technology gateway network

Transcription

TECHNOLOGY GATEWAYS
delivering solutions for industry
an Enterprise Ireland network
TECHNOLOGY
GATEWAY NETWORK
Delivering innovative solutions
for industry nationwide
Contents
Foreword by Minister Seán Sherlock, TD, Minister for Research and Innovation 2
Introduction to Technology Gateway Network
3
Profile of Technology Gateways
6
APT Gateway
7
CAPPA Gateway
8
COMAND Gateway
9
CREST Gateway
10
IMaR Gateway
11
MiCRA Gateway
12
MSTG Gateway
13
PMBRC Gateway
14
Shannon ABC Gateway
15
SEAM Gateway
16
TEC Gateway
17
WiSAR Gateway
18
Contact19
Foreword by
Minister Seán Sherlock, TD,
Minister for Research and Innovation
There is no doubt that the importance of investment in science, technology and innovation (STI) to Ireland’s on-going and future economic and social development and well-being
has been well recognised by the Government.
The investment in research and development
has, and continues to have, many positive impacts including powering an innovative and enterprising economy, creating high-value jobs,
attracting, developing and nurturing business,
scientists and talented people, and ensuring
Ireland is connected and respected internationally.
Innovation is very much a strategic priority for
Irish businesses and an important element of
driving the growth and competitiveness of our
enterprises across the country. The Government’s innovation policy is about helping businesses to perform better and contributing to
wider the economic objectives of growth, jobs
and sustainability.
needs in a wide range of sectors including; wireless solutions, applied biotechnology, polymer
technologies, connected media, engineered
materials, pharmaceutical and healthcare.
When it comes to measuring the success of
initiatives like this, it is all about real results for
companies. This publication highlights the ways
in which many companies have benefited from
the Technology Gateways network to date. The
innovation and technological outcomes from
this Programme will continue to be a key driver
of competitiveness and employment growth,
contributing significantly to a better quality of
life for future generations.
I would like to wish all involved in the Technology Gateways Network well and I look forward
to seeing more successful companies from
across the country benefiting from the collective knowledge and resources of the Network.
The Government’s role is to create the conditions where enterprise, entrepreneurship and
innovation can flourish and quality employment opportunities can be grown and maintained. The Technology Gateway Programme
represents a significant investment by the
Government, through Enterprise Ireland, in
creating these conditions with total funding of
€23 million over the 5 years to December 2017
committed to the Programme. Through the
Technology Gateways the innovation and technological expertise in the Institutes of Technology is being harnessed for the benefit of Irish
based Industry on a regional and national basis.
Each Gateway, hosted by the 8 participating
Institutes of Technology, is acting as a portal
to the expertise located nationwide in other
Technology Gateways, and to the wider Irish
research infrastructure. Companies can source
technology solutions for their ‘close-to-market’
2
Sean Sherlock T.D.,
Minister for Research and Innovation
Technology Gateway Network
Introduction to Technology
Gateway Network
To improve the competitiveness of our regions
in Ireland it is imperative that we provide an
innovative environment that provides support
for research, education and infrastructure.
These are areas where Enterprise Ireland, using State funds continues to make significant
investments.
Technology Gateways are such an investment
and have already proven to be very successful in engaging with local industry and we now
have the opportunity to increase these engagements and to shift to longer term, more
significant cooperative relationships.
Enterprise Ireland has invested €23 million provided by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise
and Innovation to establish this nationwide
network of 12 industry-focused Technology
Gateways located in 8 Institutes of Technology.
The Technology Gateways are access points
to individual research groups in Institutes of
Technology which have the critical mass which
allows them to work with industry. The strength
of the Technology Gateways lies in their ability to leverage the Institutes of Technology
research groups’ skills and becoming almost
like the R&D department of companies for a
defined period.
In 2013 alone the Technology Gateways completed 208 collaborative projects for industry.
Enterprise Ireland’s funding provided to each
Technology Gateway enables the individual
Gateway Managers to fulfil their role as the key
contact point for industry within the relevant
Institute of Technology.
