Economic Profile

Cork City is a medium-sized European city with a population of 210,853 people, Cork City is the second-largest urban population in Ireland and is the economic powerhouse of the southwest region

Home to over 190 multinational companies including Apple, Boston Scientific and Janssen, Cork City has a diverse economic base with a strong concentration of activity in ICT, Life Sciences, International Services, Business Services, Education, Health and Retail sectors and is the main service centre for the Southwest Region. The wider city region also has a strong pharma and biopharma sector.

Cork City has become a top choice for investment due to a wealth of talent produced across a variety of disciplines by the city's two universities university College Cork and Munster Technological University and a highly innovative, supportive and collaborative business eco-system created by Cork City Council and other city stakeholders.
Cork City benefits greatly from its status as a hub for third level institutions and learning. Cork City is a university city with two Higher Education facilities: University College Cork and Munster Technological University (incorporating the Crawford College of Art & Design and Cork School of Music). Cork City is also home to three Further Education colleges and some leading-edge research institutes which have helped develop Cork City’s knowledge-based economy.

“Cork is an attractive place to do business – it has a strong pipeline of talented people as well as having a healthy ecosystem (research centres, academic institutes, local agencies, etc) that supports businesses at all levels.”

Gary Hartnett
General Manager Janssen