Five new science research partnerships involving seven academic institutions and 22 companies have been set up with an investment of some €23.9 million.
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan today announced the establishment of the five strategic research clusters (SRCs) funded by Science Foundation Ireland.
“Science, while engaging and exciting, is also a fiercely competitive arena, and it is increasingly clear that a country’s economic fortunes are significantly dependent on its ability to conduct research that translates into economically beneficial outcomes,” the Tánaiste said.
The SRC programme was established in 2007 to link scientists and engineers in partnerships across academia and industry to address crucial research questions.
They also aim to foster the development of new and existing Irish-based technology companies and to build partnerships with industry.
The five leading investigators in the new projects are Prof Lokesh Joshi of NUIG; Prof Pádraig Cunningham of UCD; Dr William Donnelly of Waterford Institute of Technology; Prof Miles Turner of DCU and Prof Brett Paul, DCU.