The role of the Technology Gateway Manager is
to secure, manage and successfully deliver industry projects and solutions for their industrial
partners in a time scale that industry expects.
The research and technical work for the industrial research projects is undertaken by the
research staff from the supporting research
group in the Institute of Technology.
This publication provides an introduction to
the 12 Technology Gateways and the industry
sectors in which they specialise in providing
technical and commercial solutions. They are
always happy to discuss potential collaborations with industry regardless of the size of the
company or the project concerned.
For more information visit www.enterprise-ireland.com/technologygateway
Over the past 5 years, the Technology Gateways and their forerunners, the Applied Research Enhancement Centres, have delivered
solutions for over 400 companies through 730
innovation-focused industry collaborations
including Innovation Vouchers and Innovation
Partnership projects.
3
Figure 1 Graphical Representation of the Technology Gateway Network
WiSAR
Wireless Solutions
Letterkenny IT
Command
Connected Media
APT
Polymer Technologies
DIT
Athlone IT
IT Tallaght
Shannon ABC
Applied Biotechnology
CREST
Coatings Innovations
MiCRA
Bio Diagnostics
Limerick IT
Waterford Institute
of Technology
IMaR
Intelligent
Mechatronics
& RFID
IT Tralee
Cork Institute
of Technology
SEAM
Engineered Materials
CAPPA
Innovation Through Light
TEC
Embedded Systems
4
PMBRC
Pharmaceutical & Healthcare
MSTG
Mobile Services
Figure 2 Demonstration of the increased level of industrial collaboration
achieved from 2008 to 2013
250
Number
200
150
100
50
0
2009
2008
Total Industrial
Collabrations
Table 1 2010
2011
Innovation
Voucher Projects
2012
Innovation
Partnership Projects
2013
Projects Directly
Funded by Industry
Industry projects undertaken since 2008 to September 2013
Project Type
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Total No. of Projects
36
69
117
150
150
208
Innovation Voucher
20
45
70
52
64
71
2
7
13
19
13
19
14
17
34
79
73
118
Innovation Partnership 100% Funded by Industry
The Gateway industrial collaborators range
from Pre-HPSU, HPSU to SME and MNC companies, reflecting the open nature aspect of
the Gateways and their capacity to work with
a range of companies. 45% of the industrial
collaborators are with EI clients.
Figure 3 Profiles of Technology Gateway Clients
39%
45%
EI
IDA
Udaras
Leo and others
2%
14%
5
PROFILE OF
TECHNOLOGY
GATEWAYS
6
The APT Gateway is based on the Athlone IT
campus. APT is providing polymer technology
solutions for companies in the medical, composite, recycling and pharmaceutical sectors.
APT provides industry with access to:
• Pilot and Production scale Injection
Moulding, Blow Moulding, Thermoforming,
Extrusion and Compounding lines.
• Advanced Analytical Facilities for materials
research, testing and troubleshooting.
• Design, Rapid Prototyping and MicroMoulding Capabilities.
Case Study – Shasta Ltd.
Shasta Ltd. is a highly innovative company
that specialises in baby care products and
leads the way in portable baby care sterilisation technologies. Shasta wanted to develop
the world’s first portable baby bottle steriliser
(Steri-Ova). In collaboration with Shasta, APT
developed a plastic prototype using 3D modelling and rapid prototyping technology. The
collaboration brought the Steri-Ova concept
to reality, producing a superior product in
terms of speed, size, convenience and reliability. Steri-Ova is now patented in Ireland and
Contact: patents are pending in 140 countries. It is currently poised for launch worldwide in partnership with one of the leading names in the baby
care market. This work came from the completion of 2 EI Innovation Vouchers. Shasta
has a pipeline of further innovative products
that it hopes to develop in collaboration with
AIT. “AIT brought Steri-Ova from concept into
a prototype that we could show potential
customers and investors” - Ann Marie Durkin,
CEO, Shasta.
