14 January 2026
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Led by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and supported by 17 expert partners nationwide, FactoryXChange (FXC) is Europe’s leading catalyst for sustainable, human-centric manufacturing transformation. Among the key partners driving this initiative is Cork-based Tisalabs, demonstrating the region’s relevance and strength in the cybersecurity and digital assurance sectors.
Ireland’s manufacturing sector faces growing pressure from rising costs, global competition, and the urgent need to embrace digital and green technologies. Companies must adopt artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and cybersecurity to stay competitive and relevant. With support from the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) programme and Enterprise Ireland, this new phase of FactoryXChange will connect manufacturers with the tools, expertise, and funding to turn uncertainty into action.
Manufacturing continues to play a central role in Ireland’s economy. According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the sector directly employs more than 220,000 people and accounts for over 34% of Ireland’s GDP, more than double the European average of 15%. In 2023, goods exports reached €197.25 billion, generating €13.7 billion in wages, €3.03 billion in income tax, and more than €10 billion in corporation tax. FactoryXChange 1.0 supported over 495 Irish enterprises and public organisations SMEs to become more competitive in their business and production processes through digital transformation.
Speaking about the announcement, Peter Burke TD, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, said:
“Extending the European Digital Innovation Hub programme in Ireland into Phase 2 ensures that our SMEs will continue to access world-class digitalisation support. By maintaining this momentum, we are increasing Ireland’s competitiveness and enabling enterprises across Cork and the wider region to future-proof their operations. This continued investment reflects our commitment to making advanced digital technologies accessible for every region and sector.”
The FactoryXChange programme is built around a national network of Digital Hubs, including partners and industry collaborators across Cork and nationally, offering AI, robotics, innovation, and industry support. Together, they make digital transformation more accessible, sustainable, and tailored to real-world industry needs.
In Cork, the FactoryXChange programme highlights the role of Tisalabs, a leader in cybersecurity and digital assurance. Their expertise ensures that the digital transformation of manufacturing remains secure and trusted, providing a foundation for companies to innovate with confidence.
FactoryXChange’s funding application received the highest possible score from the European Commission and was awarded the prestigious STEP – Seal of Excellence. This recognition places FXC among a select group of projects acknowledged for outstanding quality and impact, underlining the consortium’s proven ability to deliver.
FactoryXChange will apply this new funding to empower Cork businesses by connecting them with advanced digital technologies, expert advice, and funding to integrate ecological, digital, and societal solutions. Through a collaborative, one-stop-shop approach, FXC and its 17 partners transform digital innovation into practical, impactful transformation, enabling Industry 5.0 factories and accelerating local digital transformation.
The consortium is inviting manufacturers and public sector organisations in the Cork region to get involved, access support, and help shape the future of Irish industry.
Learn more at: https://www.
European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) is an EU-wide initiative designed to help companies and public sector bodies embrace digital transformation. EDIHs offer organisation access to technical expertise, test-before-invest opportunities, innovation services, and skills development, enabling them to adopt digital solutions that improve efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability. There are four EDIHs in Ireland; FactoryXChange is focused on sustainable and human-centric manufacturing transformation, CeAdar is Ireland’s national centre for AI, established to support businesses and organisations in AI and data analytics, ENTIRE is focused on driving digital excellence in businesses of all sizes, ensuring sustainable growth and innovation, and Data2Sustain specialises in advancing digitalisation and data innovation for start-ups, scaling companies, mature enterprises and public organisations.
https://european-digital-
Enterprise Ireland is the government agency responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises. As co-founder and founder of FactoryXChange, Enterprise Ireland is committed to helping Irish manufacturing companies scale, innovate and remain globally competitive. Through FXC, Enterprise Ireland supports the integration of advanced and sustainable technologies across the sector, thus driving job creation, economic resilience and regional development through the country.
https://www.enterprise-
Irish Manufacturing Research is a leading Research and Technology Organisation providing a portfolio of research, training and consultancy services to Industry across 4 thematic pillars: Digitisation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Design for Manufacturing, Robotics and Automation. Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) helps Irish companies use new technologies to make manufacturing smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable. IMR provides research, training, and expert advice on digital tools, robotics, advanced design, and sustainable manufacturing so businesses can improve, save costs, and compete globally. IMR’s goal is to Demystify, Derisk and Deliver emerging technologies and new knowledge to enable industry to succeed at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing.
Tisalabs In a world where digital transformation exponentially increases risk, Tisalabs solves the critical security gap between complex machinery and the cloud. They build and secure high-assurance industrial IoT and Edge systems.They turn cyber-vulnerability into competitive strength by delivering integrated security assessments, continuous monitoring, and the expertise needed to meet strict regulatory demands like NIS2. https://www.tisalabs.