IMR to receive €460,000 for R&D projects
Funding has been allocated to IMR for equipment to carry out vital research and development projects.
Deputy Peter Burke said: “My colleague, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, has announced the successful applicants of the Capital Equipment Fund administered by Enterprise Ireland through the Technology Gateway and Technology Centre Programmes.
“The Capital Funding Programme provides industry with access to critical equipment and infrastructure which will help them to build resilience and to remain globally competitive, particularly in the face of challenges such as those posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“There were 37 successful applicants from across the third level sector that have secured some €6 million in funding, and I am delighted that IMR will receive more than €460,000 in funding to secure equipment for research projects.
“Included in this is €117,000 for a Dry Electropolishing System, €216,000 for a multi-robot system and €130,000 for a three-axis CNC milling machine.
“They are doing fantastic work in IMR, in the old Imperial Tobacco Site, establishing Mullingar as a centre for excellent for robotics.
“This ties in with the work of Robotics and Drives, Trend Technology and other robotic experts, all located in the town, who are all contributing to the global development of this fast-paced industry.
“This is on top of €23 million government funding over five years which was allocated last year to IMR – and it is great to see the facility go from strength to strength.
“The winners were selected through a rigorous evaluation process based on eligibility criteria which included a strong track record of industry engagement, a significant industrial need for the new equipment, and space to service and maintain the equipment according to international standards.
“Due to the difficulties presented by Covid-19 to our economy and society, we must ensure that we are doing all we can to support companies and research centres in Mullingar so that they can continue Ireland’s strong track record of being at the forefront of cutting-edge research and development.”