Sean Lyons, APT Gateway Manager
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +353 90 6468284
MOBILE: +353 87 2823439
Web: www.APTIreland.ie
7
The APT Gateway
The APT Gateway
The CAPPA Gateway
The CAPPA Gateway
The CAPPA Gateway based in CIT is applying
light based photonic technologies for near to
market problems for industrial partners seeking solutions for:
• New Photonics Devices
• Med Tech & Pharmaceuticals
• Food & Beverages
• Manufacturing Technologies
Case Study – Radisens Diagnostics
Radisens Diagnostics, a Cork-based medical
diagnostics company, is breaking new ground
with its development of a single device that
requires only a finger prick of blood to run the
many tests that physicians require for managing chronic diseases such as diabetes, thyroid
disorders and kidney and heart diseases. The
company’s diagnostic device is designed to
replace the ten to 15 stand-alone instruments
typically required for routine blood testing
and is capable of returning laboratory-grade
results within minutes.
CAPPA and Radisens subsequently collaborated on a further project supported through
the Innovation Partnership programme. The
aim was to explore novel optical approaches
for delivering the diagnostic capabilities of
Radisens point-of-care health monitoring
platform. This project, which ran from summer 2011 to autumn 2012, combined numerical simulation and experimental development,
matching Radisens’ expertise in microfluidcs
and biochemistry with CAPPA’s focus on optical technologies.
In 2012, Radisens was awarded a €1m contract by the European Space Agency to add
a thyroid test to its platform, providing pointof-care health monitoring for astronauts on
board the International Space Station and on
various human space flight missions. Other recent accolades include being recognised with
Frost & Sullivan’s 2012 European Technology
Innovation Award, and Radisens’ early strategic partnerships with the leading diagnostic
multinationals globally. Radisens first began
working with the CAPPA Technology Gateway
at Cork Institute of Technology in late 2010 on
a short-term R&D project supported by an Innovation Voucher.
The technology developed has the potential
to be integrated directly into Radisens pointof-care platform, used for multi-analyte detection and analysis. Moreover, according to CEO
Jerry O’Brien, ‘as a result of the close collaboration and knowledge transfer fostered by the
project, the relation with CAPPA has continued, and the research group has continued to
provide optical support and input into other
areas of ongoing technology development at
Radisens Technology’.
Contact: Guillaume Huyet, PI CAPPA Gateway
Tel: +353 21 4335595
Web: www.cappa.ie
8
The COMAND Gateway based in AIT is delivering solutions for software industry across multiple media platforms with a focussed technology offer of:
• Cloud Media Platform:
• Intelligent Media Systems & Cross Platform
Media Application
• Multimodal Interfacing using natural user
interfaces from the computer and cloud
Case Study – Openet Telecom
Openet Telecom, headquartered in Dublin,
provides real-time, transaction management
software and services to the world’s leading
telecom network operators. Its products help
operators to fully realise the commercial potential of their networks, enable the emerging
‘Internet of Things’ and explore new business
models. The company has over 950 employees
and more than 80 customers across 30 countries. In September 2013, Openet was named
European Entrepreneur of the Year at the Tech
Growth Summit in Berlin.
Signalling overload is an increasing problem
in modern mobile networks as a result of the
proliferation of smartphone devices and their
need to be constantly connected. Openet approached the COMAND Gateway to identify a
solution to help its customers addresses this
problem. Modern mobile operating systems
manage the lifecycle of applications in order
to conserve resources on the device. Once a
user finishes interacting with an app, it is often
shifted into background mode, where the app
relinquishes the user interface of the device,
but is still able to perform tasks such as networking. Many apps rely on in-app advertising
to generate revenue and constantly poll backend advert
Contact: servers to check for new ads to display, and
this continues in background mode causing
significant signalling load on the network.
The solution arrived at through the Enterprise
Ireland funded Innovation Partnership project
was to tackle the so-called ‘chatty’ apps with
the aims of reducing the resource demand on
the radio access network by only allowing full
bearer services to applications that are running in the foreground. The approach taken
is to deploy agent software on the Android
OS that mediates the data flows between the
device and backend servers. Background data
is permitted in certain cases for ‘whitelisted’
apps, but, in general, data generated from
background apps are blocked. The software
agent is controlled via policies set up on a
backend server, to which the agent connects
periodically. The agent also collects statistics
relating to network communications from the
device and forwards these on to the server for
analysis and display. Commenting on the collaboration, Joe Hogan Openet Telecom said:
“The objectives of the research project were
achieved in delivering a first-to-market and
innovative commercial product with real-life
outputs, and that is what a Innovation Partnership should deliver.”
