Researchers

SFI secures €245m for five research centres

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20 October 2014

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is to establishment of five new research centres in Ireland after securing €245 million in funding in government and industry.

The centres involve a collaborative partnerships between industry and higher education institutions including Cork Institute of Technology; Dublin City University; Dublin Institute of Technology; Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies; Dundalk IT; NUI Galway; Maynooth University; Royal College of Surgeons Ireland; Trinity College Dublin; Tyndall National Institute; University College Cork; University College Dublin; University of Limerick and Waterford Institute of Technology. This brings the total number of SFI research centres to 12 and up to 700 jobs are expected to be created.

The funding of €155 million from the Department of Jobs will be delivered through Science Foundation Ireland’s (SFI) Research Centres Programme, coupled with €90 million in contributions from industry partners. The funding will support research in critical and emerging sectors of the economy and will be provided over the next six years.

The centres will be involved in over 165 industry collaborations with partners including Intel, Google, Microsoft, Medtronic Vascular Galway Ltd, Xilinx and Huawei.

The five new SFI research centres are Adapt; The CONNECT Centre; the CÚRAM Centre for Research in Medical Devices; iCRAG Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences; and LERO The Irish Software Research Centre.

Prof Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, said: “These five SFI research centres complement the seven we announced last year – which are already having a major positive impact: making important scientific advances, initiating and enhancing enterprise, training people with appropriate skills, winning EU projects and enhancing Ireland’s international reputation.

“These SFI Research Centres combine scientific research with deep and significant enterprise engagement, excellence and impact. We are confident that they will make a significant contribution to Ireland’s economy, employment and reputation.”

The investment marks the second tranche of funding under the SFI Research Centres Programme. Last year €300 million (€200 million from SFI and €100 million from industry) in funding was announced for seven research centres, the largest ever combined Government and Industry co-funding collaboration of its kind in the research field in Ireland.

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