Dublin to the Digital Age
From Dublin to the Digital Age: The Mercury Engineering Story
It all started in 1972, in a modest office in Dublin. Mercury Engineering wasn’t trying to change the world. At the time, they were simply a smart, hardworking team of engineers focused on mechanical and electrical projects. Commercial buildings, pharma plants, industrial sites—they built solid things that worked, and they built them well. That was the mission.
But like all good stories, Mercury’s journey took a turn. And it led them straight into the heart of one of the most complex, high-stakes industries on the planet: semiconductors.
They didn’t know it at the time, of course. No one did. But a quiet revolution was brewing—one powered by silicon wafers, microscopic circuits, and cleanrooms that made operating theatres look dusty. And Mercury Engineering was about to become one of its most important players.
The Knock on the Door
In the late 1980s, something big happened in Ireland. Intel—a name that, even back then, carried serious tech weight—chose a small town called Leixlip in County Kildare as the site for its new European chip manufacturing facility. For Ireland, it was a turning point. For Mercury Engineering, it was a knock on the door that would change everything.
Intel needed builders. Not just builders of walls and ceilings—but builders of environments. Cleanrooms with air cleaner than the Alps. HVAC systems that didn’t flinch at nanometre tolerances. Power grids that could hum 24/7 for decades without a hiccup. Mercury put up its hand.
It wasn’t long before they were neck-deep in the project, learning the language of fabs: ISO class ratings, process utilities, high-purity piping, specialty gas delivery systems. It was a steep curve—but Mercury climbed it fast. They weren’t just keeping up; they were setting a pace.
And so began a relationship with Intel that continues to this day, one expansion after another. If you’ve ever walked through the vast clean corridors of Intel’s Irish fabs, chances are Mercury helped build them.
Becoming Cleanroom Royalty
From that moment on, Mercury Engineering didn’t look back. As the world’s appetite for semiconductors grew, so did Mercury’s reputation as one of the only firms in Europe that could deliver semiconductor-grade engineering with clockwork precision.
They became experts in the art of cleanroom construction—those spotless, climate-controlled environments where the world’s most advanced chips are born. They mastered process piping for exotic gases like silane and ammonia, systems so specialized they make most engineers sweat. They built electrical networks that powered not just machines, but entire ecosystems of automation and analytics.
They became, in short, cleanroom royalty. And their client list? It started to look very global, very fast.
Going Global—One Fab at a Time
Mercury’s name spread well beyond Ireland’s green shores. Projects cropped up in Israel, where fabs sprawled across the desert. Then in the Netherlands, where a new wave of photonics and chip tooling facilities emerged. And then in Germany, as Europe’s biggest economy began investing heavily in local chip manufacturing.
Everywhere they went, Mercury brought their now-trademark blend of deep technical skill, collaborative working style, and Irish pragmatism.
Their secret wasn’t just what they built—it was how they worked. They didn’t show up just to pour concrete and run cables. They showed up with engineers who understood how chip fabs functioned. They worked together with semiconductor companies, often embedding directly with their teams. Mercury wasn’t a supplier anymore. They were a partner.
The Boom Years: Semiconductors Take Centre Stage
Then came the 2020s.
The pandemic reminded the world of just how dependent we are on semiconductors. Cars sat unfinished in factories. Laptops were back-ordered for months. Entire economies felt the pinch of missing chips.
Suddenly, governments everywhere started paying attention. In Europe, the EU Chips Act was born, promising over €40 billion to bring semiconductor manufacturing back home. Intel, TSMC, and other giants responded with announcements of mega-fabs in places like Magdeburg, Dresden, and beyond.
Guess who’s been quietly helping prepare the ground, design the systems, and build the ultra-clean environments for these mega-fabs? You got it—Mercury Engineering.
Not Just Bigger—Smarter and Greener
But Mercury isn’t just scaling up—they’re evolving.
Today, they build fabs faster using modular construction, fabricating components offsite and assembling them with surgical precision. They use digital engineering tools like BIM and laser scanning to plan, simulate, and troubleshoot long before boots hit the ground. And they’ve embraced sustainability as a core value—cutting carbon, reducing water use, and helping fabs reach their green goals. They’re not just building bigger—they’re building smarter.
And it’s not just about tech, either. Mercury is investing in its people—training the next generation of engineers and tradespeople, nurturing talent through apprenticeships, and building a culture that keeps top minds around for the long haul.
Still Irish. Still Independent. Still Building.
Despite their global reach, Mercury has stayed true to their roots. The company is still headquartered in Dublin. It’s still privately held. And it’s still driven by the same ethos that launched it over 50 years ago: do the work right and treat people well.
In the world of semiconductors—where the only constant is change—that kind of consistency is rare. And valuable.