Boost for Irish manufacturing as FANUC opens its first dedicated robotics facility in Ireland
Leading robotics company FANUC has officially opened its first dedicated facility in Ireland – a 500 sq m training centre and showroom in Maynooth, County Kildare – to provide cutting-edge automation technology, servicing and training directly to Irish manufacturers.
The new facility was officially unveiled by FANUC’s European President & CEO Shinichi Tanzawa in the presence of invited guests, including government ministers, TDs, the Mayor of Kildare, the Japanese ambassador to Ireland, academics, system integrator partners and valued customers.
Dara Calleary TD, Minister of State for the Department of Enterprise, with responsibility for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, said: “Ireland has a strong manufacturing sector, employing over 275,000 people and accounting for over €135 billion in exports annually. It’s very welcome to see many representatives from the sector here today from right across the island. It’s important for Irish manufacturers to know that cutting-edge automation support, demonstration models and training are now available right here on their doorstep. We look forward to working with FANUC through our enterprise agencies in helping to grow this facility even further to the benefit of Irish manufacturing.”
At the launch event, visitors enjoyed live demonstrations of an array of FANUC robotic solutions and automated systems, including: the LR-10iA, a lightweight, strong and compact robot series suitable for all types of material handling applications; the CRX cobot range, a series of lightweight collaborative robots that boast eight years zero maintenance; and the ROBODRILL vertical machining centre, delivering precision and repeatability, making it perfect for fully automated production runs.
In front of a 100-strong audience, Tom Bouchier, Managing Director of FANUC UK & Ireland, outlined how important Irish manufacturing is to the company’s future plans, stating: “Our confidence in Irish manufacturing is obvious through this investment in FANUC Ireland. The opening of this dedicated office not only demonstrates our commitment to growing our customer base here, but also to our support of the government’s aim to place Ireland at the forefront of the 4th Industrial Revolution by 2025. Our new Maynooth facility is accessible from most of the island in under three hours and offers a showroom, training facility and a base for our five-strong team, which we intend to expand further. FANUC Ireland has never been more ready to help Irish manufacturers take their place at the forefront of global manufacturing.”
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The opening of FANUC’s first ever dedicated Irish facility was celebrated with an official ribbon cutting ceremony. Pictured (L-R): Brooke Tarrant, Marketing Specialist at FANUC UK & Ireland; Tom Bouchier, Managing Director of FANUC UK & Ireland; Mitsuru Kitano, Japanese Ambassador to Ireland; Dara Calleary TD, Minister of State for the Department of Enterprise, with responsibility for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation; Shinichi Tanzawa, FANUC’s European President & CEO; Martin Heydon TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, TD for Kildare South; Cllr Fintan Brett, Mayor of County Kildare.
