R&D investment for Allen-Vanguard in Cork

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin TD today announced that Allen-Vanguard Corporation, a Canadian company, is to undertake a significant R&D initiative at its Irish operation at Kilbrittain, Co Cork.

Allen-Vanguard is a leading manufacturer of robots which are used by security forces to perform dangerous tasks and considerably reduce the risk to personnel. The investment, supported by IDA Ireland, is for the development of more sophisticated robots equipped to deal with the growing challenges facing the security forces.

The R&D will cover four main areas: improving existing components; enhancing interoperability both between robots and with other equipment; extending remote functionality and designing new concept machines to meet the forces’ evolving needs.

Allen-Vanguard Ireland in Cork has responsibility for R&D and manufacturing of Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV). In June 2006, Allen-Vanguard Group selected the Cork facility as the global centre-of-excellence for ROV. It currently employs 37 people, with 9 in R&D, and this will grow to 45 in 2007, with 16 in R&D, under this investment. Robots for the Canadian Department of National Defence and a US federal agency are currently being manufactured at the facility.

Minister Martin said: “This knowledge-driven investment by Allen-Vanguard is a world class robotics project and will result in the largest robotics R&D group in Ireland. It will be one of the strongest examples of technology convergence in Ireland, incorporating mechanical, RF, electronic and software engineering. It will build up the R&D infrastructure at the Cork operation and the new robotics centre will be unmatched anywhere in Ireland in terms of technical capability.”