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Driven by a future vision for embedded configurable platforms, Xilinx will tap into a rich research environment in Ireland and throughout Europe. The XRL Ireland team will partner with local academic and commercial researchers in the field of networking and emerging network architectures, an area in which programmable microchips can make a major contribution due to their versatility and high performance.

Today's ceremony was hosted by Wim Roelandts, Xilinx Chairman, President and CEO and Ivo Bolsens, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer with Micheal Martin, T.D., Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and Paul McCambridge, Vice President and Managing Director of Xilinx Ireland. Among a prestigious list of government dignitaries, academic and commercial researchers, and customers attending the event were U.S. Ambassador James C. Kenny, representatives of the new Centre for Telecommunications Value-Chain-Driven Research (Trinity College), Lucent Technologies Bell Labs Ireland, Imperial College London, Strathclyde University and Queens University Belfast.

"We're delighted that Xilinx is deepening its ties with the European research community through its new XRL Ireland research centre," said Lawrence Cowsar, Executive Director, Lucent Technologies Bell Labs Ireland. "This is a natural next step in expanding the long-time alliance between Bell Labs and Xilinx Research Labs in the U.S. to encompass Bell Labs Ireland and XRL Ireland."

"We're honoured to join forces with the best and the brightest researchers in Ireland and throughout Europe in our quest to invent the future of scalable, reconfigurable computing architectures - for systems ranging from cheap and simple appliances through to high-end network switching devices," said Ivo Bolsens, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Xilinx. "Today's XRL Ireland news represents a major milestone for Xilinx in tackling the key research questions associated with future telecommunications systems."

About Xilinx Research Labs

The mission of Xilinx Research Labs is to carry out speculative research to invent and discover technological solutions that create new business opportunities for Xilinx, or significantly advance its current business.

About Xilinx European Headquarters

Xilinx is one of Ireland's leading foreign direct investment partners. Since establishing its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland in 1995, the company has invested in excess of EURO 125 million in the largest facility operated by Xilinx outside of North America. Xilinx employs 450 in Ireland and currently operates an advanced R&D, engineering and operations centre in Dublin.

About Xilinx

Xilinx is the worldwide leader in complete programmable logic solutions. For more information, visit www.xilinx.com

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CONTACT: Nichola Martinus, PR for Xilinx Europe, +44870 7356 526, or
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Web site: http://www.xilinx.com/