Anthony Cunningham, COMAND Gateway Manager
Tel: +353 90 6483096
Web: www.comand.ie
9
The COMAND Gateway
The COMAND Gateway
The CREST Gateway
The CREST Gateway
The CREST Gateway based in DIT delivers
coatings innovation solutions for industry in
the engineering, construction, healthcare and
biomedical industries. CREST offers companies expertise in:
• Protective Coatings for challenging
environments
• Surface treatment of metal components
• Coatings for Environmental Applications
• Biomedical Devices
Case Study – Smart Wall Paint
Smart Wall Paint is Dublin based high potential
start up company that is manufacturing and
distributing a paint which turns any surface
into a whiteboard. Once the Smart Wall Paint
is painted onto any surface it becomes a high
performance dry erasable and durable whiteboard. The main customers are Education Institutes and Businesses that use the whiteboard
spaces for Innovation, Training and Idea Generation sessions. The company approached the
CREST Gateway in DIT, part of the EI funded
Technology Gateway Network, to undertake
a material development investigation on the
paint that will enhance its functionality and it
Contact: capacity to be use with a variety of visual aids
that be utilised in Innovation and Training sessions. This project was funded as a feasibility
study under the Innovation Partnership Programme and the initial results achieved were
so encouraging the company has committed
to a Full Innovation Partnership with CREST
which will be completed later in 2014. Company Director Ronan Clarke commented that:
“What will come out of this will be huge for
us and for a small Irish company to be able to
do that kind of R&D, without that innovation
partnership scheme it just wouldn’t happen.”
Brendan Duffy, CREST Gateway Manager
Tel: +353 (0)1 4027964
Web: www.crestdit.com
10
The IMaR Gateway
• Intelligent sensor systems using RFID for
monitoring environmental conditions or
process based measurements.
The IMaR Gateway
The IMaR Gateway based in IT Tralee is applying its core expertise in Intelligent Mechtronics
and RFID to provide technology solutions for
manufacturing industries including Telecommunications Automotive, Pharmaceutical,
Biomedical; Aeronautical, Environmental and
Agri-business. IMARs technology offer is the
integration of:
• Mechtronic sensors for industrial
automation.
Case Study – Dairymaster
Dairymaster, based in Kerry, is one of the
world’s leading manufacturers of milking
equipment, with customers in 37 countries.
The company develops unique, technologically advanced solutions, aimed at making
dairy farming more profitable, enjoyable or
sustainable. It has pioneered advances in such
areas as milking parlour equipment, automatic
scrapers, automatic cow feeding systems and
farm management software.
Through a project supported with Innovation
Partnership funding, the IMaR Technology
Gateway based at the Institute of Technology,
Tralee, assisted Dairymaster in developing an
auto-washer for the cleaning and sanitisation
of on-farm milking machines. Meanwhile, in
a second Innovation Partnership supportedproject, IMaR has worked with Dairymaster
to develop a device for detecting progesterone concentration in milk so as to determine
if a cow is in heat and ready for breeding.
These technologies integrate into Dairymaster’s existing product portfolio in line with
the company’s commercialisation schedule.
Contact: Dairymaster and IMaR are also working together in an ongoing R&D partnership, funded
through Europe’s Seventh Framework Programme, as part of a pan-European research
consortium, aiming to develop an intelligent,
next-generation robotic milking system which
avoids the limitations imposed by current robotic systems. The objective is for this system
to incorporate automated teat cleaning, cluster attachment and post-milking disinfection
on a scalable rotary milking installation.
Commenting on the work with the IMaR centre, Dairymaster’s CEO & Technical Director.
