History

Ward Automation are renowned for delivering innovative, high quality automation equipment for multinational customers in the medical device, pharmaceutical and other high-end manufacturing industries.

We have a strong focus on nurturing relationships with our clients by building trust and confidence. Our highly skilled staff take pride in working closely with our customers, their loyalty and commitment has been synonymous to our success.

OUR VISION

Our relentless passion for innovation and developing ingenious solutions to the most complex of automation challenges is ingrained in everything that we do.

Driven by this, our goal is to always set the standard and be the supplier of choice for automation equipment to the global medical device, pharmaceutical and high end manufacturing industries.

1995

Ward Automation is established in Sligo by John Ward. John previously worked for fourteen years with a multinational medical device company on machine design and managing automation projects sourced from established European equipment builders. As almost all automation equipment at that time was imported into Ireland, Ward Automation was formed to cater for the growing Irish pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing industries.

1996

The first assembly machine is completed which remained in 24/7 production for over 20 years.

1998

First export project, to the USA. Today exports account for 30% of Ward Automation’s turnover.

2000

First fully automatic production line developed for filling IV solutions into bags.

2001

Moved into a purpose built factory in Sligo to provide more manufacturing space for our growing team of dedicated staff.

2008

Achieved ISO 9001 accreditation.

ISO 2008

2009

First robots integrated into a Grade A, aseptic pharmaceutical vial processing application.

2018

Growing demands for the company’s automation solutions secured the need for a new €2.2 million state of the art manufacturing facility in Sligo.

2020

Ward Automation wins the 2020 Irish Times Innovation Award in the manufacturing and design category for developing a vaccine production machine – the SP-600 Syringe Inspection Packaging machine.

Ward Automation wins Irish Times Innovation Award

2021

Ward Automation achieves a Gold level status in Rockwell Automation OEM program

John-and-Kenny-Ward-presented-with-Gold-OEM-Partner-Program-Award

2023

Factory expansion to further increase manufacturing capacity by 120%