Address by Minister Tony Killeen to the Opening of the Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing International Conference (FAIM 2006)

On Monday 26 June 2006

I am delighted to have this opportunity to address such a distinguished international audience from industrial and academic backgrounds assembled here in the University of Limerick at the Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing International Conference (FAIM 2006). This Conference brings together industry and academia in endeavouring to up-skill and add value to manufacturing and allied industries.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the team of organisers who have put together so much work to arrange this Conference in Limerick, the international and local Organising Committees and in particular the FAIM 2006 Chairs, Dr Bill Gaughran and Dr Huw Lewis from UL. I am delighted that this Conference has an international flavour to it with keynote speakers from Ireland, the United Kingdom, Italy and the United States.

The theme of this Conference is ‘Intelligent Manufacturing Now’. It addresses contemporary challenges and presents solutions and best practice in the context of competing in a world economy, where energy and resource management strategies are essential for future growth.

The keynote speakers and session presenters will share their research and manufacturing experience, so as to push forward the boundaries of knowledge, best-practice and manufacturing expertise. The conference will address core areas, such as, engineering for sustainability, next generation manufacturing, supply-chain strategies, intelligent systems, concurrent engineering, re-engineering, engineering education, product and process design and an extensive range of cognate areas and topics.

The Conference now in its 16^th year returns to its founding University here in Limerick. The 1^st International FAIM conference in 1991 resulted from collaboration between the University in Limerick and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. That year delegates from 18 countries were in attendance and 100 papers were published in the conference proceedings. In 2006, the University of Limerick plays host to delegates from 34 countries and over 150 papers have been accepted, which will be presented at the Conference and are published in the Conference proceedings, which, as I see here before me, are produced in two impressive volumes. Well done to the Editors and the contributing authors!

Since 1991 FAIM has been hosted in many prestigious Universities on both sides of the Atlantic. The Conference continues to bring together International expertise from the academic and industrial fields, who push forward the boundaries of research knowledge and manufacturing best practice in a world of changing demographics, energy generation and supply demands, developing technologies and chain supply systems, in the context of sustainable environmental strategies.

The Conference addresses contemporary best practices in manufacturing in the context of dynamic world markets, which require creative and innovative solutions and strategies. Emerging trends and challenges will be discussed and special workshops will include trading with China and engineering for sustainability.

Irish companies face tough challenges over the next decade from low cost suppliers, a strong Euro and the continuous pressure to innovate. They need to benchmark themselves against their peers, adopt flexible manufacturing processes and plan to strive for increasing productivity.

One of the roles of Government is to grow employment and to increase enterprise thereby raising living standards in the process. Within this context, Enterprise Ireland is a key pillar, to achieve this mission by accelerating the development of world-class Irish companies that can achieve strong positions in global markets resulting in increased national and regional prosperity.

Enterprise Ireland assists its client companies through its Benchmarking Service and Productivity Improvement Fund and Mr. Brendan Finucane, Director of Technology Automation and Productivity Business Unit in Enterprise Ireland will speak to you shortly about this topic.

I would like to say a few words about the importance of manufacturing generally. In this context, manufacturing is still very much key to Ireland’s future economic growth.

Our Enterprise Strategy Group recognised the importance of the Sector in providing a foundation of skills and technologies to build a high performance, high value added and technologically orientated manufacturing Sector into the future. According to IDA Ireland, manufacturing output in Ireland is now two and a half times the value of 1995 and employment in the sector is 5% higher than ten years ago, reflecting the strong productivity growth, which is essential to competitiveness.

The overall objective is to ensure that our economy remains a globally competitive, profitable and secure location for business. We can best help enterprise, including the manufacturing sector, by continuing to implement policies that are pro business and by implementing the right balance of enterprise supports and at the right time to help business. When provided with the best supporting and competitive environment, business and industry will develop to capitalise on investment and growth opportunities. Our intention is to enable enterprise growth by policies tailored to address the competitive pressures transforming the global economy.

The creation and diffusion of knowledge is at the core of economic activity and that knowledge is embodied in people like you. It is the quality of knowledge that will determine the success or otherwise of economies in the years ahead. It is the people like you who will create new knowledge and who will use information, intuition and experience to create distinctive value. The spread of the knowledge economy will continue to create new challenges in the future. The ability to create and exploit knowledge is now a strong feature of every successful advanced economy.

However for the next generations to prosper, it is incumbent on us to adapt our current technologies to make them more efficient, as well as more environmentally and ecologically acceptable. We cannot care for the needs of people through engineering solutions, without respecting the Earth, and using wisely its finite resources. You are the people to deliver on this mission with its various goals.

This Conference also provides a forum for truly international collaboration and exchange of ideas, and also, as I have been told – lasting friendships.

Finally, I now wish to declare the Conference formally open and I wish you all the very best in your important deliberations over the next three days.

ENDS

LA 193