Dr Edmond Harty, said: “We were very pleased
with the expertise, service and results that
the centre provided. Working with external
personnel can bring an additional capability,
viewpoint or skill to a project which might not
happen if all projects were done in-house. We
hope to continue with this successful collaboration in the future.”
Ultan McCarthy, IMaR Gateway Manager
Tel: +353 66 7144230
Web: www.imar.ie
11
The MiCRA Gateway
The MiCRA Gateway
The MiCRA Gateway based in IT Tallaght delivers solutions for companies in the in vitro
diagnostics, environmental, food and pharmaceutical sectors with expertise in:
• Sensor prototyping and manufacturing
• Materials development and characterisation
• Immunoassay platform development
• Enzyme biosensors for human & animal
health care
• Biosensors for the rapid and sensitive
detection of bacteria
Case Study – Tridelta
Tridelta, based in Kildare, is a veterinary diagnostics company developing diagnostic assays
for animals. The company specialises in acute
phase protein assays for multiple domestic
and commercial animals and is regarded as a
leading company in this field, exporting over
99 per cent of its production to veterinarians and researchers worldwide. Tridelta approached the MiCRA Technology Gateway at
IT Tallaght to develop an immunoassay testing
technique capable of automation, using preexisting laboratory equipment for detecting
canine C-reactive protein (CPR).
CPR is one of the family of acute phase proteins found in the bloodstream of humans and
animals. Under normal conditions, it occurs at
low levels. However, when present at elevated
levels, it is a highly sensitive indicator response
to inflammatory conditions, infections and
other disease states.
The project produced a fully optimised microparticle assay test for canine CRP. MiCRA also
provided technical transfer support to the
company and sourced, installed and validated
Contact: an appropriate bulk manufacturing system for
the assay test. The assay was successfully validated by five independent international sites
and was demonstrated to be equivalent in
terms of analytical performance to the market
standard ELISA (enzyme linked immunoassay)
test. As a result, the assay is now commercially
available from Tridelta. This has enabled the
company to target new markets, generating further exports and revenue. In addition,
the success of the project has enhanced the
company’s reputation as a leader in the acute
phase protein diagnostic markets. As of release, Tridelta’s assay is a world first for specifically detecting canine CRP.
Commenting on the research partnership,
Brian Hett CEO said: “Working with MiCRA has
allowed Tridelta to develop products to both
secure its current markets and allow for the
expansion of the products into new customers and geographic markets. The new technologies that MiCRA transferred to Tridelta
have strengthen our marketing positions and
helped to create jobs.”
James Hayes, MiCRA Gateway Manager
Tel: +353 (0)1 4042084
Web: www.micra.ie
12
The MSTG Gateway
• Distributed & cloud-based mobile services
• Next generation IP based voice and video
The IMaR Gateway
The MSTG Gateway based in WIT collaborates
with companies involved in delivering mobile
services primarily for smart phones and tablets. MSTG’s technology offer is based upon
expertise in:
• Location, context, smart space and social
service enablers
• Data science and mining
Case Study – Two-Ten Health
Two-Ten Health is a leading supplier of Clinical Software to Dental Schools and Hospitals
internationally. The company approached
MSTG to assist them in the development of
data capturing software system applied to the
clinical environment. This project was funded
through the EI Innovation Partnership Programme. MSTG re-imagined how the Two-Ten
solution could be provided and rebuilt it from
the ground up as a cloud based offering that
utilised modern data collection devices such
as the iPad. The solution is also platform independent and eliminates the requirement
for expensive infrastructure to be installed in
house in dental schools. In addition by taking data into the cloud, it enables data to be
anonymised, aggregated and datamined and
the team developed a series of analytics techniques into the solution.
Contact: The developed prototype product is currently
being licensed to the company and will be deployed as a distributed platform to store patient data on behalf of the Dental Professionals
and Hospitals. This will enable dental and oral
research by aggregating data gathered from
dental examinations into a fully secure remote
system that will provide a specially designed
interface for researchers from associated bodies to access reports on this data. This project
has helped the company to evolve their product portfolio by deploying it in a more costeffective and platform independent manner.
This product will replace Two-ten Health’s current offering in the market.
