PRISM (Powering Research and Innovation for Advanced Manufacturing) is a unique €7.6 million cross border project, supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

The project, designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector, was officially launched in South West College, Omagh Campus, on 23 October 2025.

The project will be delivered by a consortium of six partners, South West College (Lead Partner); Queen’s University Belfast ( Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre); Atlantic Technical University (ATU); Dublin City University(DCU), North West Regional College, and Cavan Innovation and Technology Centre.

The overall objective is to enable participating manufacturing companies to lead the way in decarbonisation.

The project was developed and designed on a cross-border basis with input from participating SMEs and trade associations including the Mineral Products Association Northern Ireland; Irish Concrete Federation; Northern Ireland Polymer Association; Plastics Ireland; Food and Drink Association; and Food and Drink Ireland.

PRISM will significantly accelerate the adoption of low carbon technologies in a range of SMEs across three manufacturing clusters – Mineral Processing; Polymer Processing and Composites; and Agrifood. The deployment of cutting-edge research and innovation expertise developed throughout the duration of the project will result in significant environmental improvements in industry, enhance competitiveness, and drive overall economic growth, through new low carbon product development and process improvement, which will reduce energy consumption and C02 emissions through a bespoke decarbonisation plan.

Cavan Innovation and Technology Centre will manage ongoing Stakeholder Engagement and co-ordinate Dissemination of project results and outcomes in collaboration with the lead partner, through building and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders, including SMEs, trade associations, and academic partners across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

A key role is supporting the PRISM dissemination strategy to ensure the widest possible visibility of the project outcomes and outputs, through information sharing, and cross-border collaboration. This will be delivered in a number of ways, including organisation of research symposiums to showcase achievements/success stories, workshops, media releases, and social media.