HCS to invest EUR €13.2m & create 125 jobs in Dublin

HCS will invest €13.2 million in the business by 2028 and create 125 jobs. The plan is expected to lift annual revenue to €30 million over the same period.

The Waterford-based IT services group said the new roles will span cybersecurity, risk, compliance, digital services, enterprise sales and presales. Recruitment has already begun, with total headcount expected to reach 175 across Waterford, Cork and Dublin.

The investment will be funded by shareholders and reinvested profits. HCS also plans to open a new office in Blanchardstown Corporate Park in Dublin, extending its presence beyond Waterford and Cork.

The Dublin site covers 4,500 square feet and includes technology infrastructure and shared workspaces for staff and customers. It will support the expansion of the team and its work in cybersecurity, cloud services and digital projects.

HCS serves more than 350 organisations across large enterprise, mid-market and small business segments. It has identified financial services, healthcare, hospitality, pharmaceutical and manufacturing as key growth markets.

Growth plan

Much of the expected revenue growth is set to come from digital services, including AI-related managed services. Rising customer use of AI is shaping demand as businesses look to automate tasks and improve productivity.

The announcement follows a change in ownership in late 2024, when HCS was acquired by Centric360, an investment company jointly owned by Pamela Farrell and Brian Larkin. HCS expects to report a 50% rise in revenue for its first full financial year under the new ownership structure, which ended on 31 March 2026.

"Having acquired the business in November 2024, we have already made a very strong start and look forward to reporting an estimated 50% revenue increase in our first full financial year, which ended on 31 March 2026," said Farrell, Managing Director of HCS.

HCS has operated in the Irish market for more than three decades. Its business centres on managed IT services, cybersecurity and digital transformation for organisations seeking to modernise systems and manage technology risk.

"As an Irish-owned company, we are focused on providing the capabilities and rigour global organisations require, alongside the responsiveness and agility of a local team. This investment will allow us to continue building our capabilities and service offering for customers," said Farrel.

"Opening a new Dublin office is a major milestone for us. The city is home to some of Ireland's most dynamic businesses, and an expanded base there, alongside our existing Waterford and Cork offices, puts us in a stronger position to serve that market and attract talent," she continued.

Farrell said the investment will accelerate its expansion into AI and cybersecurity while strengthening its footprint and supporting customers facing increasingly complex challenges.

"This investment reflects our confidence that we are ideally positioned to capitalise on high-growth areas such as AI and cybersecurity. It marks a significant acceleration in our growth plans as we expand our teams and strengthen our presence across the country. In turn, this will help us meet evolving customer needs and support them in increasingly complex work environments."

Dublin expansion

The move into Dublin gives HCS a larger base in the country's biggest commercial market as it seeks to win more business in sectors with complex technology and compliance requirements. Blanchardstown Corporate Park is an established business location on the west side of the capital, home to a range of logistics, industrial and office tenants.

The planned recruitment points to a broad expansion rather than a narrow technical one. Cybersecurity, compliance and risk roles suggest demand from regulated sectors, while digital services, sales and presales roles indicate a push to increase both delivery capacity and commercial reach.

For the wider Irish technology services market, the investment underlines continued demand for local providers that can combine managed services with advisory and project work. Many customers are reassessing cyber resilience, cloud costs and AI deployment at the same time, creating opportunities for firms that can address several areas of that spending.

Much of HCS's growth is expected to come from digital services, including AI-driven managed services.