'You are vulnerable' - Plans to help Laois businesses use AI safely
ATIM Cluster are looking to support industries in Laois faced by challenges like AI
An industry-led initiative, Advanced Technologies in Manufacturing (ATIM) Cluster, is looking to develop ways to help companies in Laois and across the Midlands who are faced with the challenges of how to handle AI.
ATIM Cluster is an industry-led initiative dedicated to driving innovation, competitiveness, and sustainable growth in the manufacturing sector.
The initiative provides a platform where industry, academia, and government can align efforts to accelerate digital transformation, foster research, and enhance collaboration to ensure manufacturers can compete successfully on the global stage.
ATIM is one of 12 government-funded clusters supported by Enterprise Ireland through the Regional Technology Cluster Fund (RTCF).
Tony Woods of the Laois-based Midlands Steel was the founding Chairperson in 2021.
There are many Laois companies involved with ATIM who collaborates closely with the Government as well as LOETB, Laois Chamber Alliance, and universities in the region such as TUS and SETU.
ATIM Cluster Manager, Caitriona Mordan, spoke at the July meeting of Laois County Council on what the initiative is doing in Laois and how it can benefit local industry.
When asked by Cllr Paddy Buggy about how membership can help Laois businesses with the challenges of AI, Ms Mordan said that the organisation is actively looking at how AI can be used in a safe way.
“Companies are dealing with challenges and if you’re in the middle of the supply chain then you are vulnerable. Companies know that they need to progress with pace but it’s always how to do it. That’s where peer-to-peer learning is so important,” Ms Mordan told the Council.
She said that the organisation is looking at ways to engage with the IT sector and also how to develop a format for how companies can interact with and adopt AI “safely and securely.”
“We’re trying to put together a traffic light system for AI adoption within companies so that they’re doing it in a considered way. It has to be done in a manner that is ok with them.”
To help companies facing these concerns, a working session will be organised for members in October.
Ms Mordan also pointed out how ATIM Cluster supports companies with other challenges which are becoming “harder and harder” such as geopolitical influences and labour costs.
With 18% of the workforce in the Midlands employed in manufacturing, this is an area of key focus for the group.
That being said, its membership is becoming more and more diverse. ATIM Cluster currently has over 100 members spanning across manufacturing sectors, including advanced manufacturing, MedTech and life sciences, engineering and precision manufacturing, polymer and plastics, food and beverage processing, electronics and ICT, and sustainable manufacturing.