Irish Government invests €40m in 11 disruptive technologies projects across health and wellbeing, advanced robotics and machine learning.
Recognising the importance of investing in indigenous tech to safeguard future economic interests, the Irish Government has invested in 11 innovative projects.
Funding has been approved of up to €40m in the first tranche of awards under the fourth round of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund.
“We will continue to invest in those enterprises and experts in the research community who apply innovative thinking to push boundaries and drive change”
“Now more than ever we should look to the future and embrace innovation as a means of building our capacity to conquer the challenges we face,” said Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar, TD.
“Throughout the pandemic, the research community showed a commendable ability to adapt and rise to previously unthinkable challenges. We want to encourage and support that ingenuity and inventiveness through this fund, helping to deal with the adverse effects of Covid-19, Brexit, the war in Ukraine, and rising inflation.
“Projects announced today will benefit patients with heart failure, make online space safer for children and reduce greenhouse gases, paving the way for Ireland’s journey to a carbon neutral society, to name a few. These and other successful projects have identified emerging areas of opportunity in future markets to help solve societal challenges by building on our regional economic and research strengths.
“DTIF project partners continue to develop cutting-edge technologies and we will continue to invest in those enterprises and experts in the research community who apply innovative thinking to push boundaries and drive change.”
DTIF places a large emphasis on SME participation, to utilise their potential as drivers of disruptive innovation. The 11 successful consortia in this call have 40 partners, of which 58% (23) are SMEs and 10 of which are leading their projects. To date, 153 SMEs have been awarded funding in the four calls to date.
Ireland bets big on disruptive tech
The 11 projects are:
Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) – Awards under Call 4 (2021 – 2022)
DTIF Projects awarded are between €1.5 and €7 million in DTIF funding
| Project Description | Consortium Members | Research Priority Area | Regional Location | Total DTIF Award (in principle*) |
| VascuSense is a non-invasive device that will treat patients with chronic total occlusion, or complete blockages of coronary arteries that lead to critical limb ischemia.
|
1) Versono Medical Ltd (LEAD);
2) Integer Ireland Medical Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG); 4) Technology University Dublin (TUD). |
Health & Wellbeing | Galway | €7m |
| Heallntel will capture multifaceted data to enable data-driven improvements to products and protocols associated with measuring and monitoring compression therapy and wound care.
|
1) FeelTect Ltd (LEAD);
2) Armour Interactive Ltd; 3) Odyssey Validation Consultants Ltd; 4) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG). |
Health & Wellbeing | Galway | €4.6m |
| LILAC-IntelliSense is a software system that models a prognosis for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) based on clinically obtained observations and smart bioinformatics algorithms, improving treatment outcomes while reducing long-term side effects.
|
1) Luminate Medical Ltd (LEAD);
2) Gentian Consultancy Services Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG); 4) Trinity College Dublin (TCD). |
Health & Wellbeing | Galway | €4.4m |
| Xbat+ will disrupt the global recycling market by identifying the potential hazards and risks associated with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) recycling sector. | 1) University of Limerick (LEAD);
2) Peregrine Technologies (Holdings) Ltd; 3) Somex Automation Teoranta; 4) Helgen Technologies Ltd. |
Energy, Climate Action and Sustainability | Limerick | €3.7m |
| Ceroflo, Advant Medical and Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) will develop a DB stent that is more effective and efficient but will also eliminate pre-stent procedures and mitigate risks associated with conventional stent procedures | 1) Ceroflo Ltd (LEAD);
2) Advant Medical Ltd; 3) Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). |
Health & Wellbeing | Dublin | €3.6m |
| BioBlate will disrupt the current treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers and other mixed tissue infections by developing a non-invasive surgical device that delivers a high amplitude of electrical pulses to remove infected muscle and bone tissues, preserving the integrity of the wound bed to promote healing. | 1) Xtremedy Medical Ltd (LEAD);
2) Design Partners Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG). |
Health & Wellbeing | Galway | €3.4m |
| This consortium seeks to develop Thorax: an AI-driven patient monitoring platform, combined with a diagnostic test capable of identifying patients at high risk of progression of acute diseases (sepsis/pneumonia). | 1) Novus Diagnostics Ltd (LEAD);
2) Dolmen Design and Innovation Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland, Dublin (UCD); 4) Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). |
Health & Wellbeing | Dublin | €3.3m |
| This project will develop a miniature implantable smart pump for the treatment of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) which limits the need for open-heart surgery. | 1) Pumpinheart Ltd (LEAD);
2) Gentian Consultancy Services Ltd; 3) Boston Scientific Ltd; 4) Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI. |
Health & Wellbeing | Dublin | €3.1m |
| Cilter is an AI-driven parental control concept that will modify a phone at the kernel level to access all incoming and outgoing data and encrypt messaging apps. | 1) Cilter Technologies Ltd (LEAD);
2) O’Neill Amarach Consultants Ltd; 3) Dublin City University. |
ICT | Dublin | €2.8m |
| EncOVac will develop an orally self-administered vaccine technology delivered to intestinal mucosa to better protect against pathogens. | 1) Poolbeg Pharma (Ireland) Ltd (LEAD);
2) Anabio Technologies UnLtd Company; 3) Trinity College Dublin (TCD); 4) National University of Ireland, Dublin (UCD). |
Health & Wellbeing | Dublin | €2.3m |
| RISOLVE proposes the development of a safe and effective personalised therapy that will disrupt the Overactive Bladder Treatment market using an innovative artificial intelligence-based digital platform. | 1) Amara Therapeutics Ltd (LEAD);
2) TEKenable Ltd; 3) National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG). |
ICT | Dublin | €1.5m |
