Mullingar to host manufacturing and polymer contingent from Europe

Efforts to have Mullingar host a contingent from Europe next year made up of Polymeris, the national polymer cluster in Europe, and EIT Manufacturing, one of Europe’s biggest manufacturing networks, are under way.

Caitriona Mordan, cluster manager with Advanced Technologies in Manufacturing (ATIM), was speaking at a council SPC, when she informed members of the plans. ATIM looks at towns like Mullingar to examine how they can be made more attractive and competitive, anaylising investment and infrastructure, support for advanced manufacturing, training and education.

"We’re also a network department for EIT manufacturing, one of the biggest manufacturing networks in Europe, funded by the European Commission, and they have specific funds for clusters and network partners. IMR (Irish Manufacturing Research) are a partner in that as well," the Tullamore native explained.

Looking at plastics and rubber, Ms Mordan said Polymeris is the national polymer cluster in Europe, with 400 members, and ATIM is looking to sign an MOU with them.

"They want to come over to Ireland, to the midlands, due to the fact that we have first polymer training skillnet in the region, we have IMR and TUS (Technological University of the Shannon), we’re anchored by that activity as well as the industry… while EIT Manufacturing want to send a communications team.

Ms Mordan was speaking at a presentation to members of the Economic, Enterprise and Tourism SPC in council chambers, where she outlined how the ATIM cluster was founded under the remit of Project Ireland 2040, funded by the Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The cluster is one of 12 nationwide, each with its own remit, Kerry for example, specialises in the agri-tech sector, while Cork specialises in cybersecurity.

Here, the ATIM cluster has a networking group up of 55 companies. Industry driven, ATIM has a steering committee made up of Tony Woods, MD Midland Steel; Carmel Owens, CEO Sidero; John Duncan, digital transformation specialist Enterprise Ireland; Andrew Lynch, chief innovation officer, Irish Manufacturing Research; Sean Lyons, Dean Engineering and Informatics, TUS; Aisling Nolan, chief People and Technology Officer, Mergon; Niall Fay, managing director, Grant Engineering; and Vinnie Glennon, CEO Critical Healthcare.

The aim of the group is to provide sustainable growth in the sector, as well as supporting digital transition for companies, and encouraging the region to thrive through talent and skills with the support of institutions like TUS, which has a campus in Athlone, as well as research, development and innovation.

It also works with the ETBs, such as Longford Westmeath, as well as Skillnet.

It aims to create "better strategic connection so that the companies within a certain region or area can thrive by adopting and having a more dynamic flow of information between universities and knowledge providers," said Ms Mordan.

One of 12 cluster managers appointed in 2020, Ms Mordan says the clusters have a reach of 250,000 SMEs, and they meet on an ongoing basis, generating opportunities for cross cluster connectivity.

Ms Mordan said they are building on sustainability for the long-term, "bringing in all the companies from the manufacturing side, and equally, we have a strong strength in the region around software, so it’s really merging those companies looking for opportunities to work together".

"There are 2,500 clusters across Europe, which are registered with the European Commission, ATIM is one of them," said Ms Mordan, who meets with other cluster managers from across Europe with the aim of identifying opportunities for ATIM members, through business to business growth opportunities or R&D.

John Geoghegan, president of Mullingar Chamber, a member of the Economic, Enterprise and Tourism SPC, said his organisation had a long history in this area, adding that it was "very much crucial to our stakeholder ecosystem that advanced technology becomes a priority of Westmeath".

"It is the future of Irish economy, it’s the transformation from old manufacturing practices to modern business, and you can see that evident in the National Science Park here in town, and from the considerable development of Mergon, Decotek, and Robotics and Drive and other companies.

"It’s probably the most important thing that we should be looking at as an economy next to tourism, and we would be delighted to support everything that you are doing, and if you have any of those groups coming to the midlands, Mullingar is open to hosting them," he said.

In agreement was chairman of the SPC, Cllr John Shaw, who said that as a group they had a "small fund" available, which could be used to collaboratively host the European contingent.