IUA welcome the announcement of 29 innovative research projects awarded under the third round of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar today.
This Fund, established under Project Ireland 2040, drives collaboration between Ireland’s world-class research base in the higher education sector with industry. IUA Universities have secured €80m of this latest round of €95m, covering areas such as ICT, life sciences, environmental sustainability, medical devices, artificial intelligence and manufacturing.
This brings the total funding awarded under the three rounds of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund to €235m out of the total fund of €500m.
Among the successful projects are those that will:
- Use artificial intelligence to develop drones to detect drug smuggling, involving the University of Limerick and University College Dublin
- Deliver an adhesive that will stick broken bone tissue together following fracture and then facilitate rapid healing and repair of the bone, involving Dublin City University
- Transform the plastics industry by drastically reducing the amount of fresh petroleum extracted virgin material used, involving University College Cork
- Use nanotechnology to generate 40% energy/emissions savings in thermal management of industrial cooling/heating systems e.g. data centres, involving Trinity College Dublin
The largest figure awarded, €7m, will go to a Galway-based project involving Relevium Medical Ltd, HiTech Health Ltd and NUI Galway, working on a regenerative treatment for knee osteoarthritis using a hydrogel-based therapeutic.
“Irish researchers have yet again demonstrated how their expertise and creativity can contribute to long-term economic well-being and quality of life. Working with their partners in industry, they will alter the way business operates and bring new products to market. SME participation is an integral part of the Fund and it’s great to see that a number of the SME partners were spun-out of the higher education sector.” – Dr Lisa Keating, IUA Director of Research and Innovation.
Details of all 29 projects are available below.
For more information please contact
Kate Wood, IUA Communications Officer, kate.wood@iua.ie
Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) – Awards under Call 3 (2020-21)
Projects awarded between €5 and €7 million in DTIF funding
| Project Description | Consortium Members | Research Priority Area | Regional Location | Total DTIF Award* |
| A complete regenerative treatment for knee osteoarthritis using a hydrogel-based therapeutic
|
1) Relevium Medical Ltd; 2) HiTech Health Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) |
Health and Wellbeing | Galway | €7.0m |
| The project aims to establish a prototype centre of excellence on the St James’ Hospital/ TCD campus to discover & deliver next generation precision cell therapeutics for solid tumours through ‘modular GMP in a box’ | 1) Remedy Biologics Ltd; 2) ACGT Vector Designated Activity Company; 3) Trinity College Dublin (TCD); 4) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) |
Health and Wellbeing | Meath | €6.8m |
| The project aims to unlock the potential of Earth Observation (EO) data for non-specialist users by creating a new architecture with the aim of developing a sustainable internationally trading Earth Observation services sector in Ireland
|
1) National University of Ireland, Dublin (UCD); 2) Vertice Integration Services Ltd T/A Vertice Cloud; 3) BCC Risk Advisory Ltd T/A Edgescan; 4) The Icon Group Ltd; 5) Treemetrics Ltd; 6) TechWorks Marine Ltd; 7) EMC Information Systems International; 8) Oracle Corporation Ltd |
ICT | Dublin | €6.4m |
| Using artificial intelligence to develop drones to detect drug smuggling. This project will establish Ireland as a world leader in autonomous drone and drone-AI technologies. The advanced drone capabilities developed will dramatically improve capability and reduce costs for interdicting drug smuggling
|
1) Tyndall National Institute; 2) University of Limerick (UL); 3) National University of Ireland, Dublin (UCD); 4) A-TechSYN Ltd; 5) True Communication Technologies Ltd T/A VRAI; 6) Ocean Print Ltd T/A WAZP |
ICT | Cork | €5.1m |
| The system will use catheter sensor technology to significantly increase Atrial Fibrillation treatment efficacy and safety while reducing the enormous burden on healthcare systems globally
|
1) OneProjects Design Innovation Ltd; 2) VistaMed Freudenberg Medical Ltd / Vistamed Ltd; 3) Tyndall National Institute |
Health and Wellbeing | Dublin
|
€5.1m |
* The DTIF funding awarded is subject to verification checks as to the eligibility of the amounts claimed and the relevance of the costs to the terms of the Fund.
