Manufacturing SMEs Explore Innovation Opportunities at PRISM Prototyping Workshop
Manufacturing SMEs from across the island of Ireland recently gathered at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) for the PRISM Programme’s Paper Prototyping Workshop, the final in-person stage of a structured innovation journey designed to help companies explore the potential of immersive technologies, AI and digital twins within their operations.
Hosted in the Netwell Casala Innovation Lab at DkIT on 30 June, the workshop brought together participating companies and delivery partners to translate real-world manufacturing challenges into tangible solution concepts. Building on earlier mentoring sessions and challenge refinement activities, participants worked collaboratively to develop and visualise potential future solutions to operational issues within their businesses.
The event centred on a hands-on, paper-based prototyping approach. Through a series of facilitated exercises, participants validated their business challenges, created storyboards to map future workflows, and explored implementation considerations through business case development activities. The aim was not to create finished technical solutions, but to help businesses move from problem definition towards clear, actionable concepts that could inform future innovation projects.
The workshop formed part of the wider PRISM Programme (Programme for Research & Innovation in Spatial Manufacturing), an all-island initiative delivered by Eirmersive, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Digital Catapult and Queen’s University Belfast, with support from InterTradeIreland. The programme is designed to support manufacturing SMEs in identifying practical opportunities for innovation and technology adoption.
Alongside the workshop activities, participants had the opportunity to engage with programme partners, exchange experiences with peer companies, and gain insight into potential next-step supports and innovation pathways.
As the programme moves into its next phase, the outputs generated during the workshop will contribute to the development of company-specific challenge reports and recommendations, helping participating businesses continue their innovation journey with greater clarity and confidence
