Minister Niamh Smyth Commends Irish Companies Availing of Skillnet Innovation Exchange Business Supports

Skillnet Innovation Exchange has announced a significant milestone with the signing of a contract worth €800,000 between Nuálach Automation based in Cavan, and The Nestbox Egg Company in county Monaghan. 

The Nestbox Egg company, which handles approximately five million eggs every week, was seeking to improve efficiencies to build, label, and pack cartons on its production line. Nuálach Automation pitched, and ultimately delivered, a customised solution, the Eggsact Robot Packer, which integrates seamlessly into the Nestbox infrastructure, reducing manual workload while increasing scalability. 

Commenting on the achievement, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth TD, said: “Today’s announcement is a powerful example of what can be achieved when innovative Irish SMEs are connected directly with larger companies through initiatives like Skillnet Innovation Exchange. Government supported initiatives like this play a vital role in driving productivity, supporting regional development, and strengthening Ireland’s position as a global leader in enterprise and innovation. I would like to commend The Nestbox Egg Company and Nuálach Automation for using this proven initiative to innovate and build competitiveness for their businesses.” 

Skillnet Innovation Exchange connects large businesses facing innovation challenges with talented solution providers that fast-track innovation. To date the initiative facilitated the delivery of more than 70 innovation challenges experienced by larger corporates, to its SME member base. Corporate members of the Skillnet Innovation Exchange, which now number over 50, include some of Ireland’s leading companies, like InterSport Elverys, Horse Sport Ireland, Ryanair, Glanbia and many more. 

Mark Jordan, Chief Executive, Skillnet Ireland, said: “This success highlights the real-world impact of the Skillnet Innovation Exchange in empowering SMEs to win high-value contracts while helping larger businesses solve strategic challenges. Supporting digital transformation is a key focus for Skillnet Ireland, through national initiatives like Skillnet Innovation Exchange and our 70 Skillnet Business Networks. Through collaborative partnerships, we are not only advancing digital transformation but also strengthening Ireland’s competitiveness across multiple sectors.” 

The Skillnet Innovation Exchange model works by giving SME organisations the opportunity to respond to the challenge presented by the larger corporate company, with those successful in their initial submission selected to meet with the prospective buyer to pitch their solution. Since launching in February 2022, over 120 SMEs have had the opportunity to pitch directly to a corporate buyer. The programme offers SMEs not only a qualified sales pipeline but a valuable opportunity to engage with prospective customers on industry requirements – providing a clear benefit to solutions providers developing new products for market. 

Conor Carmody, Director of Skillnet Innovation Exchange, said: “We are delighted that so many businesses are realising the benefits of Skillnet Innovation Exchange and one of these benefits is the sizeable deal announced today. The success of the programme is in large part down to the active engagement of our members – both our large corporate members, which include Ireland’s most ambitious and progressive companies, and our SME members which include some of Ireland’s most talented and innovative minds. 

Evan Roarke, Co-founder of Nuálach Automation, said: “The challenge presented through Skillnet Innovation Exchange provided us with the opportunity to pitch for this exclusive contract in an 

efficient and seamless manner. We are proud to partner with The Nest Box Egg Company to deliver the Eggsact Robot Packer — a high-speed, high-volume precision robotic solution for egg packaging. By significantly reducing reliance on manual labour, the Eggsact Robot Packer will not only enhance operational efficiency and packaging precision but also support greater scalability and sustainability across their supply chain.” 

Eoin McEvoy, CFO, The Nestbox Egg Company, added: “Through Skillnet Innovation Exchange, we have found a partner right here in our region. This automation investment will significantly boost our production capacity while supporting our long-term growth. Skillnet Innovation Exchange gave us access to a pool of talented solution providers and, through its structured process, helped us quickly identify and shortlist five strong contenders. The process is extremely comprehensive and effective, it gave each provider the opportunity to pitch directly to us, allowing for real engagement and helping us build the foundations for a long-term partnership.” 

Skillnet Innovation Exchange is now welcoming new members. Whether you're a scaling SME or a corporate seeking solutions, visit www.theinnovationexchange.ie to learn more.