Whats going on in BORMAC?

Welcome to our 2nd newsletter, highlighting activities that are going on in each of our 4 workstreams

People Workstream

Upcoming event Nov 24th 10-11.30am

• • Online panel/Q&A discussion on talent attraction/hiring/retention. 10-11.30am.
  • Panel members, Niall Murray (Collins McNicholas recruitment), Vivienne Fay (Irwin HR), Noel Dykes (Frankli – performance management and employee engagement).
  • Teams invite has been sent to all members – feel free to forward invite to those engaged in HR/recruiting in your company

Members job advertisements are now being promoted though BORMAC branded social media channels (LinkedIn and Twitter)

Innovation Workstream

Opportunity for SME Cluster member companies to avail of places on the ‘Scale Up Academy’

• • This is a fully funded programme across six EU member states, which will support 140 SMEs to move to the next stage of growth over two years. The project is funded by the European Institute of Technology (IT Sligo is one of the participating academic leaders)
  • The profile of participants to be engaged will be senior managers of SMEs that have been established for at least three years, who have a clear ambition to internationalise and grow their company to the next level.
  • Click here for further details and application form, alternatively contact Finola Howe at howe.finola@itsligo.ie

Our 1st cross cluster Webinar was held on Nov 16th ‘Preparing for and the Impact of Digital Transformation’, held in collaboration with IDEAM, ATIM, Engineering the SouthEast and Connected Health clusters

Several companies expressed interest in collaborating on a potential Supply Chain Project. We have engaged with the newly set up AIM (Advanced Innovation in Manufacturing and Supply Chain) Centre to start initial discussions. Initial meeting is planned on Nov 22nd

We have linked in with the WNW and NE Lean Networks to create awareness of BORMAC and discover how we may work together. There was openess to BORMAC members participating in site visits organised by the Lean Network, which were conducted several times a year pre Covid. Virtual tours are also being investigated as an alternative. We brought a proposal of ‘Lean Mentoring’ to the Lean Network that would involve companies experienced in implementing Lean, mentoring companies that are starting their Lean journey. More to come on this

Upcoming event – Several clusters have asked EI to host an info session on their new digitalisation voucher worth €9k. They are hosting a webinar on Dec 7th at 2.30pm. Click here for details and registration.

Business Development and Internationalisation Workstream

We’ve connected with the Portugese Cluster Produtech, Production Technologies Cluster. Over a Teams call with their Cluster Manager Pedro Rocha, potential collaboration across our clusters was discussed, Pedro would be happy to attend an online call with our members in early 2021 to determine where we have synergies, and potentially plan cross cluster networking/matchmaking/visits

Conversations are underway with ATIM and IDEAM cluster on potential networking/matchmaking events for 2022

The 1st ‘All island engineering Cluster manager’ meeting took place in Limerick in Oct, this included all networks/groups/clusters involved in engineering & manufacturing both N&S of the border (approx 10). There’s alot of opportunity to collaborate and connect our members. If you are looking for a particular partner/service/supplier then we can help to connect you.

Networking and promotion Workstream

1st Member meeting was held in Oct, members got a chance to introduce themselves, what their company does and what common issues they had. We hope that the next member meeting will be F2F and potentially in a member site, in the New Year subject to Covid restrictions.

BORMAC Logo and branding is completed and branded social media channels have been set up, LinkedIn and Twitter. Member posts and jobs are channelled through BORMAC socail media channels and followership is growing. Website is in early stage development, being repurposed from the former Atlantic MedTech Cluster website. Verus Metrology are helping in this process – more to come on this

Kaon Automation are helping to develop an internal Cluster collaboration sharepoint. More to come on this

Other news

BORMAC is gaining visibility and we have been invited to participate in several discussions hosted by IBEC, North West Regional Assembly (NWRA) and a Cluster Research Network, relating to influencing cluster policy development at both a regional and national level. Several focus groups have been held and some members have also participated.

Contact:
Finola Howe
info@bormac.ie
0873671763