Mallow, Ireland an emerging electronics hub

The Munster Maths and Science Fair highlights the emergence of Mallow as a hub of electronics and other high-tech industry.

Once again exciting experiments and mind-bending physics took centre stage at the annual event which explores the ‘fun side’ of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) subjects. An extension of the Mallow Development Partnership’s (MDP) innovative – Maths & Science Primary Schools Project – the fair was established to showcase STEM related projects to school students. .

While local schools have continued to form a core component of the fair, with primary and secondary schools from the greater Mallow area showcasing their projects, over the years it has expanded with leaders from industry, research and universities and technical institutes holding a wide array of interactive experiments and displays throughout the day.

A spokesperson for Mallow Development Partnership explained that the Fair highlights the emergence of an expanding engineering and electronics hub in the county. “The Munster Maths and Science Family Fair highlights the emergence of a significant and expanding engineering and electronics hub in Mallow.

Mallow is an emerging engineering and electronics hub. Kostal Ireland and Blackwater Engineering employ up to 1500 people between them and play a very important role in the promotion of STEM in their various activities.

The spokesperson added: “Visitors to the fair see how these companies all located in Mallow produce and supply a wide range of products in water treatment, automotive sector, dairy and pharmaceutical industries both here in Ireland and also in the wider global markets”.

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Frank O’Flynn said the Munster Maths and Science Fair promotes the region as an attractive place to live and do business in.

“The Munster Maths and Science Fair inspires our youth to pursue STEM-related fields and foster connections between businesses and schools. It serves as a spotlight on North Cork’s potential as a hub for science, engineering, and innovation-based companies, benefiting our region economically and academically.

“Moreover, the fair encourages learner engagement, enhances teacher capacity, and promotes our region as an attractive place to live, learn, and do business,” Mayor O’Flynn added.

The Munster Maths and Science Family Fair is organised by the Mallow Development Partnership through its network of volunteers, is sponsored by Cork County Council’s Economic Development Fund and generously supported by the Boston-based Irish American Partnership.

From: https://www.independent.ie/regionals/cork/news/mallows-an-emerging-engineering-and-electronics-hub 

EIDA Editor:    This charming Irish town, 35 km north of Cork has a population of 14,000, or just one percent of the population of Adelaide. Its local government and civic leaders are promoting STEM subjects with a focus on the electronics design and manufacturing and engineering industries across County Cork, population: 540,000.  

International and local electronics firms are now established in County Cork, including Analog Devices,  TE Connectivity, Siemens, ABB, Kostal GMBH, Flex, Apple, Pixz, Macon,  ASML, Applied Materials, Jabil, Infineon, Amazon, Aptiv, Vishay,  Renesas, U-blox, IBM, Advaced Energy, Pepperl+Fuchs, Artesyn McAfee, Embedded Technologies, EMC, Microchip, Oculus VR, Stocker Yale, Farran,  DSP Group and Samsung.

Engineering and electronic industries have replaced food and fibre production and processing as the major industries in the region – just as these technologies transformed the horticultural past of the Santa Clara Valley, California – then known as the ‘Valley of Hearts Delight’ – to the region that we now know as Silicon Valley. 

The leaders in town of Mallow – with one percent of the population of Adelaide – promote electronics and engineering, so should Adelaide’s electronics industry and its career opportunities be better recognised and promoted by our government?