Science Foundation Ireland announced that it will invest €72 million over the next six years in four new world-class SFI Research Centres in Ireland. The new SFI Research Centres will be supported by 80 industry partners who will provide an additional €38 million to support cutting-edge basic and applied research with strong industry engagement, economic and societal impact. The decision follows a comprehensive 12 month international peer review process involving leading industry and academic experts, including Prof. Dirk Pesch and Nimbus researchers.Innovation 2020, the Government’s five-year strategy for research and development, science and technology, directs that the network of SFI Research Centres should be further developed to build critical mass in strategic areas of research strength and address enterprise needs.The Centres involve strong collaborative partnerships between research bodies in Ireland with funded researchers participating from institutions including Nimbus Centre (CIT), Cork Institute of Technology, Athlone Institute of Technology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin City University, Mater Hospital, Maynooth University, NUI Galway, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Teagasc, Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Tyndall National Institute (UCC), University College Cork, University College Dublin, University of Limerick and Waterford Institute of Technology.
The four new Research Centres will address the following:
- Smart manufacturing IT and industrial automation systems, led by Prof Conor McCarthy, University of Limerick (Project Title – Confirm);
- Biological resources as alternative materials to finite fossil resources, led by Prof Kevin O’Connor, UCD (Project Title – BEACON);
- Innovative techniques and processes in Additive Manufacturing, led by Prof Denis Dowling, UCD (Project Title – Deantus);
- Diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of chronic and rare neurological diseases – led by Prof David Henshall, RCSI (Project Title – Future Neuro).
For more information on the new SFI Research Centres click here.
