Bord na Móna will create 91 new jobs as part of a €6m R&D investment over the next three years in R&D, engineering, science and business. It will also mentor start-ups and SMEs in Ireland’s midlands region.
Bord na Móna has already begun recruiting for 20 technological positions for its innovation programme, with this new announcement offering an additional 91 jobs. Enterprise Ireland is supporting the work of this programme, which covers a number of technological growth areas, such as clean technology and carbon reduction.
The 91 new jobs will involve graduate and skilled positions for R&D, engineering, science and business. The R&D programmes will focus on developing products for horticulture, the environment, sustainable energy solutions and new and transitional technologies for the exploitation of bio-resources.
The €6m spent on the R&D programme represents a 50pc increase in spending for Bord na Móna over the previous three years.
Bord na Móna also announced its new strategy to work with and mentor start-ups and SMEs in Ireland’s midlands region. It has appointed an outreach development manager for this strategy.
“If we are to rebuild the economy and create the jobs we so badly need, we must create an indigenous engine of growth,” said the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton.
“A key part of my plan to support indigenous business and create sustainable jobs is picking winners – we must target supports at the sectors where we have advantages and the companies with potential, in order to create high-growth indigenous businesses which will drive future growth.
“Clean tech is a sector which we as a Government are targeting for support, as we believe Ireland has distinct advantages and the capacity to be a pioneer in this area. Many people have talked about the potential of the sector.
“Today’s announcement is about providing concrete supports to a large, successful State company to create real, high-end jobs in the sector. If we are ambitious and if we act decisively, I believe that we can create large numbers of jobs in this sector and I am determined to see that through,” he said.
Bord Na Móna CEO Gabriel D’Arcy welcomed the support from Enterprise Ireland, saying the company is transitioning to becoming more sustainable as it moves away from peat-based activities to focus more on clean technology.
“We appreciate the support and help of Enterprise Ireland. We have a long history of innovation at Bord na Móna. We were the first company to build a wind farm in Ireland and Bord na Móna proprietary technology is used in more than 500 clean water and clean air installations across the globe, from Osaka to Oslo,” he said.
“We want to work with the community in our area to achieve our goals and we intend to work with start-up companies in these sectors in the region to help us reach out goals,” said D’Arcy.
