Interface Craigavon employee receives prestigious award by Royal Commission

The Co Armagh man is one of only 13 young innovators to receive the reward in the UK and the only representative from Northern Ireland

Interface Craigavon employee Daire O’Dubhthaigh has been awarded an Industrial Fellowship award by the Royal Commission.

The Co Armagh based Daire O’Dubhthaigh has been awarded the distinguished accolade to support his research into smart sustainable manufacturing for mass customisation in the textile industry.

The £100k funding was awarded to 13 young innovators through-out the UK and Daire O’Dubhthaigh is the only representative from Northern Ireland.

Through the Industrial Fellowships, the Commission brings together industry and academia to create commercially viable research and solutions for the mutual benefit of all.

Fellows conduct their doctoral research with a company in their chosen industry, bringing academic expertise and approaches to a commercial operation.

Daire is a supply chain improvement engineer at Interface Craigavon, having joined the company in 2017 as a placement student.

Daire is conducting his doctoral research through Queen’s University, where he has also obtained a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

The Fellowship was set up by Prince Albert to organise the Great Exhibition of 1851 and extended in perpetuity to invest the profits in UK innovation.

For 170 years, it has provided crucial support to advance Research and Development and help to make UK industry more competitive internationally.

Daire is investigating novel ways to streamline textile manufacturing processes, to provide a more efficient manufacturing operation. The project will aim to deliver new production processes and systems, including a new method for tracking and tracing materials and human-robot collaborations.

Daire’s work in mechanical engineering has peaked his interest in many cutting edge research areas, including Industry 4.0 or ‘The Fourth Industrial Revolution’.

Daire O’Dubhthaigh, industrial fellowship and supply chain improvement engineer, said: “It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to develop the next generation of sustainable manufacturing solutions.

“The modern economy and customer needs are constantly evolving, by developing smart manufacturing processes and deploying the latest innovations, systems will be designed to address these growing needs. On top of this, the partnerships between Queen’s University, Interface and of course the 1851 Royal Commission network that excites me most, I expect the collaboration to lead to innovative results. Interface Craigavon has a strong reputation of producing ground-breaking environmentally viable products and I hope this research will enhance how we approach supply chain systems in the future.”

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