Dutch software company Unit4 is shifting 300 jobs from the Netherlands to Poland, Spain and Portugal over the next two years, the Financieele Dagblad reports.

The company, in the hands of an American private equity house since last year, is centralising its research and development and customer service departments in these three countries, the paper says.

Unit4 has some 1,000 workers in the Netherlands, operating in five different locations. Its global workforce is around 4,100. The company supplies business support software.

Chief executive Jose Duarte told the FD the reduction is essential to maintain the company’s competitive position and it is relatively late compared with its peers in centralising activities. The Netherlands will remain the company’s marketing headquarters.

The paper says he also admitted that lower wage costs in Poland, Spain and Portugal are an additional reason for the shift and that there are many IT professionals available.