Projects awarded between €3 and €5 million in DTIF funding
| Project Description | Consortium Members | Research Priority Area | Regional Location | Total DTIF Award* |
| Outpatient solution without side effects to deliver next generation therapeutic and gene therapies for gastrointestinal cancer
|
1) Mirai Medical Ltd; 2) Excelsys Technologies Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG); 4) Trinity College Dublin (TCD); 5) National University of Ireland Cork (UCC) |
Health & Wellbeing | Galway | €4.78m |
| Avectas, will develop a digitalised cellular engineering system to produce cell therapy cancer treatments with a focus on allogenic (off-the-shelf) therapies and those for solid tumours
|
1) Avectas Ltd; 2) BlueBridge Technologies Ltd; 3) National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) |
Health & Wellbeing | Kildare | €4.4m |
| The goal of the TRIDENT project is to develop a low-cost, high-performance sodium-ion smart battery system using entirely sustainable materials and processes. The overall ambition is to provide a complete plug-and-play solution for grid-integrated residential battery energy storage systems
|
1) University of Limerick (UL); 2) Analog Devices International Unlimited Company; 3) mSemicon Teoranta; 4) ICERGi Ltd; 5) Glantreo Ltd; 6) TisaLabs Ltd; 7) Smart M Power Company Ltd; 8) Tyndall National Institute |
ICT | Limerick | €3.65m |
| The Ostic project mission is to deliver an adhesive that will stick broken bone tissue together following fracture and then facilitate rapid healing and repair of the bone | 1) PBC Biomed Ltd; 2) Dolmen Design and Innovation Ltd; 3) Dublin City University (DCU) |
Health & Wellbeing | Clare | €3.4m |
| Harnessing artificial intelligence to develop a tool to identify breast and prostate cancer patients with early stage disease
|
1) Deciphex Ltd; 2) Oncomark Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland, Dublin (UCD) |
Health and Wellbeing | Dublin | €3m
|
* The DTIF funding awarded is subject to verification checks as to the eligibility of the amounts claimed and the relevance of the costs to the terms of the Fund.
Projects awarded between €1.5 and €3 million in DTIF funding
| Project Description | Consortium Members | Research Priority
Area |
Regional Location | Total DTIF Award* |
| Development of minimally invasive treatment solutions for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) that can be carried out in an office-based setting. Will provide BPH sufferers with a safe, effective treatment solution that can be performed in the doctor’s office in a simple 5-minute procedure under local anaesthetic | 1) ProVerum Ltd; 2) Innovative Catheter Solutions Ltd; 3) Trinity College Dublin (TCD) |
Health and Wellbeing | Dublin | €2.94m |
| Development and commercialisation of sutureless polymeric transcatheter heart valve technology | 1) Aran Biomedical Teoranta; 2) Lifelet Medical Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) |
Health and Wellbeing | Galway | €2.94m |
| RELAY will develop and commercialise a disruptive large-bore vascular closure device that will become the new standard of care for catheter-based surgeries
|
1) Prelude Medical Ltd;
2) Theradep Ltd; 3) Technology University Dublin (TUD) |
Health and Wellbeing | Galway | €2.89m
|
| Design and build a prototype robotic drilling system and anchor template for the installation of micropiled anchor foundations; anchors will be load tested to prove suitability; for a wide range of applications including offshore wind
|
1) Mincon Group PLC; 2) Subsea Micropiles Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland, Dublin (UCD); 4) University of Limerick (UL) |
Energy, Climate Action and Sustainability
|
Clare | €2.88m |
| A smart, patient-centric catheter-based solution for treating malignant pleural effusion “fluid on the lung” in the home resulting in improved autonomy of care
|
1) SymPhysis Medical Ltd; 2) Gentian Consultancy Services Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG); 4) Galway University Hospital |
Health and Wellbeing | Galway | €2.87m
|
| SAFETYBOT will realize Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled safety solutions to service the Factory of the Future, enabling immersive collaboration between human workers, robots and automation equipment
|
1) Analog Devices International Unlimited Company; 2) Emdalo Technologies Ltd; 3) Modular Automation Ireland Ltd; 4) Tyndall National Institute |
Manufacturing and Materials | Limerick | €2.85m |
