology from smartphones to driverless cars. Cadence Design Systems build upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise to “turn great ideas into reality”, working with world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to complete systems for the most dynamic market applications including mobile, aerospace, consumer, industrial, and healthcare.