Cross-border project aims to boost Irish SME digitalisation
23 Feb 2026
An Ireland-wide initiative has been launched to speed digitalisation north and south of the border.
The cross-border DATUM project will aid manufacturing SMEs in Northern Ireland and the Republic.
It is being delivered by the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), based at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) and the Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR), based in Rathcoole, Dublin county.
Support provided by DATUM to SMEs will include the provision of expert advisers to work directly alongside business and funded access to reduce financial risk.
The launch event drew senior government and industry representatives from North and South.
These included Northern Ireland’s economy minister Caoimhe Archibald, The Republic of Ireland’s enterprise, tourism and employment minister Peter Burke.
Other attendees were senior civil servant at the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy (DfE), acting Deputy Secretary for Economic Policy Mark Lee, together with Gina McIntyre, chief executive of the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
The DATUM programme is supported by €8.3million from SEUPB’s PEACEPLUS programme.
AMIC, an open-access research and technology organisation led by QUB in partnership with Ulster University and Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, is seeking to strengthen the Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector’s global competitiveness through innovation.
Minister Archibald said: “This important new project by DATUM marks a positive step forward for the Advanced Manufacturing sector in the north, helping to accelerate digital transformation for up to 100 manufacturing SMEs across the programme area.
“It brings together Ireland’s two leading Advanced Manufacturing research and technology organisations, combining extensive experience in supporting enterprises to adapt to cutting edge digital and industry technologies.”
On behalf of the Dublin government, Burke called the cross-border initiative “a strong example of how collaboration can drive innovation, improve productivity and create sustainable growth”.
Pic: Shahadat Rahman