| Using nanotechnology to generate 40% energy/emissions savings in thermal management of commercial and industrial cooling/heating systems e.g. data centres and high energy technologies
|
1) HT Materials Science Ltd; 2) Glantreo Ltd; 3) Trinity College Dublin (TCD) |
Manufacturing and Materials
|
Dublin | €2.85m |
| Develop a minimally invasive and intelligent microwave ablation catheter for treatment of lung cancer
|
1) Endowave Ltd; 2) Quadrant Scientific Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) |
Health and Wellbeing | Galway | €2.68m |
| The FlowAssist Pouch will help to improve the skin condition of ostomy pouch users, while introducing novel design features, dramatically improving their lifestyle and management of their medical condition
|
1) Ostoform Ltd; 2) Synecco Ltd; 3) Avery Dennison Medical Ltd; 4) Ross Polymer Services Ltd; 5) Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) |
Health and Wellbeing
|
Westmeath
|
€2.67m |
| Develop a monitoring tool to allow clinicians to directly monitor fetal oxygenation and diagnose fetal hypoxemia, enabling more precise monitoring of fetal well-being and increasing newborn surveillance during delivery
|
1) Tyndall National Institute; 2) Raydiant Oximetry Ireland Ltd; 3) BioPixS Ireland |
Health and Wellbeing | Cork | €2.63m |
| Develop a treatment for chronic knee osteoarthritis, to deliver dramatic pain and mobility benefits to patients
|
1) CrannMed Ltd; 2) Innovative Catheter Solutions Ltd; 3) Creganna Unlimited Company; 4) Technology University Dublin (TUD) |
Health and Wellbeing
|
Galway | €2.47m |
| The MI-DRONE project will address consumer demand for fast, reliable, last-mile delivery using a drone. It will reduce delivery time to 3 mins and decrease emissions by 80%
|
1) ÉireComposites Teoranta; 2) Manna Drones Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) |
Manufacturing & Materials | Galway | €2.44m |
| The LILY project will deliver the world’s first pain-free, patient-led treatment to prevent Chemotherapy Induced Alopecia, considerably improving the quality of life of patients undergoing chemotherap
|
1) Luminate Medical Ltd; 2) Gentian Consultancy Services Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) |
Health and Wellbeing | Galway | €2.17m |
| A-EYE Construction Visualisation Platform is a control tower that provides full visibility of large construction sites and enables visual communication | 1) Evercam Ltd; 2) GagaMuller Technology Ltd; 3) Technology University Dublin (TUD) |
Innovation in Services and Business Process
|
Dublin | 2.1m |
| The overall objective of PerPET is to transform the plastics industry: drastically reducing the amount of fresh petroleum extracted virgin material used, and positioning PET recyclate as a valuable, perpetually reusable resource.
|
1) Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT); 2) AvonCourt Packaging Ltd; 3) Novel Plast Teoranta; 4) National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) |
Energy, Climate Action and Sustainability
|
Westmeath | €1.89m
|
| Software platform to predict human sensory quality attributes of food products for great taste, health benefits and minimal waste
|
1) Dawn Farm Foods Ltd; 2) Creme Software Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland, Dublin (UCD) |
Food | Kildare | €1.87m |
| Using Artificial Intelligence to create fast cell analytics for biomanufacturing, for use in media screening and bioprocess controllers
|
1) Valitacell Ltd; 2) Intel Research and Development Ireland Ltd; 3) Waters Corporation; 4) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) |
Manufacturing & Materials | Dublin | €1.68m |
| Develop the first innovative plasma sampling device for inflammatory diseases | 1) Atturos Ltd; 2) Agilent Technologies Ireland Ltd; 3) Neoteryx Ltd; 4) National University of Ireland, Dublin (UCD) |
Health and Wellbeing | Dublin | €1.57m |
| E-Crop will develop innovative agri-technologies that provide farmers and agri-advisory industries with the tools needed to monitor and improve crop health | 1) National University of Ireland, Dublin (UCD); 2) e-Seed Crop Technology Solutions Ltd; 3) SeqBiome Ltd; 4) LAN CTR (Lárionad Acmhainní Nádúrtha CTR); 5) Origin Enterprises Public Ltd Company |
Energy & Climate Action | Dublin | €1.5m |
* The DTIF funding awarded is subject to verification checks as to the eligibility of the amounts claimed and the relevance of the costs to the terms of the Fund.