Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2021
68. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount being provided for an advanced manufacturing centre in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52769/21]
View answerIDA Ireland continues to make good progress on the delivery of the National Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMC), which will be launched on the National Technology Park in Limerick in Q1 2022. This new manufacturing centre of excellence, aligned with Government’s Industry 4.0 Strategy (2020-2025) and IDA Ireland’s Strategy, will enable Irish based discrete manufacturers (MNCs and SMEs) access, adopt and accelerate digital technologies at scale. It will help solve real world industry challenges and enhance the competitiveness and resilience of those companies. AMC support of industry will contribute to positioning the Irish discrete manufacturing base at the forefront of digital transformation which will ensure that Ireland is recognised internationally as having a vibrant, collaborative, competitive and digitally enabled industry base, ideally suited to delivering the next generation of manufacturing investments and commercialisation of research.
To support the delivery of the Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMC), the Government has to date committed €10.6m in exchequer funding for the project for 2021 and 2022 (€6.6m in 2021 and €4m in 2022). IDA Ireland has also committed a total of €12.4m to the AMC project to the end of 2022. This funding has enabled progress against the delivery of the AMC Building, purchase of essential equipment and technologies, recruitment of key personnel and overall operationalisation of the centre. Further exchequer funding may be required over the period 2023-2025.
