Investment builds on 20 years of successful collaboration
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NI First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and NI Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, First Minister Michelle O’Neill, and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly MLA have pledged support to a $20 million investment in a new US-Ireland research commercialisation effort.
The US-Ireland Research Translation and Commercialisation Initiative is a trilateral project between the US National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP), Research Ireland and Department for the Economy, and is also part-funded through the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Fund.
The initiative will support collaboration between researchers, innovators and industry partners across the United States of America, Ireland and Northern Ireland, reinforcing long- standing three-jurisdiction partnerships while helping to translate world-class research into real-world commercial and societal impact.
Welcoming the announcement, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “The US-Ireland R&D Partnership is a powerful example of how sustained international cooperation delivers real benefits for our people, our economy and our research community.
“This new investment builds on 20 years of success and will help ensure that cutting-edge research developed across the island of Ireland, and the United States can be translated into real-world solutions and high-value jobs. The Government of Ireland is pleased to contribute over $9 million to this new initiative, deepening our investment partnership with the United States National Science Foundation and the Northern Ireland Executive, to realise new commercialisation opportunities and benefit all partners.”
First Minister Michelle O’Neill also welcomed the announcement: “For 20 years, the US-Ireland R&D Partnership has shown what can be achieved when people come together with a shared purpose: bringing researchers, businesses and institutions together to solve problems and create opportunities.
“This new transatlantic initiative represents a significant opportunity to turn excellent research into real benefits for our economy and our communities; while strengthening the strong relationships we have built with partners in the US and across this island.”
Deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly said: “For the last 20 years, the US-Ireland R&D Partnership has shown how practical, results-focused cooperation can deliver tangible economic benefits, bringing together government, academia and industry to work together to support innovation and growth.
“This landmark expansion strengthens our economic links with the United States, maximising our potential to support high-value jobs and trade opportunities for businesses and communities.”
Brian Stone, NSF Chief of Staff, Performing the Duties of Director, added: “For nearly 20 years, the US-Ireland R&D Partnership has not only jointly funded numerous trilateral science and engineering research projects, it has also served as a model of how to successfully facilitate cross-border research and development. Today’s announcement from NSF TIP, the Government of Ireland and Department for the Economy marks a natural next step in our transatlantic partnership, expanding our collaboration to accelerate the translation of projects into businesses and solutions, delivering significant scientific, economic and real-world benefits.”
The US-Ireland Research Translation and Commercialisation initiative will identify research under the themes of cybersecurity, energy and sustainability, telecommunications, sensors and sensor networks, and nanoscale science and engineering.
It will assist in the development of bespoke training programmes for researchers who have worked on these projects, to upskill them in advancing their research along the translation and commercialisation path. There will also be an opportunity for selected teams to receive further funding to catalyse the creation of start-ups focused on the outcomes of their research.
The launch of this research translation expansion initiative coincides with the 20th anniversary of the U.S.-Ireland R&D Partnership, which was formally established in 2006. Based on the principles of the Good Friday Agreement – equality, partnership and mutual respect – it promotes high-quality, collaborative research across the three jurisdictions. Over the past two decades, the Partnership has supported 107 collaborative research projects, securing $196 million (€170 million) in combined government funding and delivering significant scientific, economic and societal benefits.
The US-Ireland R&D Partnership is guided by a Steering Group with representation from all three jurisdictions and nine funding organisations.
In Ireland, partners include the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Research Ireland, the Health Research Board, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In Northern Ireland, partners include the Department for the Economy, Health & Social Care NI and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. In the United States, support is provided by the US National Science Foundation, the US National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of State.
The Partnership is also supported by a Secretariat provided by InterTradeIreland, the cross-border trade and business development body, which is the only organisation with a direct legislative mandate to lead all-island economic collaboration. InterTradeIreland’s unique and trusted position connects business, government and academia, and it actively facilitates collaboration and drives economic growth across both jurisdictions.
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