LIMERICK firm DesignPro is a ‘Champion of EU research’ after the company was amongst the two Irish SMEs recognised for success in the €75bn Horizon 2020 EU Framework Programme.
Hosted by Enterprise Ireland, the recent awards ceremony in Dublin highlighted 16 projects that were singled out for their outstanding achievement with the company reaching the pinnacle of European research and for having the second highest scored Irish application for a Phase 2 SME project.
Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development, John Halligan and Julie Sinnamon, CEO of Enterprise Ireland presented the awards.
This award follows DesignPro’s recent success in February 2017, when the company successfully secured EU funding for a €2.7 million Horizon 2020 project to develop a range of innovative Hydrokinetic river turbines.
This is a niche and upcoming industry in the renewable energy market. The unique compact design of DesignPro’s technology offers a reliable solution for harnessing natural resources and generating zero-carbon energy for local communities.
The 27 month project officially launched at the start of this month with five new hires and three more planned before the end of the year.
With production plans in place to have a full scale operational device in the water in six months months, it’s an exciting time for the company who is at the forefront of this technology and the first in Ireland to develop this type of renewable energy product. This project will see DesignPro expand their operations further by branching out into a separate dedicated unit whose focus is solely on developing their plans to commercialise a full range of innovative, hydrokinetic turbines.
The project will see a major investment in the Irish Economy creating up to 15 jobs during the project development stage and 50 jobs in the Mid-West after commercial roll out. This is a fantastic opportunity to put Limerick on the map and reinforce the country’s position as a hub for the development of innovative renewable energy products.
