Leitrim Manufacturers: Free Access to Robotics, AI and Automation Expertise Through Future Cast and FactoryXChange 2.0
Updated: Aug 4
Small and medium manufacturers across County Leitrim now have a risk-free route to overhauling their factory floors, freeing up staff time and driving profitability.
Future Cast, an advanced engineering and innovation hub based in Manorhamilton, is calling on local business owners to tap into world-class robotics, AI and automation expertise, completely funded and completely free for eligible SMEs.
A funded route into advanced technology
Delivered in partnership with FactoryXChange (FXC 2.0), this initiative connects Leitrim's engineering and manufacturing businesses directly with top-tier industrial solutions. Services worth €5,000 to €50,000 are currently available at 100% discount for eligible SMEs, backed by state-funded EDIH tracks and Enterprise Ireland.
For small business owners, the focus is purely practical: everyday operational efficiency. Future Cast works hand-in-hand with individual companies, looking closely at their specific bottlenecks and shaping tools like robotics, automation, vision systems and AI into setups that actually fit an existing workshop floor.
Proof it works: from three people, one day, to 40 minutesProof it works: from three people, one day, to 40 minutes
Numbers tell it best. A regional stone quarry used to need a team of three people working a full day to manually pack five pallets of stone. After Future Cast built and installed a tailored robotic bagging system, that same quarry now turns out five pallets every 40 minutes.
The upshot goes beyond speed; the business could redeploy those three workers into higher-value roles, work that didn't involve repetitive manual lifting all day.
"Our mission at Future Cast is all about making advanced innovation, sustainability and circularity real for small businesses," says JJ O'Hara, CEO of Future Cast. "Through FactoryXChange 2.0, we can open the doors to advanced machinery, academics and high-level engineering teams that small Leitrim SMEs could never normally access on their own."
Beyond robotics
Future Cast's remit extends well past heavy industrial robotics. The team is also de-risking advanced digital and mechanical systems for local businesses, such as hydraulic engineering or AI-driven drone telemetry for agriculture and machinery. Every engagement follows a clear "need, solution, deliverance" structure, so businesses walk away with a verified blueprint before they commit any capital.
Getting started
Taking the first step is straightforward. Visit the FactoryXChange 2.0 website, browse what's on offer, and select the service that fits your facility. From there, the Future Cast team will be in touch directly to help build your funded technology roadmap.
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