Bord Gáis Energy Interview: David Gillen, Blueacre Technology

/ 15th April 2019 /

Bord Gáis Energy supported the recent SFA National Small Business Awards by sponsoring the manufacturing category. In this interview, we feature Dr David Gillen, managing director Blueacre Technology, which won top prize in the manufacturing category and was overall winner of the competition.

Founded in 2006, Blueacre Technology provides specialist laser micro-machining to the medical devices and other advanced manufacturing industries. The company employees 15 staff at its facility in Dundalk, where it processes thousands of high-value parts daily.

Why did you start Blueacre Technology and how has it grown?

After completing my PhD in physics, I worked in semi-conductor manufacturing companies. There, I saw an opportunity to apply laser technology to medical device manufacturing. I established the company in 2006 to target the medical device manufacturing industry and it has grown organically ever since.

We have gone on to develop a unique speciality in laser micromachining and have invested heavily in securing quality certification, including ISO 9000 for general quality standard and ISO 13485 for medical devices. In the last two years, we have focused on providing contract manufacturing for global medical device companies, which has helped to treble our turnover.

What has been the driving force behind the company's development?

The focus on R&D has allowed us to keep pace with the ever-changing needs of our customers and has been central to our growth so far. We recently took part in the EU’s Horizon 2020 project, where we worked with partners across Europe on research and innovation in the industry. Blueacre Technology has also been awarded a new research grant under the government’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund, which will see us working closely with Trinity College Dublin on new 3D printing technology.

What challenges face Blueacre Technology?

The biggest challenge we face is to keep pace with our customers’ changing needs. To achieve this, we are constantly looking at new ways to improve our machines while reducing costs. Blueacre Technology is also aiming to grow our profile internationally. We believe that our focus on innovation will set us apart from our larger competitors.

What does the future hold?

In the next two years we plan to double our turnover, profit and staff, growing from 15 to 30 employees. To achieve these goals, we are continuing to grow our customer base both in Ireland and internationally. We are also looking to develop new capabilities beyond laser micro-machining.

Is energy efficiency important to your business?

We see energy efficiency as being hugely important to our business. We recently decided to replace all our lighting with LED lighting, which has proven to be more effective and energy efficient for us. When designing our products, we also aim to make our machines to the highest energy efficiency standards possible.

What did your successes at the recent SFA National Small Business Awards mean to you?

Both awards are a testament to the hard work, dedication and focus of everyone in the company, and our participation in the awards has raised our profile. It has been great to achieve such a public confirmation of our success.

Photo: David Gillen (second from left) with (l-r) SFA chair Sue O’Neill; Colin Bebbington, Retail Director, Bord Gais Energy; Olivia Gillen of Blueacre Technology; and SFA director Sven Spollen-Behrens.