Data storage company, Seagate Technology, has announced an extension of its long-standing relationship with Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI) to invest in breakthrough nano-photonic innovation in Northern Ireland.
Seagate’s investment of £100 million for this 5-year R&D project unlocks an additional £15 million grant from Invest NI, boosting Derry/Londonderry’s local economy and enabling Seagate to develop its Mozaic 6+ technology.
To meet rising global demand for data storage capacity, driven by hyperscale data centers and the AI data boom, Seagate is developing state-of-the-art hard drives that can achieve industry-leading data capacities. These investments will usher in the next generation of hard drive innovation and research and development at Seagate’s Derry/Londonderry site.
On the announcement, John Morris, CTO of Seagate Technology, said: “In today’s AI-driven world, data volume isn’t just growing—the value of data is evolving as organizations rethink what it takes to train AI models and retain new, highly valuable data. To unlock data’s full potential, we need storage solutions that are not only massive in capacity but engineered for reliability, durability, and scale. That’s exactly what this investment enables. Our Northern Ireland facility is a global center of excellence, producing over a quarter of the world’s recording heads and pioneering semiconductor laser R&D—critical for next-generation hard drives. With Invest NI’s support, we’re accelerating the development of 60TB and beyond capacities, laying the foundation for achieving 100 TB drives. This project will expand our global engineering expertise and reinforce our long-standing commitment to innovation in Northern Ireland.”
Kieran Donoghue, Chief Executive at Invest NI, said: “We have worked very closely with Seagate over the past three decades and have helped the facility here evolve into a world-leading manufacturing and pioneering R&D Centre. We are delighted to support the Seagate team with this latest project and secure the development of the new recording heads and laser technology in the North West.
“This puts Northern Ireland at the forefront of the company’s innovation plans and will enable it to ramp up productivity through state-of the-art equipment. The Seagate and Invest NI teams will now work together to ensure the successful implementation of this major investment.”
The combined investments will create new, highly skilled jobs within R&D and manufacturing departments at Seagate as well as expand the local supplier ecosystem through increased materials and labor sourcing from the local community. By leveraging public and private investment, Seagate will capitalize on homegrown expertise and excellence, boosting Northern Ireland’s international competitiveness and positioning the region as a global hub for innovation.
Fergus O’Donnell, VP of Wafer Operations NI, commented: “This renewed commitment will drive opportunity for our community as we continue to invest in a world-class team and facility at the site. Innovation and partnerships are central to our success and will strengthen our regional and global leadership in technology and manufacturing excellence.”
Through the Smart Nano NI Consortium, a regional programme focused on nano-photonics research and development, Seagate is working with key stakeholders to create new, advanced methods for making products smarter and more efficient. This collaboration is helping develop new technologies that benefit local businesses and research groups. Seagate’s ongoing collaborations with local universities and research organizations, such as Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University, are advancing its R&D capabilities. Additional funding will also enable university programmes to advance and grow.
Staff Reporter
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