New €9m research centre to create 29 jobs

The North’s technology infrastructure received a major boost today with the opening of a £6m (€9m) engineering research centre at FG Wilson in Larne.

Named after its US parent company, the Caterpillar Electric Power Engineering Centre of Excellence will create 29 high value jobs.

It is a highly sophisticated, multi-disciplined facility that will carry out market-leading research into the performance and control of electronic generators.

Invest NI offered £1.5m (€2.3m) to support the centre which was opened by enterprise minister Angela Smith.

The minister said the impressive facility would further strengthen Northern Ireland’s research infrastructure which was vital to the development of highly innovative and commercially viable products.

“The centre will provide an opportunity for engineering graduates to develop skills in a demanding career,” said Ms Smith.

“By increasing the level of expertise in this sector we will accelerate innovation and technology transfer and raise the profile of Northern Ireland’s engineering expertise in the global arena,” she added.

FG Wilson managing director Dr Mark Sweeney said the company’s aim was to substantially expand business by focusing on new product development.

“The centre will be an enabler for growth in both the existing and development markets. It will be a major driver of technological development in Northern Ireland and it supports Caterpillar’s strategy to develop its power generation business globally.”

Dr Sweeney said the company wanted to encourage an integrated approach to innovation through cross-disciplinary projects.

“Using the combined technological capabilities of FG Wilson, the universities and others we aim to generate cutting-edge research that can be quickly translated into practical applications.”