“The Innovation Partnership was a success for
all involved with sharing technical knowledge/
skills to deliver a cutting-edge product. The
Innovation Partnership encourages collaboration between industry and academia, as well
as delivering at high quality and cost-effective
result.” Dave Howard, CTO of TTH.
Barry Downes, MSTG Gateway Manager
Tel: Web: mstg.tssg.org
13
The PMBRC Gateway
The PMBRC Gateway
The PMBRC Gateway based in WIT delivering
solutions for industry in the pharmaceutical
and healthcare sectors in areas such as drug
delivery, process technology, biotechnology,
biomedical and separation science with expertise in:
• Physico-chemical characterisation
of materials.
• Advanced analytical capability.
• Formulation, process development and
drug delivery
Case Study – EirGen Pharma
EirGen Pharma is a pharmaceutical company
based in Waterford. Using its purpose built
high-containment facility, EirGen specialises
in the development, manufacture and registration of high-potency cancer therapy products
for global pharmaceutical markets.
During the development of its breast cancer
tablet product, Eir-010, the company was
faced with the challenge of identifying three
unknown impurities. Pharmaceutical impurities can arise during the manufacture and/
or storage of the drug and can influence the
efficacy or safety of the product. For EirGen
Pharma, the problem represented a significant
barrier, as international pharmaceutical regulations require that impurities present above a
certain level should be identified.
To resolve the issue, EirGen approached the
PMBRC Technology. Supported by an Innovation Voucher, the PMBRC team used a combination of analytical techniques, separation
and spectroscopic techniques to determine
the structure and identity of the three impurities. EirGen Pharma was able to use the data
Contact: generated by the PMBRC to support the filing
of Eir-010 with the European Medicine Agency
(EMA). Eir-010 was subsequently approved by
the EMA and will be commercially launched in
key European markets, with sales worth €20m
over the next five years forecast by the company.
Since the completion of this project, EirGen
has formed a strategic research partnership
with the PMRBC through the F7 Marie Curie,
exploring innovative methods for delivering
drugs across the skin, and the joint work has
already yielded significant results.
EirGen’s Technical Director and Co-founder,
Tom Brennan, said “As a SME, it is vital that we
have access to high-calibre research capacity,
without incurring the overhead of establishing facilities similar to those we can utilise at
PMBRC as required. Convenient access to the
researchers and facilities at PMBRC has been
crucial to our growth over the last four years.
It is no exaggeration to say that the team there
has been pivotal to our successful growth to
date.”
Niall O’Reilly, PMBRC Gateway Manager
Tel: +353 51 306167
Web: www.pmbrc.org
14
The Shannon ABC Gateway based on the
IT Tralee & Limerick IT campuses develops
of new processes and novel products from
bio-resources, transferring these solutions to
Biotech, Food and Life Science industries with
expertise in:
• Bio-Prospecting & Bio Processing:
Screening, extraction, characterisation
and testing of bioactive molecules, as well
identifying routes to scale-up.
• Analytical and Research Services:
Shannon ABC’s expertise and state of
the art facilities and equipment to assist
companies address specific challenges.
Case Study – Algae Health
Algae Health, based in Galway, is a young
start-up company with high-growth prospects.
Focused on the production of health and nutritional compounds from marine sources, it
has identified a microalgae source for carotenoids with potential health benefits. Following three years of intensive R&D, Algae Health
approached the Shannon ABC Technology
Gateway to develop a scaled-up process for
the sustainable, environmentally friendly production of these nutraceuticals. The project
was supported through Enterprise Ireland’s
Innovation Partnership fund.
team developed a scalable, supercritical fluid
extraction process for the extraction, purification and enrichment of bioactive components,
addressing one of the key issues associated
with the environmentally sustainable commercial production of nutraceuticals from microalgae. Algae Health and Shannon ABC continue
to collaborate and are both currently involved
in a pan-European research project, called
BAMMBO, with the objective of developing
alternative ways to produce target bio-active
compounds from marine sources, balancing
environmental, health and economic concerns.
