International. Johnson Controls announced the recent opening of an OpenBlue innovation center at its global headquarters located in One Albert Quay, Cork, Ireland.
The OpenBlue Innovation Centre in Cork aims to create a future-proof built environment for local and global customers and is part of an international network of OpenBlue Innovation Centres working to pioneer new ways to provide smart, healthy and sustainable spaces for customers.
"We are very pleased to launch our OpenBlue Innovation Centre in Cork. This center will focus on working with our customers to identify solutions to achieve decarbonization and renewable energy goals while optimizing building performance," said Tomas Brannemo, vice president and president of Building Solutions EMEALA at Johnson Controls. "This center will serve as our regional center of excellence to take customers to see johnson Controls' latest cutting-edge innovations on how to solve net zero."
Equipped with the most advanced construction technology solutions from Johnson Controls, the OpenBlue Innovation Center will showcase the company's latest and most innovative solutions in a real-world environment. The research and development grant Johnson Controls received from the Irish government will support engineering activities at the centre, including the development of a professional services centre for the Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America region over a two-year period.
Johnson Controls' research and development presence has grown substantially in recent years and 18 new research and development roles are expected to be created as a result of the OpenBlue Innovation Center, in addition to the 40 roles that are already working on next-generation solutions. for Johnson Controls and its customers.
Research and development at the OpenBlue Innovation Center will focus on the global priority of reducing carbon emissions in the construction sector. The construction sector accounts for nearly 40 percent of annual global CO2 emissions, making it a key focus area in the quest for a net-zero emissions world.
"Our partnership with the Irish government through IDA Ireland shows how governments and industry can drive real change. The financial support will allow us to increase our workforce, which will contribute not only to the local economy, but also to the development of our OpenBlue network. zero solutions globally to have a positive impact on climate change," said Eamonn Hughes, vice president and general manager of EMEALA Digital Solutions at Johnson Controls.
Eileen Sharpe, Head of Engineering and Green Economy at IDA Ireland, welcomed the investment, adding: "IDA Ireland is committed to supporting the work of world-class companies such as Johnson Controls to use the latest developments in AI, data analytics and cloud architecture to build new technologies to enable a more sustainable world. This is a very welcome investment for Cork and for Ireland and is in line with our strategic objective of developing Ireland as a leading place for Sustainability Engineering solutions."
OpenBlue, Johnson Controls' suite of connected solutions, is a key enabler that changes the face of sustainability for today's customers, through smart building technologies designed for operational energy efficiency, occupant comfort and sustainability. Cutting-edge solutions like OpenBlue Net Zero Buildings can help drive significant improvements in energy efficiency and corresponding carbon emissions.
