‘The debate about whether AI and automation matter is over. Manufacturers can see the opportunity,’ IMR’s CEO said.

Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) supported 679 industry organisations in 2025, creating economic value worth almost €18m, consisting of €13m in additional revenue and €5m in estimated cost savings.

During the year, IMR secured €7.3m in competitive funding – up 26pc from the year before – and generated €6.3m in industry income, up from €5.4m in 2024.

The organisation also said its supports have saved or created 32 jobs, upskilled 82 people, and led emissions reductions of around 197 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. These projected impact figures are based on 31 client impact statements.

Digital readiness will determine how quickly manufacturers turn AI and automation into commercial value, IMR said. It was launched in 2014 – designed after the likes of the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany and Tecnalia in Spain.

IMR offers a testbed for manufacturers to play with new technology and run trials or experiments, offering a way for businesses to test new processes before they commit.

It also works with universities directly to create roadmaps to develop more industry-focused solutions. The organisation can help businesses discover what a “factory of the future” could look like, its CEO Barry Kennedy told SiliconRepublic.com in an interview earlier this year.

More than 10pc of collaborating organisations worked with IMR through multiple routes, combining services such as technology projects and workforce training, it said in its annual impact report for 2025.

“The debate about whether AI and automation matter is over. Manufacturers can see the opportunity,” said Kennedy.

“The question now is whether they have the digital infrastructure, skills and implementation capability to turn that opportunity into real commercial value. Technology alone will not transform a factory. The data, systems and people around it must also be ready.”

Kennedy said the next phase of industrial competitiveness would be shaped by how effectively manufacturers translate investment into implementation.

“Ireland has a real opportunity to lead in advanced manufacturing, but speed alone is not enough. Companies need the right foundations and the right support to make technology work within their operations.

“The manufacturers that get this right will be better positioned to improve productivity, build resilience and compete successfully in increasingly complex global markets.”

The organisation leads FactoryxChange, one of the country’s four European Digital Innovation Hubs and a recent recipient of the European Commission’s STEP Seal, which recognises top-rated innovation projects in the continent.

IMR is also home to Ireland’s first European Space Agency Phi-Lab, launched earlier this year, which hopes to become the country’s national platform for space technology development.

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