Seagate Drives Data Storage Innovation to Boost Northern Ireland Economy
▼ Summary
– Seagate is investing £100 million over five years in nano-photonic innovation in Northern Ireland, supported by an additional £15 million from Invest NI.
– The investment aims to develop next-generation hard drives, specifically Mozaic 6+ technology, to achieve capacities of 60TB and beyond, targeting 100TB drives.
– This project will create new skilled jobs, expand the local supplier ecosystem, and boost Northern Ireland’s economy and global competitiveness in technology.
– Seagate’s Northern Ireland facility is a global center for photonics R&D, producing over a quarter of the world’s recording heads and pioneering semiconductor laser technology.
– The initiative involves collaboration with local universities, research organizations, and the Smart Nano NI Consortium to advance innovation and efficiency in product development.
Seagate Technology is making a major investment of £115 million to advance next-generation hard drive development in Northern Ireland, reinforcing the region’s leadership in photonics innovation. This five-year initiative, supported by both private and public funding, aims to meet surging global demand for high-capacity data storage driven by artificial intelligence and hyperscale data centers.
The company will invest £100 million in research and development at its Derry/Londonderry facility, with an additional £15 million contributed by Invest Northern Ireland. This collaboration is designed to accelerate the creation of cutting-edge storage technologies, including drives with capacities reaching 60TB and beyond, while also strengthening the local economy through job creation and expanded supplier networks.
John Morris, Chief Technology Officer at Seagate, emphasized the strategic importance of the initiative. He noted that the Northern Ireland site already produces over a quarter of the world’s recording heads and is a hub for semiconductor laser R&D. “This investment allows us to push the boundaries of storage technology, ensuring we can deliver not just massive capacity, but also unmatched reliability and scalability,” Morris stated.
Kieran Donoghue, Chief Executive of Invest NI, highlighted the long-standing partnership with Seagate and the role of public support in securing high-value innovation locally. “This project reinforces Northern Ireland’s position at the forefront of global technology manufacturing and R&D,” he said.
The investment is expected to generate highly skilled roles in engineering and manufacturing while fostering deeper ties with local academic institutions such as Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University. Through initiatives like the Smart Nano NI Consortium, Seagate is collaborating with regional stakeholders to pioneer smarter, more efficient nano-photonic technologies.
Fergus O’Donnell, Vice President of Wafer Operations in Northern Ireland, affirmed that the commitment will create significant opportunities for the community and enhance the site’s world-class capabilities. “Innovation and partnership are central to our strategy and our continued leadership in technology manufacturing,” he added.
Northern Ireland’s robust ecosystem of industry and academic collaboration in photonics is set to benefit substantially from this injection of funding and expertise. The region is increasingly recognized as a critical hub for light-based technology, with applications extending into healthcare, analytics, and diagnostics.
Seagate’s Derry/Londonderry facility, which employs more than 1,500 people, plays a central role in the company’s global photonics strategy. It specializes in Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology, which is essential for achieving higher areal densities and larger drive capacities. The site’s advanced on-wafer-laser capability has become a strategic asset, enabling the development of flagship products like the Exos® family of hard drives.
As data centers worldwide continue to adopt higher-capacity storage solutions, Seagate’s ongoing innovations are paving the way for drives exceeding 100TB, setting new industry benchmarks for performance and efficiency.
(Source: MEA Tech Watch)