25th July 2019
Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD today announced the successful applicants of the Capital Equipment Fund administered by Enterprise Ireland through the Technology Gateway Network Programme. 43 successful applicants from the Institutes of Technology (IoT) and TU Dublin have secured over €6 million in funding.
The Technology Gateway Network Programme funds interactions between local and national industry and the Institutes of Technology and aims to increase the levels of interaction between the IoTs and industry in Ireland. The intended outcomes of the Programme include; more companies engaging in R&D, pilot manufacturing capability for new product/process development, enhanced technology validation and testing capabilities, testbed generation and enhanced training potential for key industry staff on emerging technologies. The €6 million fund will assist in buying capital that relates to new technologies such as augmented and virtual reality.
The winners were selected through a rigorous evaluation process based on eligibility criteria for the call which included, but was not limited to, a strong track record of industry engagement, a significant industrial need for the new equipment, and space to service and maintain the equipment according to international standards.
Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys TD said: “Our aim is to build on our strong enterprise ecosystem from across the wide spectrum of academia, research and business communities. This fund directly supports projects that are emerging from the ground up. The successful applicants announced today are housing research projects and initiatives that are at the cutting edge of innovation and I am confident that they have the potential to make a real and lasting impact on enterprise development at both a regional and national level.” She added, “Through Future Jobs Ireland, our whole-of-Government framework to prepare for the future economy, we want Ireland to become a leader in technology adoption. This Capital Equipment Fund will support Institutes of Technology and TU Dublin in buying equipment relating to new technologies and is another step towards realising this ambition.”
Speaking about the announcement Mark Whelan, Technology Gateway Programme Manager at Enterprise Ireland said “This funding allows our Technology Gateway the opportunity to purchase new technologies in areas such as augmented and virtual reality, mobile robotics and moulding. Successful applicants have a proven track record in industry engagement and the new equipment will assist in increasing their interaction with industry and add value to the SME sector in Ireland.”
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For further information, contact: Nicola Corboy, Press & Media Relations, Enterprise Ireland01 727 2149 / 086 021 0114 nicola.corboy@enterprise-ireland.com
Note to the editor
Future Jobs Ireland 2019, is the first in a series of annual reports as part of a multi-annual framework. Future Jobs Ireland outlines longer-term ambitions for the future of the economy out until 2025 taking account of the challenges ahead. Each year, Future Jobs Ireland will set out the steps to deliver on the ambitions with the ultimate goal of increasing the resilience of our economy and future-proofing it. Each of the Five Pillars of Future Jobs Ireland has high level targets for 2025. Future Jobs Ireland includes 26 ambitions which contain 127 deliverables (actions) for completion in 2019. Each deliverable has a quantifiable output, a lead Department and timeframe. In terms of implementation, Future Jobs Ireland will be a standing agenda item overseen by Cabinet Committee A. Progress on deliverables will be reported quarterly to the Senior Official Group. Biannually, more detailed progress reports will be made to Government and subsequently published.
Key deliverables for 2019 under each pillar include:
Pillar 1: Embracing Innovation and Technological Change
• Deliver important policy initiatives including an Industry 4.0 Strategy, a National Digital Strategy, and a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy
• Form Top Teams to progress areas of opportunity for Ireland beginning with Artificial Intelligence, GovTech and Offshore Renewables
• Develop Ireland as a centre for developing and testing new technologies by, for example:
o extending the EI/IDA Irish Manufacturing Research Additive Manufacturing technology centre to include cobotics and AR/VR,
o progressing the Advanced Manufacturing Centre,
o expanding the Tyndall National Institute, o commencing the development of a National Centre of Excellence on High Performance and Nearly Zero Energy Buildings o commencing the development of a National Design Centre
• With NESC, develop a strategy for Transition Teams to help the transition of vulnerable enterprises and workers
Pillar 2: Improving SME Productivity
• Deliver a new female entrepreneurship strategy
• Develop a new investment funding facility to assist indigenous Irish companies in scaling their businesses
• Encourage the growth of clusters where enterprises can grow and help each other and deepen linkages between foreign and Irish owned businesses
• Increase the impact of Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) and increase SME take-up of Enterprise Ireland (EI) and LEO productivity supports
• Drive productivity growth in the construction and retail sectors
Pillar 3: Enhancing Skills and Developing and Attracting Talent
• Offer career advice to workers through the Public Employment Service
• Engrain lifelong learning and offer career enhancing opportunities to workers
• Ensure our economic migration system is responsive to our labour market needs
• Promote flexible training options
• Provide training in emerging technologies
Pillar 4: Increasing Participation in the Labour Force
• Conduct a national consultation on extending flexible working options
• Develop guidelines for employers on flexible working options • Develop a return to work service (e.g. for women returning to the workplace) as part of the Public Employment Service
• Improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities • Provide incentives for people who wish to work longer
Pillar 5: Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy
• Position Ireland as a centre in research, development and innovation, for smart grids, buildings and renewable technologies
• Review the regional dimension of the economic and employment implications of the transition to a low carbon economy
• Promote electric vehicles and achieve over 10,000 electric vehicles on the road by the end of the year
• Deliver a national deep retrofit programme for existing housing stock.
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