About CONFIRM
SFI Research Centre for Smart Manufacturing
The manufacturing sector is of crucial importance to the Irish economy. The Europe 2020 strategy puts manufacturing at the heart of its growth strategy; not only in terms of direct targets surrounding growth and jobs, but also with respect to indirect societal sustainability/climate targets, where European manufacturing is seen as an enabler. Key areas of manufacturing strength for Ireland are far-reaching – Medical Technologies, ICT, Pharma/Biopharma, and Food, to name a few.
Funded in 2017 by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), CONFIRM Centre for SMART Manufacturing is a world‐class Research Centre for Smart Manufacturing that aims to fundamentally transform the Irish manufacturing industry to a smart manufacturing ecosystem, to ensure its future competitiveness and sustainability. CONFIRM Centre, headquartered at the University of Limerick (UL), brings together 8 Irish academic and research institutions: UL, Tyndall National Institute (TNI), University College Cork (UCC), Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), National University Institute of Galway (NUIG), and Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT), Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) and National University Institute Maynooth (NUIM). In the SMART 4.0 Fellowship programme, the first six aforementioned institutions will host Fellows, with LIT and NUIM providing input to the training of the Fellows. CONFIRM Centre’s infrastructure includes 100+ industry partners and international collaborators, bringing together a multidisciplinary pool of excellent researchers and innovators, each with distinctive but complementary skills.
CONFIRM Centre will implement international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral training for researchers, focusing on smart manufacturing. Rather than concentrating on disparate challenges, CONFIRM Centre’s system‐level approach offers the greatest potential for significant advances and impact across multiple manufacturing sectors. Researchers from our industry partners complement these skills with globally‐recognised track records in manufacturing across a range of sectors.
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Our Research
1. Research
Research to develop future smart manufacturing technologies.
2. Engage
Talent & engaged public promote positive perception of manufacturing in Ireland.
3. Community
Community of practice to embrace the 4th Industrial revolution together.


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- €47 million funding
- 36 investigators
- 100+ industry partners
- 8 core research performing organisations
- 16 international collaborators
- 8 national research and technology centres