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Looking for expert guidance? Connect with a Certified FactoryXChange Digital Strategist for a 30-minute consultation. Our diverse team of specialists can help you: · Identify your digital challenges and goals across any industry or business size. · Explore relevant technologies and resources tailored to your unique needs. · Gain valuable insights and recommendations to move forward. Schedule your 100% discounted consultation now, and don't hesitate to secure further consultations when required! About Thom Conaty: Thom is the Growth Manager at Creative Spark, bringing over a decade of international experience in business development, learning design, and future-of-work skills consulting. Formerly Innovation Partner with Digital Catapult (2022–2024), he led national innovation and deep-tech adoption programmes, including the UKRI-funded Smart Nano NI. #Innovation development #Project development #Process and organisation maturity #Business training & education #Decision-making #Innovation ecosystem

Looking for expert guidance? Connect with a Certified FactoryXChange Digital Strategist for a 30-minute consultation. Our diverse team of specialists can help you: · Identify your digital challenges and goals across any industry or business size. · Explore relevant technologies and resources tailored to your unique needs. · Gain valuable insights and recommendations to move forward. Schedule your 100% discounted consultation now, and don't hesitate to secure further consultations when required! About Sujit Upadhyay: Sujit is a results-oriented Digital Business Analyst at Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC) in Galway, with over seven years of extensive IT experience. He is proficient in utilising advanced technology to enhance business efficiency and profitability. Sujit has held pivotal roles at leading organizations like eBay, Accenture, and SAP Labs, where he has contributed significantly to various IT and digital transformation, development and QA Testing projects. His expertise includes a broad range of technical skills and methodologies, such as Agile and Waterfall, which facilitate effective project execution from start to finish. Sujit has played a key role in driving business innovation and performance, taking part in major global initiatives and supporting international expansion efforts. #Tech Support on Scale-Up #Innovation Development #Project Development #Ideas Management and Materialization #Data Processing and Analysis #Data acquisition and sensing

Looking for expert guidance? Connect with a Certified FactoryXChange Digital Strategist for a 30-minute consultation. Our diverse team of specialists can help you: · Identify your digital challenges and goals across any industry or business size. · Explore relevant technologies and resources tailored to your unique needs. · Gain valuable insights and recommendations to move forward. Schedule your 100% discounted consultation now, and don't hesitate to secure further consultations when required! About Sandeep Joshi: Sandeep is a Data-driven Operations Excellence Consultant with over 21 years of experience across diverse sectors like Defense, Manufacturing, and Management Consulting. He leverages data analysis and visualisation to help organisations, particularly SMEs, implement lean process improvements leading to increased efficiency and profitability. Sandeep currently supports SMEs by identifying funding opportunities and managing projects throughout the EU. He also assists a large hospitality chain in enhancing customer focus through lean operations and digitalisation. #Ideas Management and Materialization #Access to Finance #Innovation Development #Project Development #Data Processing and Analysis #Incubation Acceleration Support

