Research & Innovation

Horizon 2020 is the EU’s largest research and innovation programme with an energy research budget of €6 billion for the period 2014 to 2020. Due to this, they supported the Irish research institutions and industry with a funding of more than €27million for their energy-related research.

Additionally the programme’s National Delegate, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has been supporting many of these organisations in their Horizon 2020 bids, as well as providing further research funding.

 SEAI, with Enterprise Ireland, helps identify opportunities for Irish research institutions and industry in the programme. The Irish energy research community is reaping the rewards from active participation in the programme and, in doing so, is addressing some of the main challenges facing the energy system.

Commenting on Irish participation in Horizon 2020 energy programmes, Dr Eimear Cotter, Head of Low Carbon Technologies, SEAI said: “It’s fantastic to see such support for Irish projects in the area of energy research and renewable energy technologies. SEAI is helping to build national energy research capacity through its Research, Development and Demonstration Programme from which many researchers proceed to European funding. It is particularly pleasing to see Irish SMEs perform well with companies such as NVP Energy and Exergyn successful in drawing down both national and EU funds to support the commercialisation of their products”.

Ireland has also been successful in securing funding in large-scale energy-related projects. RealValue, a consortium led by Glen Dimplex, won €12m for its energy storage project which will see physical demonstrations of its technology in Ireland, Germany and Latvia. SEAI, with Enterprise Ireland, will work with Irish participants to continue to identify large-scale funding opportunities for Ireland in the energy sphere.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland was established as Ireland’s national energy authority under the Sustainable Energy Act 2002. SEAI’s mission is to play a leading role in transforming Ireland into a society based on sustainable energy structures, technologies and practices. To fulfil this mission SEAI aims to provide well-timed and informed advice to Government, and deliver a range of programmes efficiently and effectively, while engaging and motivating a wide range of stakeholders and showing continuing flexibility and innovation in all activities. SEAI’s actions will help advance Ireland to the vanguard of the global green technology movement, so that Ireland is recognised as a pioneer in the move to decarbonised energy systems