SIEMENS LIMITED is hiring 60 skilled technical and network specialists for its operation in Cork city.

The expansion follows its securing of a number of new contracts, and the company said the jobs would be in its IT solutions and services division in the city.

Werner Kruckow, Siemens Ireland chief executive officer, said one of the new contracts it had secured was a multi-million euro deal to provide IT assistance for a multinational firm in nine languages in 34 countries.

Siemens beat competitors to this contract in part due to the company's "ability to hire people of the appropriate skill sets" in Ireland, Dr Kruckow said.

Siemens employs more than 1,100 people in offices in Dublin, Cork and Belfast. The company already employs 270 people in Cork.

Last week Siemens said it was going to cut 16,750 jobs world-wide, including 5,250 in Germany, in an attempt to save €2 billion by 2010. The company did not say whether the worldwide cutbacks would affect Ireland.

Corporate communications manager with Siemens in Ireland Michael O'Connor said he expected headquarters to say whether Irish jobs with Siemens will be affected later this month, when the company is due to issue its earnings statement for the third quarter.

He said the worldwide cuts were to be concentrated on back office and administrative roles, whereas Siemens's Irish operations tended to concentrate on manufacturing, sales and service areas.

He pointed out that one of the reasons Cork had won a new contract was its competitive cost base. Hiring for the new posts is under way.