Avoca Seafood is an early-stage, pre-revenue SME in the Irish aquaculture sector, with a bold vision to develop a Circular Marine Park in Ireland. Between July and December 2024, FactoryXChange supported Avoca Seafood and its associated parties in exploring this ambitious project, including the preparation of a pre-investment case analysis. The engagement not only helped define the capital requirements but also identified the socio-economic opportunities and digitalisation needs to make the vision feasible.  Challenges   Like many SMEs at the beginning of their digital journey, Avoca Seafood faced several challenges. Investments in digital technologies were limited, focusing mainly on administrative tasks, while advanced solutions such as AI, IoT, and automation were not yet in place. Employee digital skills were basic, with little structured training, and many processes remained manual or paper-based. Data management and cybersecurity strategies were still developing, and customer-facing digital tools, including e-commerce and CRM systems, were underutilised.  Even for more advanced SMEs, similar challenges persist in scaling digitalisation. While staff may already be skilled and mainstream tools widely adopted, gaps remain in integrating advanced technologies, fully automating processes, improving data interoperability, and embedding sustainability into digital strategies.  Solutions Implemented   Avoca Seafood took steps to address these challenges. For SMEs at the early stage, the focus was on creating a clear digitalisation plan, allocating resources for IT infrastructure, and involving digital specialists to guide transformation. Mainstream technologies such as ERP and CRM systems were introduced to streamline operations and enhance customer interactions. Training programmes were developed to upskill employees, and initial data management and cybersecurity measures were implemented.  For the moderately advanced stage, the plan included integrating advanced technologies such as AI and automation to improve productivity and decision-making. Data systems were strengthened to allow real-time access across departments, while green ICT initiatives were prioritised to ensure sustainable operations and reduce environmental impact.  Results and Benefits   Even at the early stage, Avoca Seafood began to see tangible benefits. Digital tools streamlined internal processes, reduced operational costs, and created new opportunities for market expansion through e-commerce. Employees became more engaged and confident as they gained new digital skills.  For more advanced stages, the adoption of data-driven strategies and automation enabled better decision-making and freed employees to focus on higher-value activities. Digitalisation supported the development of innovative, digitally enhanced products and services, and sustainability measures reduced environmental impact while strengthening the company’s reputation.  Perceived Social and Economic Impact   The socio-economic impact of Avoca Seafood’s initiative is significant. The Circular Marine Park project is expected to create over 750 direct jobs, with an additional 1,000 to 1,500 positions in subsidiary roles as the facilities become operational. Capital investment in land-based facilities and the park could increase productivity in the Irish aquaculture sector by 850%, potentially generating up to €500 million over the next ten years.  On a social level, digitalisation and training improved employee confidence, retention, and career development opportunities. Economically, the company is better positioned to compete both domestically and internationally, while sustainability initiatives demonstrate responsibility toward the environment and community.  Measurable Data   The impact of digitalisation and business growth can be measured in several ways:  Percentage of operations using digital tools  Number and type of processes automated  Staff participation in digital training and upskilling programmes  Customer satisfaction and retention rates  Cost savings from digitalised operations  Proportion of documents and processes digitised  Reductions in paper use, emissions, or energy consumption  Cybersecurity incidents prevented  Lessons Learned   Do:   Invest steadily in both mainstream and advanced digital tools  Create and follow a structured digitalisation plan across all departments  Provide ongoing training for staff at all levels  Involve IT specialists in decision-making  Align digitalisation efforts with sustainability and green practices  Implement robust cybersecurity measures and data management policies  Don’t:   Delay investments in emerging technologies such as AI and automation  Allow digitalisation to remain siloed in administrative functions only  Rely on partial or ad hoc automation without a strategy  Overlook employee engagement in digital adoption  Neglect environmental considerations in IT and operational choices

