Metadata
Title
Industry Collaboration
Category
general
UUID
0212df77d8034b2ba4a72600d914af69
Source URL
https://www.ucd.ie/eacollege/research/industrycollaboration/
Parent URL
https://www.ucd.ie/eacollege/
Crawl Time
2026-03-23T20:05:25+00:00
Rendered Raw Markdown

Industry Collaboration

Source: https://www.ucd.ie/eacollege/research/industrycollaboration/ Parent: https://www.ucd.ie/eacollege/

Research

The UCD College of Engineering and Architecture has a strong track record of collaborating with industry. Through collaboration, we share research expertise and provide access to talent and research infrastructure to address industry priorities and needs. Many of our collaborations have the potential for significant technology transfer activity in the future.

Industry - academic collaborations can vary from: student scholarships and individual fellowships to support knowledge exchange and to develop research expertise for application in academia and industry; project partnerships to address specific research questions; large-scale programmes such as Research Ireland (SFI) Research Centres and EI Technology Centres that involve multiple partners to deliver high-impact research and scientific advances, to train students with critical in-demand skills, to support regional development, and enhance Ireland’s international reputation. The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF), administered by Enterprise Ireland on behalf of the Government Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, also drives collaboration between Ireland’s world-class research base and industry.

UCD Engineering & Architecture is working in collaboration with Industry

Research Ireland (SFI) Research Centres

Research Ireland (SFI) Co-Centres

Research Ireland (SFI) Strategic Partnership

EI Technology Centres

Disruptive Technology Innovation Fund (DTIF) Collaborations

Funding Programmes Supporting Industry – Academic Collaboration

Collaborations can be funded directly by industry through bilateral / multi-party partnerships. National and international funding agencies also offer a range of funding programmes and mechanisms to support industry – academic collaboration and partnership, some of which are part-funded by Industry.

Student Scholarships and Individual Fellowships

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Enterprise Partnership Scheme (Postgraduate)

The Enterprise Partnership Schemes support suitably qualified research master's and doctoral candidates pursuing, or intending to pursue, full-time research in any discipline. The Enterprise Partnership Scheme is a national initiative linking excellent researchers in all disciplines to enterprise.  Enterprise partners can range from multinational corporations to SMEs, non-governmental organisations, and, where justified, public-sector agencies.

Enterprise Partnership Scheme (Postgraduate)

Research Ireland Enterprise Fellowship Programme

Research Ireland is developing a new consolidated fellowship programme.  The 2025 Programme call included:

The placement stream to support academic researchers (at faculty, postdoctoral and late-stage PhD level) wishing to spend time based in industry worldwide. Fellowships can be between 1 and 24 months in duration and can be taken on a full or part-time basis.

The partnership stream to support suitably qualified postdoctoral fellows or late-stage PhD students pursuing, or intending to pursue, full-time research for a period of 12 or 24 months based in an eligible research body while partnering with an enterprise.

Each stream involves engagement from the enterprise, where it is understood to include multinational corporations, SMEs, registered charities, social, cultural or not-for-profit civic organisations.  The partnership stream also allows for engagement with state agencies or an eligible public body where appropriate.

Enterprise Fellowships

Innovation Boost Programme (InterTradeIreland)

InterTrade Ireland’s Innovation Boost offers funding for companies to employ a high-calibre science, engineering or technology Project Manager to support product development and innovation. It also partners the company with a third-level institution with specific expertise. The Project Manager is employed by the company.  Projects can be for 18 months (typically for new product or service development) or for 12 months (typically for process improvement), depending on the business needs. Funding is available up to £56,000/€67,900 for 18-month projects and up to £39,000/€47,400 for 12-month projects. The programme is open to manufacturing or tradable services companies, located on the island of Ireland (North or South), and the third-level partner institution must be based in the opposite jurisdiction.

Innovation Boost (InterTrade Ireland)

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (European Commission)

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) provide grants for all stages of researchers' careers - be they doctoral candidates or highly experienced researchers - and encourage transnational, intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility. The MSCA enable research-focused organisations (universities, research centres, and companies) to host talented foreign researchers and to create strategic partnerships with leading institutions worldwide.

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (European Commission)

Project Partnerships

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Innovation Vouchers (Enterprise Ireland)

The Enterprise Ireland Innovation Vouchers scheme is focused on small companies were €5,000 is available to assist a company to explore a business opportunity or problem with a designated knowledge provider. The objective of the Innovation Voucher initiative is to build links between Ireland's Research Institutes and small businesses.

Innovation Vouchers (Enterprise Ireland)

Innovation Partnerships Initiative (Enterprise Ireland)

The Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnerships Initiative encourages Irish-based companies (of all sizes) to work with Irish institutes to access their expertise and resources to develop new and improved products, processes, services, and generate new knowledge and know-how.  Enterprise Ireland provides grants of up to 80% towards the eligible costs of the research project up to €200,000.

Innovation Partnerships Initiative (Enterprise Ireland)

Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF)

DTIF is a €500 million Fund for disruptive technologies. It was established under Project Ireland 2040 and is one of four Funds set up under Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2027. It is managed by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and administered by Enterprise Ireland. To date, over €530 million in funding has been awarded to 131 projects across seven DTIF calls.

DTIF supports enterprise-driven research and development challenges associated with new disruptive technologies that can alter markets / how businesses operate / the creation of new products / the emergence of new business models. DTIF support industrial research and/or experimental development (generally Technology Readiness Levels 3-9) with projects demonstrating commercial impacts within 3 to 7 years of project completion. Projects should be seeking a minimum funding of €1.5 million over three years. Each project is to have at least three independent partners seeking funding from DTIF, including at least one SME and one other enterprise partner. Research organisations can also be a partner.

Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF)

Large Scale Programmes

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Research Centres Programme (Research Ireland (SFI))

The Research Ireland  (SFI) Research Centres Programme links scientists and engineers in partnerships across academia and industry to address crucial research questions, foster the development of new and existing Irish-based technology companies, attract industry that could make an important contribution to Ireland and its economy, and expand educational and career opportunities in Ireland in science and engineering.

The SFI Research Centres programme funding model (programme call 2023) includes that SFI will fund up to 40% of the overall Research Centre budget for up to 8 years. The remaining 60% comes from a combination of industry (both cash and in-kind), NE-NC (cash only) and exchequer funding sources (cash only). A minimum of 10% of the total Centre budget must come from industry cash sources and 30% from Non-exchequer non-commercial (NE-NC) sources. Centres have flexibility in securing the remainder of the co-funding required through additional cash secured from industry or NE-NC sources, industry in-kind commitments (reflecting the collaborative nature of the targeted projects) or eligible sources of exchequer funding (maximum 10%). Also, the industry cash cost share that is received from SMEs will reduce the industry cash cost share target by an equal amount to the cost share received.

Research Centres Programme (Science Foundation Ireland)

UCD College of Engineering & Architecture leads and hosts two SFI Research Centres - I-FORM and NexSys - and participates in ten other SFI Research Centres and one SFI Co-Centre:

Centre - Spokes Programme (Research Ireland (SFI))

The Research Ireland (SFI) SFI Spokes Programme enables the addition of new industrial and academic partners and projects to an SFI Research Centre, allowing the Centre to expand and develop in line with new priorities and opportunities. This will ensure that the Research Centre retains its ability to do cutting-edge research and its industrial relevance, and so enhance its sustainability. The Spokes programme also provides a vehicle to link together, in a meaningful and relevant way, different Research Centres. The Spokes Rolling call will remain open, with no closing date (until further notice), to allow Research Centres to apply for funding at any time for new collaborative research projects with an industry partner(s).

To apply for a Spokes award under the rolling call mechanism, the industry partner (or partners) must make a minimum 50% cash contribution to the research programme.

Research Ireland (SFI) Centre - Spokes Programme)

Strategic Partnerships (Research Ireland (SFI))

The Research Ireland (SFI) Strategic Partnerships Programme funds strategic opportunities within all areas covered by SFI’s legal remit where significant co-funding from a company, collection of companies, funding agency, charity, philanthropic organisation, or Higher Education Institute is available. The Strategic Partnership Programme is specifically aimed at funding compelling research opportunities, on a flexible basis, that are not otherwise served by other national funding programmes. The scheme aims to support standalone initiatives of scale with strong potential for delivering economic and societal impact to Ireland.

UCD College of Engineering & Architecture currently leads and hosts one SFI Strategic Partnership Programme: Next Generation Energy Systems (NexSys)

Horizon Europe (European Commission)

Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation, with a budget of €95.5 billion available over the programme that runs from 2021 to 2027. It tackles climate change, helps to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and boosts the EU’s competitiveness and growth. The programme facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting and implementing EU policies while tackling global challenges.

Horizon Europe (European Commission)

Interreg – European Regional Development Fund

Interreg is one of the key instruments of the European Union (EU) supporting cooperation across borders and regions through project funding. Its aim is to jointly tackle common challenges and find shared solutions in fields such as health, environment, research, education, transport, sustainable energy and more.  Interreg is funded by the European Regional Development Fund.  Interreg comprises a suite of programmes, each focusing on specific borders, areas and regions for transnational co-operation.  Projects involve cross-sectoral collaborations, including opportunities for industry to participate.

UCD College of Engineering and Architecture has experience in the

Technology Centres (Enterprise Ireland & IDA)

Technology Centres are a joint initiative between Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland that allows Irish companies and multinationals to work together. These centres are collaborative entities established and led by industry. They are resourced by highly qualified researchers associated with research institutions who are empowered to undertake market-focused strategic R&D for the benefit of industry. The funding level requirements of each Technology Centre will be different, but as a guide, a successful centre would operate with State funding of the order of €1M per year over a five-year period. Once established, Technology Centres are open for participation to companies in Ireland.

UCD College of Engineering & Architecture currently participates in the following Technology Centres:

Student Internship Programme

Industry access to talent through the UCD Engineering and Landscape Architecture Internships Programme. Internships are available with UCD undergraduate and postgraduate students in a wide range of disciplines, with internships ranging from 3 months to 1 year.

UCD Internships

UCD Innovation

The university’s Technology Transfer Office, NovaUCD, supports faculty collaboration with industry and the protection, management, and exploitation of Intellectual Property.  It also offers a purpose-built, state-of-the-art incubation facility for knowledge-intensive industry and new ventures and entrepreneurs.

UCD Innovation

ConsultUCD

University College Dublin is committed to engaging in an increasingly broad range of activities that will allow business, industry, public sector and not-for-profit organisations to benefit fully from the wealth of expertise generated by the university. ConsultUCD is a managed consultancy service to facilitate access and support the engagement between business, industry and UCD.

ConsultUCD

Research Infrastructure

The Nano Imaging and Material Analysis Centre (NIMAC) based in University College Dublin, Ireland, specialist in providing Scanning & Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM, TEM) and state-of-the-art analytical techniques, training and services to industry and academia.

NIMAC

UCD College of Engineering and Architecture

Room 122 & Room 126, UCD Engineering and Materials Science Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland T: +353 1 716 1868 | E: eng.arch@ucd.ie | collegeea@ucd.ie | engarch.research@ucd.ie | Location Map

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