Bord na Mona is to create 91 new jobs as part of a €6 million R&D investment over the next three years with the support of government through Enterprise Ireland. The move is part of Bord na Mona’s ongoing innovation programme that has already seen recruitment commence for 20 high-tech positions, which are expected to be in place by March 2012. The 91 jobs announced are in addition to these 20 positions, and will add to Bord na Mona’s skilled, high-tech, graduate workforce.
Enterprise Ireland is supporting the work of the Innovation Division of Bord na Mona in a number of number of high technology growth areas such as Clean Technology, Carbon Reduction and Growing media. Bord na Mona has also announced a new strategy to collaborate with and mentor start-ups and SMEs in the Midlands region and has appointed an outreach development manager.
“Cleantech is a sector which we as a government are targeting for support, as we believe Ireland has distinct advantages and the capacity to be a pioneer in this area. Many people have talked about the potential of the sector,” says Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. “If we are ambitious and if we act decisively, I believe that we can create large numbers of jobs in this sector and I am determined to see that through.”
Gabriel D’Arcy, chief executive of Bord na Mona, comments: “This is an important development for our company as we transition to a more sustainable company moving away from peat-based activities into operations centred on clean technology. It fits very well with our company strategy ‘A New Contract with Nature’.
Bord na Mona has a long history of innovation. It was the first company to build a wind farm in Ireland and Bord na Mona proprietary technology is used in more than 500 Clean Water and Clean Air installations across the globe from Osaka to Oslo.