Hewlett Packard has announced it is to develop a new high-tech facility to replace its existing plant in Galway.

The new building will be dedicated to research and development, cloud technology and business services with capacity for between 700 and 800 staff.

It will be built on a site next to HP's current European Software Centre in Ballybrit in Galway which will close.

It is hoped work on the new facility and the creation of 150 construction jobs will get underway later this year once final planning permission is approved.

"Our facilities in Galway are proving to successfully attract some of the best and brightest talent in key IT growth areas for HP," said John Hinshaw, Executive Vice President of Global Technology and Operations.

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny visited the plant in Galway saying "The construction of a new state of the art R&D building by HP is a testament to their Galway staff and operations in Ireland. HP has been a valued business partner in Ireland throughout the years and this new investment will see HP and Ireland remain at the forefront of software research and cloud computing technology."

Here you can watch HP EVP John Hinshaw explain the decision to build this facility in Galway.