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The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, and Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary, today announced funding for a further five innovative projects under the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF). Two projects have been approved funding of up to €9.6 million in the third tranche of awards under DTIF Call 4 and three projects have been approved funding of up to €8.2 million in Call 5 of the Fund. This brings the total allocation of DTIF funding to €306 million, with over €173 million (56%) of the funding awarded to project partners outside of Dublin.
DTIF places a large emphasis on collaboration between enterprises, especially SMEs, and Irish research institutions. All five projects are being led by an SME, who are collaborating with seven other enterprise partners and seven partners from our research institutions. The 91 DTIF projects awarded funding across the five Calls to date contain 340 partners, of which 213 are enterprise partners. The linkages between these SMEs and larger enterprises – especially multinational companies – are crucial in developing ecosystems and mentoring which can help local firms, including High Potential Start Ups (HPSUs), to become embedded in the value chains of FDI-intensive sectors. This will lead to higher domestic value-capture and enable our SMEs and domestic economy to benefit from positive spillovers.
Announcing the two sets of awards under DTIF Calls 4 and 5, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, said:
"I am delighted to be able to announce the funding of three DTIF Call 5 projects and two additional DTIF Call 4 projects. This funding will see almost €18 million shared among the five projects, bringing total government investment to date across five DTIF calls to €306 million. This latest investment will leverage a further €13 million from the enterprise partners, bringing total private sector investment in the 91 projects funded to date to €176 million. It is noteworthy that over 88% of this investment is by our indigenous SMEs, thereby making a significant contribution to closing the innovation gap with the higher R&D performing foreign owned multinational enterprises.
"The three Call 5 projects are focused on advanced manufacturing, which is crucial for every industrial ecosystem across Europe. Such advanced industrial technologies help to sustain our economic resilience and competitiveness and will also facilitate the shift to a circular economy and a rapid decarbonisation of industry."
Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, also welcomed the five latest DTIF awards:
"The projects announced today are fostering new relationships between businesses and the research sector. These relationships are important for providing opportunities for our graduates to nurture new ideas and apply innovative solutions to the challenges facing society. The €124 million allocated to the 20 excellent research and academic institutions participating in the 91 DTIF projects approved to date demonstrates the government’s ongoing commitment to creating high value job opportunities for our highly trained graduates. The Fund is therefore making a substantial contribution to putting talent at the centre of the research and innovation ecosystem, which is one of the five pillars in Impact 2030, our national Research and Innovation Strategy."
Dara Calleary, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, also welcomed the DTIF funding:
"The five DTIF projects being announced today offer exciting potential in the aerospace, manufacturing, and health sectors, and have the capacity to maintain the strong position of Irish industry at the forefront of technological advancements in these key sectors of the economy. As with many of the previously announced DTIF projects, they are seeking to find solutions to societal challenges, and support our commitments to improve the digital capability of our economy and reduce our carbon footprint. In addition, these projects have the potential to deliver increased trading opportunities and enhance Ireland’s competitive advantage, contributing to our longer-term economic growth. I wish them every success in their ventures."
Leo Clancy, CEO, Enterprise Ireland, in welcoming the funding said:
"The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund is delivering real benefit to Irish enterprise and with this announcement it is set to deliver even more, particularly for companies within the Advanced and Smart Manufacturing space. Enterprise Ireland welcomes the significant contribution made by Irish companies awarded under DTIF to date. The successful Call 5 projects are using both experimental development and industrial research in their proposed solutions and this support will help our clients compete in rapidly changing global markets, helping them boost productivity, and will give them a significant competitive advantage in their sectors."
The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) is a €500 million fund established in 2018 under Project Ireland 2040. It is one of four funds set up under the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2027. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment manages the DTIF with administrative support from Enterprise Ireland. The purpose of the Fund is to drive collaboration between Ireland’s world-class research base and industry as well as facilitating enterprises to compete directly for funding in support of the development and adoption of these technologies. The aim is to support investment in the development and deployment of disruptive technologies and applications on a commercial basis.
Call 4 and Call 5 applications to DTIF were assessed by panels of international experts against four criteria – quality of the disruptive technology, excellence of overall approach, economic impact and sustainability, and strength of the collaboration. Details of the successful Call 5 projects and the latest successful projects under Call 4 are set out in the tables below.
Project description
The FreeForm-OPTIX project will produce affordable, high specification, low mass, freeform mirrors for new and emerging high technology markets.
Consortium members
1. Mbryonics Ltd;
2. EireComposites Teo;
3. Irish Manufacturing Research Centre (IMR);
4. National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG).
Research priority area
Manufacturing & Materials
Regional location
1. Galway
2. Galway
3. Westmeath
4. Galway
Total DTIF award
€4.1 million
Project description
Aerospace Disruption - Ablative surface treatment to revolutionise adhesion of composite materials.
Consortium members
1. ÉireComposites Teo
2. PlasmaBound Ltd
3. Technology University Dublin (TUD)
Research priority area
Manufacturing & Materials
Regional location
1. Galway
2. Dublin
3. Dublin
Total DTIF award
€2.5 million
Project description
Sustainable production using intelligent tooling
Consortium members
1. iSentioLabs Ltd;
2. Croom Precision Tooling Ltd TA Croom Medical;
3. DePuy Synthes Ireland Unlimited Co;
4. Schuf Valve Technology GmbH;
5. Trinity College Dublin (TCD);
6. Irish Manufacturing Research Centre (IMR).
Research priority area
Manufacturing & Materials
Regional location
1. Dublin
2. Limerick
3. Cork
4. Cork
5. Dublin
6. Westmeath
Total DTIF award
€1.6 million
Project description
ATHENA: Migraine Therapy and Diagnostics
Consortium members
1. Capri Medical Ltd;
2. Silansys Semiconductor Ltd;
3. Tyndall National Institute
Research priority area
Health and Wellbeing
Regional location
Dublin and Cork
Total DTIF award
€7.5 million
Project description
PRO-ACTIVE: Prostate cancer active surveillance via urinary monitoring
Consortium members
1. Epicapture Ltd;
2. Eurofins Biomnis Ireland Ltd;
3. National University of Ireland, Dublin (UCD)
Research priority area
Health and Wellbeing
Regional location
Dublin
Total DTIF award
€2.1 million
DTIF Call 6 was launched on 8 March by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, and Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary.
Call 6 is an open Call and, in a change from the previous open Calls, the type of eligible research is broadened to include both “industrial research” and/or “experimental development”.
To drive enterprise collaborations, each project must have at least one SME and one other enterprise in a consortium of three or more project partners. Collaborations with the Irish research sector are encouraged. All partners must be based in Ireland and be a current client of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta or an eligible Research Performing Organisation (RPO).
The fund targets industrial research projects of scale and impact. The minimum funding request must be €1.5 million for projects of up to three years’ duration. SME partners must provide matched funding while large companies must provide 60% project funding.
All eligible applications received by the deadline of 3pm on 31 May 2023, will undergo rigorous assessment by panels of independent international experts against four criteria – quality of the disruptive technology, excellence of overall approach, economic impact and sustainability, and strength of the collaboration.
Prospective applicants can obtain detailed information on the fund and on the application process through enterprise.gov.ie/DTIF.