ABB opens new global R&D centre in Ireland

Aglobal research and development (R&D) centre for the pulp and paper industry has been officially opened by ABB in Dundalk, Ireland.

The new multi-million-dollar R&D Centre is at the heart of ABB’s automation and digital products for the sector and will be home to the ongoing evolution of the ABB Quality Control System (QCS).

ABB says its vision for the centre is to develop solutions that respond to global trends and will meet the sustainability goals of the rapidly-evolving industry. A QCS, for example, has the potential to reduce annual production losses by 2 per cent or more per paper machine. This is able to impact a mill’s sustainability goals by also reducing annual emissions for each machine by the same amount, or 1,100 tons of carbon dioxide, using the assumption of 57,000t of carbon dioxide emissions for a typical paper, board or tissue machine.

The project is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland, which was originally created to help attract foreign investment into the country and has links to ABB that go back to the 1980s.

Dara Calleary TD, Ireland’s minister for trade promotion and digital transformation, said at the opening: “ABB’s new centre here in Dundalk will support technology advancement in the pulp and paper industry with the creation of up to 30 new highly-skilled jobs to the area. The new R&D facility will provide an exciting space for innovation to help papermakers in areas such as waste reduction, reducing emissions including finding new ways of reaching sustainability goals.”

The centre will take advantage of modern technologies such as additive manufacturing (3D printing), collaborative robots and Augmented/Virtual Reality for training and field service delivery to better meet the needs of ABB’s pulp and paper development team. The site will also include a new training hub that will provide skills development support for ABB and its customers, enabling more cross-industry partnerships and collaboration.

Joachim Braun, division president of process industries

at ABB, commented: “ABB’s Pulp and Paper business grows year on year, and this investment into our Quality Control Systems development will allow us to sustain our global market leadership and push the industry forward for the next generation of paper makers.

“With Ireland ranked in the top 10 EU countries for innovation and boasting the fourth-highest international share of workforce in the EU, it is the perfect location for our new R&D site. From this base, we will continue to advance the future of the industry and pioneer new technologies to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

Michael Kerley, global technology manager for ABB Pulp & Paper, and a Dundalk local, added: “This new centre represents ABB’s proud heritage and presence in Ireland, which is extremely important to us.

“In addition to being a hub for technological innovation in the pulp and paper industry, the new centre will play a vital role in creating up to 30 high-level job opportunities over the next three to five years, thereby bolstering the talent pool in Ireland and supporting the local economy.”

Dundalk is one of ABB’s four main global Pulp and Paper R&D centres, along with Bangalore, Singapore, and Stockholm.