Magherafelt based firm launches spinout company - Bloc Labs

Magherafelt-based Bloc has invested £600,000 in the launch of a new spinout company – Bloc Labs – to design, test, and develop the next generation of consumer technology products and experiences for global markets.
By Stanley Campbell
Published 5th Jul 2021, 13:05 BST
Updated 5th Jul 2021, 13:06 BST
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In its initial phase Bloc Labs will create 10 new jobs, forming a close-knit team of researchers, designers, and technologists who will focus on concept, design and product development.

A further 40 jobs are planned with the goal of bringing leading-edge customer solutions to market within the next 12-18 months.

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Heading up the Bloc Labs team is Dr Rachel Gawley, one of NI’s most highly experienced tech specialists.

Dr Rachel Gawley who has joined Bloc Labs as Chief Technologist and Site Lead, and Bloc, Managing Director, Cormac Diamond.Dr Rachel Gawley who has joined Bloc Labs as Chief Technologist and Site Lead, and Bloc, Managing Director, Cormac Diamond.
Dr Rachel Gawley who has joined Bloc Labs as Chief Technologist and Site Lead, and Bloc, Managing Director, Cormac Diamond.

As site lead and chief technologist, she is passionate about her new role.

She explained: “Seeing possibility in the world is the fuel behind our engineering creativity at Bloc.

“As an agile company our focus is on using our ingenuity to overcome challenges, innovate solutions and develop the products and technologies which enhance lives.

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“Bloc Labs is a unique workspace offering incredible scope and opportunity to individuals who will be empowered to do what they do best by bringing amazing ideas to life.”

The announcement is a significant development for the leading designer and manufacturer which already employs over 200 people across Northern Ireland and its division in The Netherlands.

The news follows further global endorsement for Bloc which recently achieved the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design in recognition of its agile approach to innovation and problem solving. Central to Bloc’s success is its revolutionary patented Bloc Out blind technology and market leading safety wand which is exported to key markets including the USA and Canada.

Bloc’s managing director, Cormac Diamond added: “This is another stage in the very exciting journey which has seen Bloc come so far over the last 12 years.

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“We will continue to push the boundaries by creating new opportunities which will help us to scale our business on the global platform.

“Bloc Labs is just one more way in which we’ve turned our engineering and design experience into a meaningful, positive outcome, creating more jobs and opportunity for growth.”

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