Ireland Invests €460 Million in Seven New Research Centers

The Irish government has unveiled a significant €460 million investment to establish seven new research centers, bolstering the nation's capabilities in critical technological and scientific fields. These centers will operate under 'Rinn,' a new national network, which is the Irish word for a point or headland, signifying a focused approach to innovation.

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Research Ireland centres have, over the last 13 years, fundamentally reshaped our innovation landscape - turning excellent and innovative research into real-world societal and economic impact.

The Rinn centers will concentrate on cutting-edge areas including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, energy, medical devices, advanced therapies, pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, and quantum computing. This strategic investment aims to create a more coordinated and internationally engaged research system, designed to deliver substantial national and international impact. The network is expected to support 577 research positions and foster the development of over 800 PhDs, involving 17 research-performing organizations in a collaborative national effort.

Beyond the government's funding, the initiative is set to attract an additional €500 million in leveraged funding from industry and other sources. Over 200 companies, including more than 100 multinational corporations and nearly 100 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are expected to participate. Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless highlighted that these centers build upon the success of previous Research Ireland centers, which have reshaped the innovation landscape.

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With these seven new Rinn, we are building on this progress by supporting talent, strengthening industry partnerships, attracting foreign direct investment, advancing indigenous industry growth, promoting regional development, and enabling Ireland to remain internationally competitive.

Dr. Diarmuid O'Brien, CEO of Research Ireland, emphasized that the Rinn network will provide excellent multidisciplinary research and deep connectivity across various institutions and sectors. The goal is to develop world-class talent, drive enterprise engagement with research, and reinforce Ireland's international standing by creating a unique research and innovation ecosystem of significant scale and international importance.

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Each Rinn will develop world-class talent, drive enterprise engagement with research, and reinforce Ireland’s international standing by creating a unique research and innovation ecosystem of international significance and scale.