Atlantic Technological University (ATU) secures €19.6 Million to enhance Research and Innovation opportunities for the region

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) welcomed today's announcement by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD today, as the recipient of a substantial funding allocation, receiving €19.6 million under the TU RISE initiative.  

The announcement, part of an €84 million investment in the Technological Universities, aims to bolster research and innovation within the TU sector. 

The TU RISE programme will establish, equip, and staff regional research and innovation offices within TUs to enable deepened engagement with local and regional business, industry, and enterprise stakeholders. 

The funding will also be directed at developing researcher human capital in the technological sector, including staff development, recruitment, postgraduate training and supervision, networking, and collaborative knowledge-transfer and mobility schemes. 

Minister Harris said, "I am very pleased to announce, with the assistance of the European Regional Development Fund, the allocation of almost €84 million in funding to our five TUs as well as to Dundalk Institute of Technology and Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. 

“The Technological Universities are uniquely placed to link with local and regional enterprises, particularly Small and Medium Enterprises, to support them to turn innovation opportunities into real-world actuality. 

“TUs are catalysts of regional development and support the skills and employment agendas regionally and nationally. This significant research-oriented funding will further enhance their capacity in this regard, ensuring that as a nation Ireland will be recognised as a world-leader in Research and Innovation for years to come.” 

Dr Orla Flynn, President of Atlantic Technological University, welcomed the Minister's announcement and acknowledged the significance of the funding, "This allocation very much underlines ATU's commitment to advancing research and innovation across the Northern and Western region.  The funding is extremely welcome, and provides ATU with the resources to develop our own capacity, foster collaborations and grow our research community.  I want to thank colleagues from both the HEA and the Northern and Western Regional Assembly for their support throughout this funding call." 

TU RISE is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the Southern, Eastern & Midland and the Northern & Western Regional Programmes, 2021-27. 

This follows the Minister’s announcement in December of funding of €15 million for research equipment across the higher education sector under the Higher Education Research Equipment Grant, some €3.7 million of which was allocated to the technological sector. 

That funding will help higher education institutions purchase and upgrade world-leading research equipment that will serve the research, innovation and development needs of Irish researchers and enterprise collaborators over the next two years. It will support vital research activity across the sector while also building future capacity in R&D.