Ireland’s Home
for Manufacturing Innovation
IMR helps Irish industry innovate, digitise, and compete globally. Through collaboration, research, training, and applied technology, we turn big ideas into real-world impact.
Our Story
IMR is a not-for-profit, industry-led Research & Technology Organisation. We are engineers, researchers, makers and mentors who believe progress should be both practical and human. From our labs in Dublin and pilot lines in Mullingar, we partner with organisations across sectors to turn complexity into clarity and ambition into action.
Since 2014, IMR has grown from small pilot centres into a national home for applied innovation. What’s remained constant is how we work: by listening first, focusing on evidence, and moving forward step by step. We know that transformation is rarely about technology alone — it’s about empowering people, reducing risk, and proving value in ways that last.
IMR Timeline
Mission
To help organisations make better decisions, build stronger capabilities, and achieve progress that endures — through applied research, collaborative pilots and knowledge transfer.
Vision
A world of practical innovation where organisations digitise, automate and scale with confidence, and where learning moves quickly across sectors and sites.
What we stand for
People first
Technology matters, but people matter most. Real transformation only works when teams feel ready, supported and included.
Progress that’s practical
Waiting for “perfect” slows change. We focus on pilots, measured learning and improvements that build momentum.
Partnership at the core
We listen, understand context, and reframe challenges together. Change sticks when partners are heard, supported and brought along.
Courage with care
High-stakes change takes more than technical skill. It requires empathy, trust and the courage to stand with teams as they navigate uncertainty.
How we measure impact
We don’t measure success in words or headlines. We measure it in what matters most to industry and society:
- Processes that run smoother.
- Waste and downtime cut out.
- Products reaching market faster.
- Teams that grow in capability and confidence.
That’s how we know progress is real — and why partners trust us to stand with them on their journey.
Our People
At IMR, people are the catalyst for every innovation we deliver.
Their expertise, creativity, and collaboration empower organisations to make better decisions, build stronger capabilities, and achieve progress that lasts.
Our teams combine deep technical knowledge with real-world manufacturing experience, helping companies digitise, automate, and scale with confidence. By working side by side with industry, we ensure innovation is practical, low-risk, and transferable — so learning moves quickly from one site to the next.
Researchers & systems engineers — architecture, controls, simulation, reliability.
Data & AI specialists — IIoT, analytics, modelling, decision support.
Automation & robotics engineers — robotics, vision, integration, commissioning.
Design for manufacture experts — additive & CNC, prototyping, metrology.
Sustainability & circularity specialists — energy, materials, ESG, reporting.
Educators & change leads — training, facilitation, adoption and benefits tracking.
We are united by one approach: building capability and confidence that last long after each project is complete.
Our People
At IMR, it’s our people who turn ideas into results.
From hands-on problem-solving to collaborating across teams and industries, they bring knowledge and creativity to every project.
Their work ensures that new solutions are not only possible but practical, scalable, and ready to make an impact.
Why Our People Make the Difference
- Expertise that matters
From robotics and digitalisation to sustainability and circular economy, IMR people turn complex challenges into practical, measurable solutions. - Collaboration at the core
We believe innovation thrives when people work together. Our teams partner with SMEs, multinationals, start-ups, and policymakers to co-create solutions that are scalable and future-ready. - Impact you can see
Every project, pilot, and training programme led by our people is designed to deliver lasting progress — strengthening competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience across industry.
Barry Kennedy
Chief Executive Officer
Barry leads IMR with a focus on practical innovation that strengthens Ireland’s position in advanced manufacturing. He ensures our people and projects deliver impact that lasts.
Micheal Cassidy
Chief Technology Officer
Micheal shapes IMR’s technology agenda, aligning cutting-edge science with industry’s most pressing challenges to ensure progress is both achievable and sustainable.
Andrew Lynch
Chief Innovation Officer
Andrew drives IMR’s innovation strategy, connecting global trends with opportunities for Irish companies to scale and compete confidently.
Maurice O’Connell
Chief Operations Officer
Maurice ensures innovation moves smoothly from concept to delivery. He focuses on operational excellence and collaboration that minimise risk and maximise value.
Gina Horan
Chief Finance Officer
Gina safeguards the resources that fuel IMR’s impact. She ensures investment in research and collaboration translates into measurable results for industry.
Ken Horan
Director of Technology Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Ken helps start-ups and SMEs bring bold ideas to market, turning ambition into scalable solutions that strengthen Ireland’s industrial ecosystem.
John Enright
Director of Manufacturing Technologies
John supports companies in adopting the right manufacturing methods at the right time — unlocking gains in precision, quality, and throughput.
David Keeley
Director of Digitalisation
David helps organisations embrace digital confidently, using data, connectivity, and smart systems to boost performance and decision-making.
Fearghal O’Hare
Director of Software Engineering
Fearghal equips companies with digital and immersive tools that enhance productivity, accelerate learning, and build stronger capabilities.
Chris Judge
Director of Subtractive Manufacturing
Chris works closely with industry to optimise machining processes, improving efficiency while pushing the limits of precision engineering.
Geraldine Brennan
Director of Circular Economy
Geraldine works with companies to reimagine products and processes, driving efficiencies and creating business models that last.
Tamara Wierks
Director of Learning and Development
Tamara builds Ireland’s future workforce by creating pathways for skills development that move quickly from classroom to factory floor.
Nick Rowe
Commercial Director
Nick ensures IMR’s expertise connects directly to industry needs, opening opportunities for organisations to innovate with minimal risk.
Dr. Will Barton, OBE, FRSC, MIOD
Chairman, IMR
Barry Kennedy
CEO, IMR
Caroline Spillane
CEO, Institute of Directors Ireland
Dónal Óg Cusack
Cybersecurity & Manufacturing Global Network Lead, Depuy Synthes
Karl Flannery
CEO, Storm Communications Ltd
Kenneth O’Mahony
Co-Founder & CEO, Nexalus
Dr Edmond Harty
President, Engineers Ireland
Joe Devlin
Senior Director of Process Development, Boston Scientific
Nikki Gallagher
Head of Public Affairs, Ibec
Damien Gallgher
Executive Director, Seagate
Prof. Seán McLoone
Director, Epic, Queens University Belfast
Joe Kilgannon
Engineering Manage, Intel Ireland
Careers at Irish Manufacturing Research
We’re always looking for curious minds and passionate problem-solvers to join our team. Explore our current opportunities, or if you don’t see a role that matches right now, you’re welcome to send us your CV directly — we’ll keep it on file for future openings.
