A bridge over the River Lee in Cork, surrounded by greenery and colourful apartment blocks.
River Lee, Cork. Image: © Stuart/Stock.adobe.com

100 new research posts planned for Tyndall in Cork

1 May 2019

Fruits of Disruptive Technology Innovation Fund projects and more emerge at one of Europe’s leading tech research institutes.

Up to 100 new research posts are to be created at Tyndall National Institute in Cork in the coming year thanks to the institute’s prowess at winning multimillion-euro funding from various EU programmes and industry.

The new roles were revealed in Cork today (1 May) when the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys, TD, visited Tyndall to see first-hand four Disruptive Technology Innovation Fund (DTIF) projects worth €20m that the institute is pursuing with partners.

The institute is leading three key DTIF projects worth in excess of €14.4m in the areas of connected health (Holistics), photonics manufacturing (Photonics) and blockchain energy trading (Cents), and it is a strategic partner in a medtech project (Aurigen).

The future of jobs in Ireland

“The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) is a key part of both Project Ireland 2040 and the Government’s new Future Jobs Ireland initiative,” Humphreys said.

The €500m fund was established under Project Ireland 2040 to drive collaboration between Ireland’s world-class research base and industry in areas such as health, food, ICT and manufacturing.

“It is one of the first funds of its kind in the world and it will ensure that Ireland is at the cutting edge in terms of developing new technologies which will change the way we live and work in the future.

“The fact that four of the 27 successful projects have Tyndall involvement is a clear indication of the quality, novelty and industry relevance of the research conducted at Tyndall. The Government recognises the valuable role that Tyndall is playing in developing game-changing technology that improves our lives and also ensures that Ireland is highly competitive and well positioned in securing the jobs of the future,” said Humphreys.

The global success of Tyndall and its spin-out companies can be seen by Facebook-owned Oculus’s acquisition of InfiniLED and the acquisition of SensL Technology by ON Semiconductor in the last few years.

In addition to its current staff expansion, Tyndall is also advancing plans to substantially expand the footprint of the institute, which has been highlighted as an investment priority within the Government’s Project Ireland 2040, in order to maintain its position as a leading centre of scale in translational research and continued development of ICT-related innovation in Ireland.

“Tyndall’s work is at the forefront of globally significant research and innovation,” said Prof William Scanlon, CEO of Tyndall National Institute.

“Through funding from Government, we are maximising our research potential and driving true disruptive innovation with real societal impact, across human health, environment and technology. We extend a warm welcome to the Minister today, and value the commitment to Tyndall in the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 strategy,” Scanlon added.

John Kennedy
By John Kennedy

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years. His interests include all things technological, music, movies, reading, history, gaming and losing the occasional game of poker.

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