Research & Innovation

Dublin, 14th November 2014 – Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation Damien English TD today announced the delivery of over €480,000 in funding for seven new industry-academia partnerships through the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Industry Fellowship Programme.  The programme is funded by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through SFI.  It builds on €1.7 million awarded to twenty industry–academia partnerships earlier this year, bringing the total commitment to almost €2.2 million.

Commenting on the awards, Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, Damien English TD said: “One of the key objectives of the Action Plan for Jobs is to increase the level of collaboration between enterprise and academia in order to step up the level of expertise in areas of strategic importance for Ireland in terms of economic and societal benefits. The Industry Fellowship Programme plays a vital role in achieving this goal as the brightest research talent in Ireland will help to crack some of the problems facing the business community.”

The SFI Industry Fellowship Programme provides researchers from academic institutions with the opportunity to gain important first-hand experience in a commercial research environment, while also providing industry with access to highly specialised trained researchers from academic institutions.   The companies participating in the programme are Bell Labs Alcatel-Lucent Ireland Ltd., Medtronic, DiaSorin, Idiro Technologies, M-Solv Ltd, Transpharmation Ltd and ADA-Security.

The seven projects supported by funding announced today include:

–       Analysis of large data sets to predict and understand human behaviour;

–       New testing techniques to enable the early detection of prostate cancer;

–       Research to help develop manufacturing solutions for thin flexible glass, helping to create gadgets of the future.

Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, added: “The SFI Industry Fellowship Programme offers a unique opportunity for participating researchers and companies to exchange people and insights and ultimately deliver results that far outstrip what each party would deliver by working separately.  This sits at the heart of SFI’s overarching strategy – Agenda 2020 – which aims to power an innovative and enterprising economy by funding research with impact.”