From left, SRA’s Lisa Moran, Minister Coveney, Mark Whelan, Marina Donohoe and Leo Clancy of Enterprise Ireland and NWRA’s Barry Guckian. Image: Maxwells Dublin
The funding is being used to extend the programme and create a new technology gateway at TUS.
The Irish Government has announced €47m is being allocated to continue the Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway programme.
The programme is designed to give businesses across the country access to industry-focused researchers and specialist facilities. The gateways are located in various technological universities and institutes of technology, which helps increase their interaction with Irish industry.
More than 4,500 companies have spent €60m collaborating with researchers through these technology gateways, since the programme’s creation in 2013. Many of these companies are SMEs that gain access to various facilities.
The Technology Gateway programme is co-financed by the Irish Government and the EU. There are currently 16 gateways across the country, which will be able to operate for longer with the new funding.
The €47m will also be used to add a new technology gateway to the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS), which will help local businesses access the manufacturing expertise of the university.
The new funding was announced today (6 June) by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney, TD, and Minister of State for Trade Promotion and Digital Transformation Dara Calleary, TD.
Coveney said the new programme will build on its previous achievements and “continue to connect our businesses into our world-class third-level research system, driving innovation across all regions of Ireland”.
“The new programme is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and I would like to thank the Northern & Western and Southern Regional Assemblies [NWRA/SRA] for all the assistance in securing this funding,” Coveney said.
Enterprise Ireland CEO Leo Clancy welcomed the new funding and said companies across the country use these technology gateways to develop new products.
“The success of the programme to date demonstrates how important research and development is to the growth of Irish companies,” Clancy said.
“I fully expect the new programme to continue to deliver the same levels of engagement between Irish industry and the Technology Gateways to ensure our client companies continue to compete, grow and scale.”
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