Six companies will receive up to €25,000 funding vouchers to help them develop next generation solutions, based on Industry 4.0 and Smart Technology principles, The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) of Clare and Limerick have announced.

Managed by the LEOs of Clare and Limerick, the Tech Disrupt 4.0 Pilot Project was devised to enable and encourage the development of Industry 4.0 solutions in Ireland’s Mid-West region. Solutions aligned to Industry 4.0 include, but are not limited to, Big Data, 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, IoT, MedTech, FinTech, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Robotics and Automation.

The project was highly successful with over 30 initial applications and expressions of interest received. After a series of webinars hosted by Jonathan Healy and private 1:1 ‘Meet the Expert’ sessions with industry leaders from Dell, Confirm Centre for Smart Manufacturing, IMR, Future Mobility Campus Ireland, ITAG, the initial applications were narrowed down to 20, from which the final six were chosen after a live pitch demonstration.

The winning solutions from businesses based in Clare and Limerick were wide and varied, ranging from Industrial IoT Applications, Autonomous Robotics, FinTech, Smart Manufacturing, Sports Performance Analysis and Smart Recruitment.

According to Padraic McElwee, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Clare, “The Tech Disrupt 4.0 Pilot Project was devised to encourage and support next generation smart technology development in Limerick and Clare. We were overwhelmed by the response and quality of applications received and I would like to wish the winning applicants the very best of success in further developing their solutions”.

Mike Cantwell, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Limerick adds, “We are hopeful that projects such as the Tech Disrupt 4.0 Pilot Project and public and private industry such as the Confirm Centre for Smart Manufacturing, Dell, Future Mobility Campus Ireland and others will help establish the Mid-West region as Ireland’s leading location for Industry 4.0 and Smart Technology development, much like Shannon Airport and the Shannon Free Zone put the region on the international map many years ago”.