Leading robotics company FANUC has officially opened its first dedicated facility in Ireland – a 500m2 training centre and showroom in Maynooth, County Kildare – to provide cutting-edge automation technology, servicing and training directly to Irish manufacturers.
The facility was officially unveiled on 11th October 2022 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: “I’m delighted to join FANUC here today. Ireland has a strong manufacturing sector, employing over 275,000 people and accounting for over €135bn 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.”
These comments were echoed by Martin Heydon TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and TD for Kildare South, who stated: “I would like to thank FANUC for investing in Kildare. Automation is the future of manufacturing and FANUC has a large foothold in the industry, so this is a huge vote of confidence for Kildare. The area has a talented local workforce, good transport links and, as FANUC has proved, is fast becoming a top destination for foreign investment. We wish FANUC every success here in Ireland.”
Cllr Fintan Brett, Mayor of County Kildare, added: “I am delighted to be here today to support this fabulous facility which will help Irish manufacturers to keep ahead of the pack. FANUC has shown a real vote of confidence in Ireland by having a dedicated robotics facility here in Kildare and I wish them every success.”
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.”
Headquartered in Japan, the FANUC Corporation is a global leader in factory automation for CNC control systems, robots and production machinery, with more than 8,000 employees. The Irish facility in Maynooth is the company’s 24th subsidiary in Europe.
