Irish tech firm will invest £1.8m in cyber security initiative
A BELFAST based tech firm has announced an investment of nearly £2m into a cyber security initiative for the manufacturing sector.
Angoka has confirmed it will support the development of a world leading cyber security solution for the industry with funding of £1.8m.
The COSMIC (Cybersecurity for Operational Systems in Manufacturing and Industrial Control) initiative promises to deliver a solution to protect organisations from the threat of cyber-attacks due to the digitalisation of manufacturing systems.
It is currently being developed in partnership with the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) and with financial support from Invest NI.
(l-r) Sam Turner, CEO of AMIC, Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald, Steve Berry, ANGOKA Chairman and Dr Vicky Kell, Director of Innovation, Research and Development at Invest NI
Founded in 2019, Angoka has developed technology that allows machines to communicate securely without interference from hackers and cyber security threats.
'With cyber threats growing in both scale and sophistication, demand for solutions that protect online devices has surged across the globe,' Angoka Chairman, Steve Berry said.
'COSMIC is a reaction to the growing need for cyber security adoption in the advanced manufacturing sector due to the detrimental impact any breaches could have on the operational resilience of manufacturing facilities,' he added.
'Our new solution will allow us to expand our core offering and achieve ambitious growth targets.
'It will be designed for ease of deployment both on existing and new manufacturing equipment.
'This seamless deployment will be a key enabler for breaking into new markets across the globe.'
Northern Ireland's Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald announced Angoka's investment this week.
'This investment by Angoka will help increase productivity, create good jobs, and boost innovation across two of our priority sectors - cyber security and advanced manufacturing,' she said.
'It is the result of collaboration between government, academia and the private sector and it has been enabled by the City and Growth Deal which established the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre,' the minister added.
'So this announcement is a great example of our economic strategy paying dividends.'
Over the next two years AMIC will support the development of the COSMIC solution through product testing, identification of target customers for commercial deployments and acting as a point of contact with industry groups.
'AMIC is at the heart of the innovation support system for Northern Ireland manufacturing,' AMIC CEO Sam Turner said.
'Led by Queen's University in partnership with industry, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and Ulster University, we support our industrial clients in transforming processes and introducing new cutting-edge innovative products,' he added.
'With our new Factory-of-the-Future opening in 2026 and our mission to drive growth, competitiveness and innovation, the AMIC team is delighted to support Angoka with this project.'
See More: Angoka, Belfast, Cosmic, Cybersecurity, Manufacturing
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