Two €5m tech centres launched to turn ideas into jobs


20 May 2011

Two R&D industry-led technology centres have been launched with the objective of turning good R&D ideas into good jobs as part of the Government’s €55m investment in commercialisation initiatives.

The centres are collaborative entities established and led by industry and resourced by researchers associated with research institutions, who undertake market-focused strategic R&D for the benefit of industry.

“If we are to develop the companies of the future in Ireland, both indigenous and multinational, we must not only fund high-tech research in our universities but also crucially ensure that the research ideas we have developed can be put into action in industry,” said Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD.

“In this way, new businesses can be created and established companies can expand and create more jobs.

Improving competitiveness and energy efficiency

The two centres are The Irish Centre for Manufacturing Research (ICMR Ltd) and Innovation for Ireland’s Energy Efficiency (I2E2) Research Centre.

Based at Intel, the ICMR will focus on research to enable Irish manufacturing industries to improve competitiveness via breakthroughs in cost reduction, service levels, customer responsiveness, output and productivity, cycle time and time to market, flexibility and workforce development, waste reduction and product quality.  

The participating companies include Intel, DePuy J&J, Boston Scientific, Analog Devices, Seagate, Bombardier, Ceramicx, EMC2 and Pfizer. Overall productivity savings of 10pc have been identified and are being pursued.

Meanwhile, the I2E2 research centre focuses on the reduction of energy costs within the manufacturing sector.  

Based at DePuy, the participating companies include DePuy J&J, Analog Devices, Aughinish, Intel, Pfizer, Ceramicx, Crowley Carbon, Bombardier, Carbury, Boston Scientific and EMC2.  

Overall electricity consumption cost savings of 10pc have been identified and are being pursued, with the attendant environmental benefit in emissions reductions.