Siemens, the engineering and technology firm, said it had won a £4.5 million (€5.7 million) contract yesterday which would safeguard and create new jobs at its support centre in Cork. The contract to support customers and dealers of Siemens Information and Communications Mobile Group was won following a competitive tender.

Siemens said it would secure the positions of 200 staff already employed at the centre and facilitate the creation of about 100 new positions next year. Last week, Siemens announced a further round of global job losses, raising fears this would affect its operations in the Republic.

Siemens employs 865 people located in Dublin and Cork, with support centres in 17 further locations.