ÉireComposites has secured a place at the centre of Ireland’s latest high-tech ambition, joining the new LIFT Project, a 3.8 million euro national initiative designed to accelerate the industrialisation of drone manufacturing. Beginning in January, the collaboration unites ÉireComposites, IONA and Technological University Dublin to confront one of the biggest barriers in drone logistics scaling up the production of lightweight, high strength airframes that can withstand routine operations in remote and rural regions.

For manufacturers tracking automation trends, LIFT represents a strategic push toward fully scaled composite production. ÉireComposites will leverage its aerospace and space grade expertise to design airframes that are lighter, stronger and more efficient, with a clear emphasis on durability, safety and flight-readiness. The company will also investigate automated processes that can deliver high volume, consistent output without compromising quality, giving Ireland’s advanced manufacturing sector a competitive foothold in the rapidly expanding drone ecosystem.

CEO Tomas Flanagan framed the initiative as an opportunity to stretch the limits of composite innovation and push automated production further into real world applications. The work builds on an already successful partnership with IONA, now expanded into a more ambitious research and development effort under the LIFT banner.

With composite engineering from ÉireComposites, drone systems expertise from IONA and academic research from TU Dublin, the consortium aims to deliver a new generation of airframes capable of supporting greener, faster and more resilient supply chains. The project positions Ireland to compete in a logistics market where weight reduction, efficiency and automation increasingly determine operational feasibility.

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