Dr Siobhan Roche
Director, Science for the Economy, Science Foundation Ireland
Representing 34% of Ireland’s economic output and employing over 20% of the workforce, Ireland’s manufacturing sector stands at the forefront of economic growth.
Internationally, the manufacturing landscape is undergoing unprecedented disruption, fuelled by technological advancements such as artificial intelligence, automation/robotics, additive manufacturing (3D printing), augmented reality/virtual reality and digital transformation while the emergence of quantum computing promises further transformation across the sector in the coming years.
Requirement to adapt to tech
Investing in research, innovation and skills development is crucial for companies and other organisations to stay at the forefront of the technological revolution and to drive forward the development of sustainable manufacturing processes. Collaboration with leading academic centres can help companies on their transformation journey.
Achieving Ireland’s ambitious objective of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will require an unprecedented, coordinated effort.
Value of research centres across manufacturing
Science Foundation Ireland awards facilitated academic-industry collaborations to help cultivate an ecosystem and talent pipeline that is ready to meet the demands of a challenging future. Our research centres serve as invaluable hubs that bridge scientists and engineers from academia and industry.
These centres are fostering innovation, advancing research and translating the outcomes into practical solutions across the manufacturing sector. They specialise in areas such as materials science and processing technologies, advanced manufacturing techniques and the application of AI and real-time data analytics to enable more optimised and sustainable manufacturing processes.
A new call for research centres — the first in seven years — was announced in September 2023 and features manufacturing and materials as one of six priority areas. This provides an exciting opportunity to further bolster the sector through cutting-edge research and innovation.
Remaining competitive through innovation
The European Commission’s ‘Industry 5.0 — A Transformative Vision for Europe’ report underscores the role of digital technologies in fostering sustainable economic models. While several reports have highlighted the slow adoption of digital and sustainable manufacturing technologies by Irish manufacturers, the importance of remaining competitive, through research and development, cannot be overstated. This includes the ability to respond promptly to emerging trends like digitisation, sustainability and novel manufacturing methods.
Achieving Ireland’s ambitious objective of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will require an unprecedented, coordinated effort. We are all stakeholders in that drive. Such a future envisions a low-cost, low-risk design of new products and the manufacture of high-value components, integrating environmentally positive manufacturing practices across the entire value chain.
With a growing emphasis on sustainability, the demand for research, development and innovation is inevitably surging. This presents a unique opportunity for current and aspiring engineers and scientists to shape the future.
