Is there a Future for Manufacturing in Ireland?
Thursday 8 November 2007

Professor Patrick Flood pictured with students

A recent conference involving DCU heard that by embracing innovation in the industry, firms and businesses would not only survive but also thrive.

The National Centre for Partnership and Performance Conference recently played host to a debate on the future of manufacturing in Ireland. The view that the West should give up on manufacturing was well and truly quashed.

“Trying to compete with low-cost manufacturing economies is pointless; instead the West should focus its efforts on bringing about improvements in the way traditional work practices are carried out – in other words- innovate”, Dr Richard Lester, director of the Industrial Performance Centre at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Some key points that arose from the debate:

Innovation within the manufacturing sector requires the ability to attract both financial capital and an innovative workforce.

Despite some high-profile closures in recent months, the manufacturing sector remains a robust and important part of the Irish economy.

The continued growth and development of the manufacturing sector in Ireland will require the development of creative and adaptable workplaces that are characterised by higher levels of innovation, problem-solving and employee involvement and participation.

Patrick Flood, professor of organisational behaviour at Dublin City University Business School said, 'we need to develop knowledge intensive products and services in industries which are hard to replicate which cannot be found easily in low wage economies and will therefore attract companies to Ireland'.

''Our key competitive resource is the intellectual capital of our graduates in ICT, biotechnology and science based industries and our creative management skills'', he said.