Shannon ABC helped identify the best microalgal strains for the production of the carotenoid Astaxanthin, and, as part of the transition
from lab-scale reaction conditions to largescale industrial reactors. The Gateway assisted
Algae Health in the operation of the company’s pilot-scale (1,000 litre), enclosed cultivation reactors for a period of over 18 months.
This involved addressing technical processing
issues and optimising the tank conditions, resulting in improved bio-active yields as well
as improving the cost-effectiveness of the
production system. In addition, the research
“Working with Shannon ABC has been vital
to the commercialisation of our company,”
commented Algae Health’s founder Edward
McHugh. “Their laboratory cultivation skills
enabled us to develop the technical knowledge to scale-up to pilot tanks.. On the back
of the results from the refinement of our technology, Algae Health has been able to secure
€950,000 commercialisation funding, and we
now employ five people, with plans for 23 employees within the next three years.”
Contact: Tim Yeomans, Shannon ABC Gateway
Tel: +353 66 714 4217
Web: www.shannonabc.ie
15
The IMaR Gateway
The Shannon ABC Gateway
The SEAM Gateway
The SEAM Gateway
The SEAM Gateway based in WIT provides
engineering material solutions for industry in
sectors such as Bio-medical devices, Pharmaceuticals, Micro-Electronics, Precision Engineering & Construction with expertise in:
• X-Ray Micro-tomography (XMT): 3D Non
destructive characterisation;
• Finite Element Analysis: 3D Software
Modelling;
• Materials & Precision Engineering:
engineering design & characterisation;
• Bio Medical Engineering: Development
of Novel materials.
Case Study – Mincon
Mincon, an indigenous company based in
Shannon, manufactures state-of-the-art hammers and drill bits. Founded in 1977, it is currently the world’s third largest manufacturer of
drill heads for down-the-hole, percussive drilling operations. The company was catapulted
into the international limelight during the
Copiapó mining accident back in 2010, when
a Mincon hammer was used to establish the
initial lifeline to the 33 trapped Chilean miners, providing an all-important link for communications and food, water and medicines.
Mincon’s target markets include the construction, exploration, geothermal, mining, seismic,
water-well, oil and gas and other industries.
In 2010, the company approached the SEAM
Technology Gateway at Waterford Institute of
Technology as part of a million-euro design
project to develop superior drill heads for geothermal heating wells in the Nordic market.
Geothermal applications present an extremely
challenging environment, and drill head failure
can occur as a result of both operator inexperience and residual stresses in the drill head
generated through the manufacturing process.
Contact: Mincon’s objective was to address the tendency for such failures so as to gain a competitive
market edge. What SEAM brought to the table
was a combination of metallurgical know-how
and expertise in finite element analysis (FEA).
On gaining an understanding the Mincon’s
needs, the research group submitted an Innovation Partnership proposal to Enterprise Ireland. The 18-month project, which commenced
in September 2010, sought to understand the
drill head fracture mechanisms and to develop
a design optimised drill head for down-the
hole drilling operations.
According to Mincon’s Technical Director Joe
Purcell, the project has enabled Mincon to
develop a greater understanding of science
behind drill head failures and to develop solutions to minimise these issues. “We are extremely satisfied with the work carried out by
SEAM and have implemented product changes
as a result of findings,” he said. “The result is an
overall improvement in product performance,
which has contributed to increased sales of 30
per cent for 2012’
Ramesh Raghavendra, SEAM Gateway Manager
Tel: +353 51 845648
mobile: +353 87 9668547
Web: www.seam.ie
16
The TEC Gateway
• Energy: Intermittency & Demand
• Water: Remote monitoring,
• Location Based Services and Applications:
Security, Tourism eHealth
Case Study – Eurotech
Eurotech, based in Co Monaghan, is a specialist renewable energy heating solutions
company, offering a full consultation, design,
commissioning and aftercare service. Its solutions combine underfloor heating with air, water, ground source or geothermal based heat
pumps and intelligent heating controls.
