Leaf wins £2.5m contract from major European research project

Mallusk-based Leaf Technologies has won a £2.5 million contract to supply electronic modules to the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, which is part of CERN in Geneva, one of the world's most advanced scientific research projects.

Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment and Fred Sloan, Chief Executive of Leaf Technologies, announced the CERN contract, which is the first to be secured by a Northern Ireland company.

Leaf will develop sophisticated circuit boards for the high precision controls of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The LHC will be used for a research project that, in the past, has discovered exotic particles.

CERN (Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire) scientists undertake leading-edge studies in a variety of areas and were responsible for developing the World Wide Web for Internet communications.

Commenting on the announcement, Sir Reg said: "This is a tremendous achievement for Leaf Technologies and indeed for the wider electronics industry in Northern Ireland. Leaf's success is proof that CERN business is not the preserve of large multinational enterprises.

"It demonstrates that a family-run business in Northern Ireland can compete and win with CERN if it is prepared to invest resources in developing opportunities and in meeting this international organisation's requirements in terms of technology, quality and service.

"The company's success is important to the work of Trade International in helping to open the doors at CERN for Northern Ireland industry. I commend Mr Sloan and his team at Leaf Technologies for their determination and professionalism.”

Mr Sloan added: "We are delighted to have secured this very exciting contract from such an internationally regarded research organisation. It's a tremendous boost for the company as we are implementing a new growth strategy that centres on the further development of our expertise in electronics.

"The CERN contract, secured through open competition with 22 companies from many parts of Europe, is the most significant in a series of new orders that we have won in recent months and will result in significant employment opportunities here at Mallusk.

"The initial lead which produced this contract was made during a Trade International seminar on CERN in Belfast in February. I followed up the contact by visiting CERN myself and also by taking part in a Trade International mission to the Geneva-based organization, to identify business opportunities and develop relationships there with key decision makers."

Leaf subsequently identified a requirement for the supply of sophisticated electronic modules and won the tender by demonstrating that it could meet CERN's exacting quality standards. (MB)