DCU Academic Appointed to the European Innovation Council Pilot Advisory Board
Professor Dermot Diamond (pictured), a Principal Investigator in the SFI Insight Centre for Data Analytics, has been appointed to the European Innovation Council (EIC) Pilot Advisory Board. The initiative, which is under the auspices of the European Commission, will focus on funding and opportunities for innovators, start-ups and companies with ideas and innovations which are radically different from existing products, services or business models and have the potential to scale up internationally.
Professor Diamond was previously Vice-President for Research at Dublin City University (2002-2004) and was director (2007-2015) and a founding member of the National Centre for Sensor Research at DCU. In May 2014, in recognition of his academic contributions and achievements, he was admitted to Membership of the Royal Irish Academy. Professor Diamond’s research is focused on the fundamental science of stimuli-responsive polymers, the development of futuristic autonomous chemical sensing platforms and the use of analytical devices and sensors as information providers for wireless networked systems.
His work has led to the foundation of a spin-out company, Ambisense, which now employs 15 people with offices in Ireland and the UK. He is also an inventor and holds 20 patents from his research.
The EIC pilot will support ideas from any area of technology or business sector, including novel combinations of technologies and business models. Support is available from feasibility to development to scale-up stages. It is open to all EU Member States, from other countries associated to the EU Horizon 2020 programme, and to innovators from all parts of the world who wish to establish their activities in Europe.
The President of Dublin City University Professor Brian MacCraith said: “I want to congratulate Prof Diamond on this major achievement. His appointment to the EIC Pilot Advisory Board is a well-deserved recognition of his track-record of consistent excellence in research and related outputs. As a university that’s synonymous with Innovation in Ireland, it is very fitting that one of our leading academics should be chosen for this role. Prof Diamond has played a key part in advancing DCU’s reputation for innovation and translational research.”
Commenting on the appointment Professor Diamond said: “It is a great personal honour to be appointed as a member of the newly established European Innovation Council (EIC) Pilot Advisory Board. This is a great opportunity to play a positive role in defining the ethos and character of the newly established EIC during its formative phase, in order to create effective bridges between research that seeks answers to fundamental questions, and innovative ideas that can address major societal needs.
“Achieving this ambitious goal is a significant challenge due to the complex relationship between research, innovation and societal impact. But with the commitment to change and restructuring which is evident from the plans for ‘Horizon Europe’, the next phase of European Union programme for investment in Research and Innovation, I am confident that the Advisory Board collectively will deliver new and more effective ways to translate research activity into positive societal impact.”