Identifying a unique commercial opportunity,
Eurotech sought to enhance its product portfolio by developing a novel wireless energy
monitoring system, which would reduce running costs and improve ease-of-use for owners and installers. Moreover, the system would
be capable of operating on a wired or a stable
wireless network or a possible combination of
both.
Eurotech enlisted the support of the TEC
Technology Gateway in a project supported
with Innovation Partnership funding. Using an
innovative, modular approach, the TEC centre
provided Eurotech with a full system requirements analysis, specification, design and build.
The system developed provides an intuitive,
multi-access user interface, based on current
web technologies. Field trials are currently
Contact: ongoing via a gsm wireless router in Mallow,
Co Cork. The company believes that the platform has significant export potential. No other
product currently on the market offers a highintelligence, multi-zone energy monitoring solution in a single package, capable of receiving
inputs as well as delivering outputs. Eurotech
now plans to set up a new manufacturing and
supply chain team. This will include an additional three engineers as well as a dedicated
sales and marketing team.
Commenting on the collaboration, Eurotech’s
Managing Director, Gerard Duffy, said “We
quickly realised the ability of CIT to research,
discover and integrate possibilities using cutting edge IT technology to transfer our thermal and mechanical know-how into a modern
IT solution. We know there was no possibility
that we could have made these discoveries and
developments in-house. Due to the flexibility
afforded us and a clear willingness to exploit
every possibility, we will succeed in developing an energy monitoring solution beyond our
original expectation.”
Richard Linger, TEC Gateway Manager
Tel: +353 21 433 5562
MOBILE: +353 87 124 0480
Web: www.tec-centre.ie
17
The IMaR Gateway
The TEC Gateway based in CIT is the industry interface for the Nimbus group in CIT. The
Gateway offers ICT solutions for a broad range
of industry in the embedded computer field
for the following sectors
The WiSAR Gateway
The WiSAR Gateway
The WiSAR Gateway based in LyIT is delivering solutions to companies in Ireland and in
particular the North West, utilising its wireless
sensor technologies expertise from system
design to prototype development. Its industry
offer includes
• Wireless Embedded Systems for Health
Monitoring;
• RF Design and Testing;
• Power electronics design to prototypes;
• Electrical Systems for Industrial Processes.
Case Study – Chameleon Colour
Systems
Chameleon Colour Systems is an SME based
in Galway. They have developed and manufactured innovative Colour Tinting and Mixing
Systems since 1992 with a client base throughout Europe, Middle East and selected SE Asian
and South American markets, exporting to 57
countries worldwide. In response to customer
feedback and market demand, Chameleon
required support in the development of the
next generation paint making machine. This
required a new digital design to allow for
DC motor control, accurate timing control of
shaking cycles and bespoke user interface
software. The objective was to design a single
board solution with reduced manufacturing
cost and increased reliability, etc.
Contact: The company partnered with the WiSAR Lab
availing of its expertise in embedded design,
PCB design, prototyping and test. A new
board was designed and delivered, with test
procedure protocols that allow for effective
testing and quality control of boards in Ireland.
This was critical to Chameleon’s success and
continued growth through the introduction of
a new and improved product. The company
maintains an ongoing relationship with WiSAR
with further collaboration planned.
“Working closely with WiSAR, we resolved a
weakness in the electronic control system of
a key new product. WiSAR has made a significant difference to us, offering us technical
expertise and confidence to consider further
projects in the knowledge that they can assist
us.” Padraic Timon Founder and Managing Director, of Chameleon Colour Systems.
Fergal Tuffy, WiSAR Gateway Manager
Tel: +353 74 918 6454
Web: www.wisar.ie
18
Contact
For further information on the Technology Gateway Network, please contact the team:
Mark Whelan
Paddy Byrne
Enterprise Ireland - Shannon Office
Enterprise Ireland - Waterford Office
Tel: +(353) 61 777053
Tel: +(353) 51 333531
[email protected]
[email protected]
19
investing in your future
Enterprise Ireland
East Point Business Park
Dublin 3, Ireland
Tel: +353 1 727 2000
www.enterprise-ireland.com
© Enterprise Ireland June ‘14 - (339)

technology gateway network

Transcription

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