**Naas**: Kerry Group announces plans for a new Digital Centre of Excellence in Naas, Co Kildare, supported by a €7.5 million Enterprise Ireland grant. The initiative aims to enhance operational efficiencies and customer connectivity, incorporating AI solutions and boosting business productivity in the coming years.
Kerry Group has unveiled plans to establish a new Digital Centre of Excellence at its existing site in Naas, Co Kildare. This initiative aims to “increase operational efficiencies and enhance customer connectivity” as part of the company’s broader investment strategy in technology and process enhancement.
The project is being supported by a grant of €7.5 million from Enterprise Ireland. The food group stated that the new facility will focus on boosting business productivity through various digital enablement initiatives across Kerry’s operations, research and development, commercial activities, and global business services.
One of the key elements of this initiative will be the incorporation of artificial intelligence solutions to refine business processes and strengthen customer partnerships. Over the past 12 to 18 months, Kerry has piloted several digital initiatives and is now poised to upscale these efforts. The company plans to introduce a series of additional digital excellence enablement initiatives in the coming two years.
Among the pilot projects that have been trialled is the KerryNow customer portal, designed to streamline and enhance various activities such as order tracking, product portfolio management, and value-added services like new product development leveraging AI and proprietary data.
Shane McGibney, Chief Business Transformation Officer at Kerry, commented on the significance of this venture: “The Digital Centre of Excellence creates exciting opportunities to accelerate our business. The initiative represents a new aspect of transformation at Kerry.” He expressed gratitude for Enterprise Ireland’s support and the agency’s long-standing partnership with Kerry.
Jenny Melia, Executive Director at Enterprise Ireland, highlighted the project as a testament to Kerry Group’s dedication to innovation and commercial excellence. She noted, “This investment is further proof of Kerry Group’s commitment to innovation and commercial excellence. Enterprise Ireland has supported this development under the Research, Development and Innovation Fund, which supports investment in large-scale transformation projects to increase company competitiveness and further places Ireland as a market leader in innovation.”
The new Digital Centre of Excellence will be located at Kerry’s Global Innovation Centre in Naas, with Enterprise Ireland underscoring its commitment to supporting Irish companies such as Kerry in their innovative ventures.
In financial terms, Kerry reported group revenue of €8 billion and earnings of nearly €1.2 billion in 2023, despite experiencing a 5.9% reduction in sales during the first half of the previous year. The group has recently completed the initial phase of selling its dairy processing business to Kerry Co-Operative Creameries Ltd, which is its largest shareholder.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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