About us
About us
Our partners
Blade Repurposing Innovation doesn't just happen...
BladeBridge is the start-up company formed by Cork, Ireland based researchers from the Re-Wind Network. The purpose of the Re-Wind Network is to develop repurposing solutions for decommissioned wind turbine blades which are environmentally and socially superior to conventional products and disposal methods, as supported by research. The Re-Wind Network is a collection of faculty, staff and students at five academic institutions – Georgia Institute of Technology, University College Cork, Queen’s University Belfast, City University of New York and Munster Technological University – and industry affiliates.
CEO
Dr. Angie Nagle
Angie has a keen interest in community and business development in the area of waste repurposing. Her research focused on combining Life Cycle Assessment and the Sustainable Development Goals to assess products made from discarded wind blade material. Previously, Angie started up The Baby Markets, and previous to that, was a process engineer for Boston Scientific and Intel. She has a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and Public Policy, an MSc in Biomedical Engineering, and a PhD in Civil Engineering.
CTO
Kieran Ruane
Kieran is a Chartered Civil and Structural Engineer and a lecturer in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at MTU. Kieran is a former director of RPS where he was Head of Bridges and he has nearly 30 years’ experience in the design and delivery of civil engineering works of all scales. Kieran has an extensive industry and academic network in the engineering sector in Ireland. He was Chair of the Institution of Structural Engineers, Republic of Ireland Group in 2018 and 2019 and he is past President of the Civil Engineering Research Association of Ireland. Kieran has active research projects in the area of repurposing composite materials including a recent award from SEAI. He designed and oversaw the fabrication and construction of the BladeBridge for Cork County Council.
Head of R&D
Dr. Paul Leahy
Paul is a lecturer in UCC’s School of Engineering and Architecture, and brings professional connections to the wind sector. Paul has managed a total budget of over €3m in the past 12 years, winning research tenders from the European Commission and competitive research grants. He has mentored and managed over 15 graduate students and 10 research staff and worked in partnership with SMEs and MNCs to deliver R&D in the energy and environmental sectors. He can maintain our connection with the Re-Wind Network, and address IP issues with technology coming from the project.
