Education and Industry
Athlone's major employers include companies such as Élan (pharmaceuticals), which originated in Athlone, Bioclin Laboratories (pharmaceuticals), Ericsson (telecommunications), Tyco Healthcare (medical equipment), Alcatel (cables), Utah Medical (medical equipment), Pharmaplaz (pharmaceuticals), Alienware (computer hardware), (ICT Eurotel (contact centre), and Athlone Extrusions (polymers).
Athlone is the regional centre for a large number of state and semi-state organisations. The Department of Education, The State Examinations Commission, Revenue Commissioners, FÁS Midlands Region, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann, IDA Ireland, and Enterprise Ireland all have bases in the town. Athlone is also a major Irish military centre, Custume Barracks on the West bank of the Shannon is the headquarters of the Western Command of the Irish Army.
Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) is the regional third level college. Athlone forms part of the Midlands Gateway along with Mullingar and Tullamore. Alongside Waterford's Institute of Technology, AIT harbours ambitions of attaining university status, as there is no institution providing university-level education in the Irish Midlands. The AIT has a campus size of 44 acres and is planning ad developing to expand further. The institutes new purpose-built facilities introduced are the; hospitality, tourism and leisure studies building (2003), nursing and health science building (2005), midlands innovation and research centre (2005), engineering and informatics building (2010), and postgraduate research hub (2010).RTÉ located its midlands studio and office to Athlone Institute of Technology.
The Athlone institute of technology has memorandum of understanding with Rio de Janeiro State University, one of the largest universities in the Brazilian city. The AIT also has agreements with Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais of the largest and most prestigious Brazilian private universities.The institute also founded agreements with two leading Beijing university's the Capital University of Economics and Business and Beijing Union University. The agreements were signed by the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland as well as university representatives.Other agreements exist between the AIT and TVTC in Saudi Arabia, and an memorandum of understanding with the Georgia Institute of Technology.Further agreements exist with the Bharati Vidyapeeth one of the largest university's in India.
There are five major secondary schools in the Athlone area. They are Athlone Community College (mixed), Our Lady's Bower (girls only), Marist College (boys only), St. Aloysius' College (boys only) and Summerhill College (girls only).
In June 2010, Brian Cowen announced his support of the proposed Euro/China training hub in Athlone. In May 2012, the project was given the go-ahead by An Bord Pleanála. When completed, it will comprise a total of nine exhibition halls, nine smaller independent exhibition buildings, one temporary exhibitions space, offices, administrative services, some living quarters, hotels, shops, restaurants, pubs, a school and train station.
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