Manufacturing & Supply Chain

Advancing Innovation in Manufacturing (AIM) Centre, Sligo will act as the lead partner on an EU Project aiming to enhance SME manufacturing needs in the North West regions of Europe. The AIM Centre, in collaboration with its partners, has successfully secured funding of over €1.5 million from the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme for the Arctic Edge project. The project is set to launch in September 2024.

The Arctic Edge project aims to enhance supply chain operations in remote and rural regions of the Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) area. In an increasingly changeable and unstable era within supply chains, digital technologies have a role to play more than ever in helping companies to sustain and grow within the supply chain eco-system of their industry. Moreover, companies who digitise their industrial supply chains can gain significant competitive advantages over those who don’t, particularly in more remote areas.

The primary objective of Arctic Edge is to develop and implement a flexible digital architecture that allows SMEs work with the upstream and downstream supply chains and build automated digital solutions in a simple, robust, secure and cost-effective manner. The SMEs themselves will be equipped with the knowledge, skills and technologies to manage and own the solutions developed under this project.

The project will showcase the benefits of digital transformation in supply chains through real-world case studies via Digital Beacons, as well as ensuring meaningful solutions are developed, thanks to strong collaboration with industries. Two pioneering SMEs, Seamless Aluminium based in Donegal and Good4U located in Sligo, will serve as Digital Beacons. They will collaborate closely with our project team to adopt and integrate cutting-edge digital solutions within their supply chain operations. By engaging with these Digital Beacons, the project will document real-world narratives of digital transformation, showcasing the highs and lows, challenges, and the benefits realised by these companies.

“Sligo County Council, as a parent organisation of the AIM Centre, is immensely proud of the Centre’s leadership in securing the Arctic Edge project funding. Projects like Arctic Edge are instrumental in supporting industry by enhancing technological capabilities. The AIM Centre’s role is pivotal in bringing these supports to our region, ensuring that our SMEs can leverage advanced digital tools to improve their supply chain operations and remain competitive in the global market,” commented Martin Lydon, Chief Executive, Sligo County Council.

“The AIM Centre will lead the way in this initiative. Together with our project partners, we will build the digital architecture required to optimise supply chain processes. We will demonstrate the integration of cutting-edge digital solutions within supply chain operations, inspiring other SMEs to embrace similar innovations. We will provide expertise in project management, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge dissemination, ensuring the successful implementation and sustainability of the project’s outcomes,” said AIM Centre Director, Julie Dowling.

This project is funded by the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, which aims to support the development of resilient and attractive communities through the enhancement of research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies.

The Arctic Edge project brings together a diverse and complementary group of partners including:
• Sligo County Council (Ireland)
• Luleå University of Technology (Sweden)
• University of Iceland (Iceland)
• Centria University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
• North Karelia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NKCCI, Finland)
• Seamless Aluminium (Ireland)
• Good4U (Ireland).

Associate Partners:
• Greenlandic Government (Greenland)
• RDI Hub, Kerry (Ireland)
• Gävle University (Sweden)
• BORMAC & Atlantic Technological University (Ireland)
• Data2Sustain (Ireland)
• Sligo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Ireland).