John Cosgrove, Director of Smart Manufacturing and Section Head (Electrical) at Technological University Shannon, served on the judging panel for the Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2025, bringing with him an extensive body of applied research and industry collaboration that positions him as one of Ireland's leading voices in smart and digital manufacturing.

Cosgrove is the founder and Director of the IDEAM Research Institute at TUS, which has completed over 150 collaborative research projects with industry partners. His Doctorate in Engineering, awarded for research on data analytics for energy efficiency in industry, underpins a career defined by the application of advanced analytical methods to real-world manufacturing challenges. This intersection of academic rigour and industrial relevance makes him a particularly well-suited evaluator for entries that demonstrate measurable operational and environmental performance.

His leadership extends across a portfolio of high-profile national and European research initiatives. Cosgrove plays a lead role in the Digital Europe DigiWIND Project, the FactoryXChange European Digital Innovation Hub, and the Smarter Factory Technology Gateway, as well as directing the IDEAM Industry Cluster. These roles reflect an engagement with manufacturing innovation that spans both policy-level programme design and hands-on technical research, giving him a broad perspective on where Irish and European manufacturing is heading.

As Principal Investigator and Research Institute Director, Cosgrove has secured approximately €10 million in competitive research funding, a figure that speaks to both the quality of his work and the confidence placed in his research direction by funding bodies across national and European programmes.

His presence on the judging panel reinforced the Manufacturing Excellence Awards' commitment to evaluation that is evidence-led and grounded in sector expertise. Entries benefited from scrutiny that prioritised measurable outcomes, technical credibility, and the strategic application of digital and data-driven approaches to manufacturing performance.

Visit the official Manufacturing Excellence Awards website to explore award categories, review the judging panel, and subscribe to the newsletter for updates and exclusive coverage from Ireland's manufacturing sector.