15th July 2021
Twenty-nine successful projects from across third level have secured €6m to buy world-leading research equipment to serve the R&D needs of Irish industry.
The €6m fund will provide companies with access to critical, leading-edge equipment. The Capital Equipment Fund is administered by Enterprise Ireland through the Technology Gateway and Technology Centre Programmes.
This equipment will allow them to engage in R&D activities, pilot manufacturing capability for new products and process development, enhance technology validation and testing capabilities, test bed generation and enhanced training potential for key industry staff on emerging technologies in collaboration with the technology gateways and technology centres across Ireland.
“We hope to see some exciting new ideas and breakthroughs as a result,” said Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD.
“Great things happen when companies collaborate with third level institutions. Recent data show that companies which collaborate with our universities have double the turnover of those that don’t. Third level institutions benefit too, by getting to work with creative, business-minded entrepreneurs, working on solutions to real life problems. Congratulations to all the successful applicants, I look forward to seeing the fruits of this collaborative effort.”
The winners were selected through a rigorous evaluation process based on eligibility criteria for the call which included, but was not limited to, a strong track record of industry engagement, a significant industrial need for the new equipment, and space to service and maintain the equipment according to international standards.
The Technology Centre Programme is a joint initiative between Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. It allows Irish companies and multinationals to work together on market-focused strategic R&D projects in collaboration with research institutions.
More than 300 member companies collaborate with the centres in the areas of analytics, dairy processing, food for health, learning technologies, manufacturing, materials, meat technology, microelectronics and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
“This important investment coupled with the support and expertise of our technology gateways and centres will enable Irish industry to pursue their own innovation agendas particularly on challenges where they don’t have all of the resources ‘in house’,” said Gearoid Mooney, divisional manager, Research & Innovation at Enterprise Ireland.
“The successful projects announced today will provide equipment that is essential to serving the R&D needs of Irish industry and may give them an opportunity to try important assets before they invest in them.”
Source: ThinkBusiness.ie
Image: Pixabay