Across Europe, manufacturers are facing pressure from every direction - climate goals, digitalisation, labour shortages, unstable supply chains. We’re no longer asking if change is needed. The question now is: what kind of change - and who is going to drive it?  Over the last few years, digital transformation in manufacturing has been framed largely around technology: automation, AI, robotics, data. But the more we work with businesses on the ground, the clearer it becomes technology is only part of the story. What really drives transformation is collaboration: between companies, across sectors, within regions, and increasingly, across countries.  That was the underlying message at the European Parliament’s recent ValueFacturing  conference, where policymakers, unions, researchers and SMEs gathered to reflect on how European industry creates value in a time of rapid change. Our team at FactoryXChange,part of Ireland’s European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) ecosystem,took  part in the conversations, and what we heard strongly reinforced what we see in our day-to-day work.  Digital tools are necessary. But without shared intent, shared learning, and shared infrastructure, they don’t go very far.  Giorgio Gori MEP spoke about the need for deep local roots: SMEs that are embedded in their communities, shaping the skills and innovation around them. Sergio Ventricelli called for a more unified voice among SMEs in Europe. One that not only adopts technology, but challenges very often outdated fiscal systems that hold innovation back. And Mirko Dolzadelli reminded us that transformation can’t happen to workers; it has to happen with them.  These are more than good points. They reflect a shift in thinking that’s already underway, but not yet consistent or coordinated.   At FactoryXChange, we’re trying to put that thinking into practice.  We’re not the only EDIH in Ireland. We’re part of a network, part of a broader system that has to function together if we want real progress. But our work is focused on making sure that digitalisation is useful, accessible, and aligned with what matters to people.  That’s not a matter of handing over toolkits. It’s a matter of building relationships between research centres and small manufacturers, between policy teams and factory managers, between digital strategists and workers on the floor.  And that’s especially true when it comes to skills.  The skills gap isn’t new, but it’s growing more urgent. As new technologies emerge, the risk is that many workers and firms will be left behind. Not because they lack interest, but because they lack access. We regularly meet companies who know they need to evolve but don’t know how to start, or who are eager to invest in training but unsure what’s actually relevant. At the same time, we see employees, on the floor and in management, who are being asked to adopt tools they’ve never been introduced to in a meaningful way.  We’ve learned that the biggest breakthroughs don’t always come from the biggest technologies. Sometimes they come from a conversation that didn’t happen before. From a small manufacturer finally getting access to a testbed they didn’t know existed. From a local FabLab demystifying automation for a business that thought it was “too small” to innovate. And increasingly, from a skills session that shifts mindset, from fear to possibility.  We’re learning that what SMEs need isn’t just advice. It’s context. A map. A way to understand how their journey fits into something larger. When businesses start seeing digitalisation not as a compliance issue but as a lever for resilience, then real change begins.  We’re also learning that collaboration takes design. It doesn’t just emerge. It needs time, trust, and incentives. If we want manufacturers to co-invest in sustainability, or digital skills, or workforce transition, then we need to reduce the friction, make it easier to participate, easier to see the return, and easier to align around shared purpose.  This is where we see our role. Not as a gateway to technology, but as a platform for connection. We work alongside others, other hubs, government teams, regional stakeholders, to make sure that no SME is left out of the picture. That no region is left behind because it’s “too peripheral.” That no transformation plan is built without the people who’ll be asked to implement it.  And we’re not pretending this is simple. Collaboration is hard. Skills development is hard. It takes time. It often runs counter to the fast-paced, metrics-driven way we’re used to operating. But the alternative - fragmentation, duplication, missed opportunities - is far more costly.  So what are we doing, in practice?  We’re helping SMEs sit around the same table as large manufacturers and academic experts. We’re shaping neutral spaces where public sector and private sector can talk about common risks, not just funding rounds. We’re working to align digitalisation plans with upskilling pathways, so that transformation becomes something employees can see themselves in, not something done to them.  And we’re constantly looking for ways to support a culture where testing, sharing, and adjusting are the norm, not the exception.  Because if we’ve learned anything over the past two and half year, it’s that resilience is not just a technical challenge. It’s a human one. It depends on who we include in the process, how early we bring them in, and whether we’re willing to share the benefits as well as the burden of change.  Ireland’s manufacturing sector has momentum. There’s vision, policy backing, and deep expertise in both industry and academia. But to realise that potential at scale, we need more than strategy. We need systems that support real, ongoing, purposeful collaboration, and that invest in people as much as infrastructure.  That’s what we’re working toward, not as the centre of the story, but as part of a much larger one. One where digital transformation is about more than machines. It’s about what happens when people, companies, and institutions choose to move forward together.

Date:  7 May 2025 Time:  09:00–14:00 Location:  Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR), National Science Park, Mullingar FactoryXChange (FXC) is proud to announce the official launch of its new Digital Hub , hosted at Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR)  in Mullingar. This purpose-built space represents a major milestone in FXC’s mission to support innovation, digital adoption, and cross-sector collaboration across Ireland. As a founding FXC partner and long-standing national centre for applied innovation, IMR’s Mullingar facility is the ideal home for this next phase. The new Hub brings together cutting-edge digital tools , strategic insights , and national accessibility —all under one roof. IMR Mullingar Facility A Hub Built for Impact The FXC Digital Hub is more than a physical space. It’s a dynamic environment designed to: Deliver face-to-face services and digital transformation support for businesses across Ireland Enable hands-on learning through smart dashboards, AI applications, and data tools Host high-impact events and expert-led sessions on practical digitalisation strategies Serve as a collaborative node in FXC’s growing European EDIH network What to Expect on Launch Day Attendees can look forward to a day packed with insights, innovation, and opportunity: Guided tour  of the IMR facility and official launch of the FXC Digital Hub Live demos and talks  on practical digital tools, AI solutions, and strategic applications — including a session led by David Keeley European EDIH collaboration session  featuring FXC and Data2Sustain, with insights from Mike Conroy and Karin Jancykova Panel discussion and Q&A  with Paul McKenna, Eoin Ryan, and Norm Farrelly, exploring digital strategy and support from across the ecosystem Networking lunch  with businesses, EDIH partners, and collaborators from across Ireland and Europe The Bigger Picture This launch marks an important transition—from exploration to execution. The FXC Digital Hub is designed to accelerate Ireland’s journey toward advanced digital maturity, empowering SMEs and industry leaders alike with the tools, partnerships, and support they need to thrive. Join Us Be part of the next phase in Ireland’s digital transformation. Register here The FactoryXChange project has received funding from the Digital Europe Programme and the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) managed in Ireland by Enterprise Ireland, allowing us to offer services with up to 100% discount.