Robotics and automation company FANUC has announced that it will be opening its first dedicated robotics facility in Ireland on October 11 2022.
The company says the move comes as a response to increased demand from its Irish customer base.
Located in Maynooth in county Kildare, the unveiling of the 500m² training centre and showroom will be overseen by Shinichi Tanzawa, European president and CEO at FANUC, with some academics, stakeholders, government officials and press in attendance.
“We are delighted to announce the opening of our first Irish facility,” states Tom Bouchier, managing director of FANUC UK and Ireland.
“Not only does it demonstrate our long-term commitment to our growing customer base in the country, but it also enables us to support the government’s aim to place Ireland at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution by 2025.”
The new showroom will be supplied with a variety of FANUC solutions for demonstration, evaluation and testing. The technology on display will include the CRX collaborative robot (cobot) range and the Robodrill vertical machining centre, which offers fully automated production runs.
The Maynooth facility will be supported by a five-person team to help with technical support and servicing, with FANUC hoping to bring this number into double figures.
The site will reportedly host in-house training for FANUC’s larger customers and some courses for smaller groups. Previously, Irish clients would have had to travel to Coventry in England for FANUC’s services.
The company also plans to grow its ties with higher education institutions across Ireland.
Its launch coincides with the implementation of the Irish government’s industrial strategy for 2020 to 2025. Ireland ranked the second-lowest for robot density in the EU15 in 2019. The government hopes that the new strategy will develop its progress in this field, with FANUC claiming its site is well-positioned to provide Ireland with new businesses and innovation opportunities.
