€8.5 Million R&D Investment for Advanced Manufacturing


Northern Ireland’s science park Catalyst Inc has announced the launch of the North West Centre for Advanced Manufacturing – a collaboration bringing together eight companies and four academic institutions that will be delivering 15 world leading research projects as part of an Advanced Manufacturing Super Cluster, with the potential to generate thousands of high level jobs in Ireland and the eligible regions. Norman Apsley, Chief Executive of lead partner Catalyst Inc, explained that the fi ve year €8.5 million investment, part of the EU’s INTEREG VA programme, will enable industry to collaborate with academia at an earlier stage, while minimising risk, improving competitiveness and bringing potential to create more high value jobs in the Knowledge Economy.


NuPrint Technologies of Derry~Londonderry and the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre at University of Glasgow will be working on a leading-edge project focused on Painted Conductive Ink Technology, the printing of electronic circuitry on fl exible labels to provide interactive labelling. This will be especially useful in a hospital environment, where patient wrist labels could contain information on medication and individual dosage rates; also within the food sector where sensors could be incorporated into the


Pictured left to right Dr Paul Vance (Randox), Heather Cousins (Department for Economy), Gavin Killeen (NuPrint), Mayor Maolíosa McHugh (Derry City & Strabane District Council), John Greer (SEUPB), Professor Eileen Harkin-Jones (Ulster University) and Professor Norman Apsley (Catalyst Inc)


packaging to ensure the food has been kept at the right temperatures during transportation.


The other companies involved under the four main research themes of Additive Manufacture; Advanced Polymers; Nano Manufacturing and Sustainable Manufacturing include Laser Prototypes Europe Ltd (LPE); Armstrong Medical; Randox; Abbott Ireland and GSK-Steifel.


The Lead Principal Investigator for the project, which includes 4 academic partners - Ulster University, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, University of Glasgow and Sligo IT, is Professor Eileen Harkin-Jones who explained that the 13 PhD students and 13 post-doctoral researchers recruited for the 15 research projects will be working to solve problems that will bring economic benefi t to the region.


“The Intellectual Property developed through this research will be available on licence to any company throughout the world but the project industry partners will have the advantage of being given the fi rst opportunity to obtain the licence. This demonstrates the importance of universities and industry working together for a wider economic benefi t.”


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Developing Scottish Enabling Technologies: Plans Revealed


A report which forms a blueprint for doubling the enabling technologies sector in Scotland’s Central Belt has been produced by a consortium led by Glasgow Economic Leadership, which is chaired by Strathclyde Principal Professor Sir Jim McDonald. Strathclyde was a partner in the consortium, with the universities of Glasgow and Heriot Watt.


The Science and Innovation Audit (SIA) identifies vast potential in the region for growth in enabling technologies, which covers fields including electronics, sensors, photonics, industrial biochemistry and quantum technologies. The report sets out a vision for:


Doubling the region’s enabling technology asset base over the next 10 years


Increasing productivity by 3% per annum in the


manufacturing and infrastructure sectors, initially in the Central Belt but with scope to replicate the gains across Scotland and the UK


Creating an internationally recognised cluster of enabling technology growth companies in the central belt.


Sir Jim said: “The Central Belt is home to some of the UK’s most research-active universities and to a growing translational infrastructure, focused on responding to market demand and anticipating disruptive change.


“The enabling technology sector is relatively


small in the Scottish economy, producing 1% of GVA, but it produces 10% of Scottish exports and invests 25% of business enterprise research and development.


“Our regional innovation system has developed remarkably over the last 15 years,


from research pooling to innovation centres, Fraunhofer and Catapults. With investment, this system can build a vibrant, internationally competitive photonics and quantum sensing cluster. Through technology integration, our enabling technology sector can help the digital transition of manufacturing in highly specialised application areas – including forming and forging and industrial biotechnology – creating thousands of jobs. And it can support our infrastructure sectors, particularly energy, to make big performance improvements through sophisticated sensing and control systems.”


Proposals for achieving the aims of the audit’s vision include:


Co-investment by the UK and Scottish Governments in the proposed National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland, as part of the UK High Value Manufacturing Network,


in which Strathclyde is a partner


Establishing headquarters and/or nodes of UK Catapult centres in the Central Belt


Investment in the creation of a new, large- scale systems and integration centre, or ’virtual foundry, to facilitate the rapid combination and testing of quantum and photonics technologies


Expansion of apprenticeships and work-based learning programmes


Strategic investment to extend the scope and linkages of Strathclyde’s Power Networks Demonstration Centre, based in Cumbernauld.


The audit was sponsored by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.


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Accelerator Programme Launched at NUI Galway


NUI Galway has launched the new BioExel Accelerator, which will act to enhance the medical technology sector start-up ecosystem within Ireland and attract global talent to the Galway region. Other partnership sponsors for this Enterprise Ireland supported Accelerator are the Western Development Commission, the Galway University Foundation and the Bank of Ireland Seed and Early Stage Equity Fund.


The Accelerator programme offers up to 14 slots for potential teams or individuals over two cohorts with the fi rst to commence later this year. Successful applicants will receive a place within NUI Galway for a period of six months, where teams will be able to build and commercially validate their technologies by working with existing entrepreneurial networks and mentors.


The Medtech Accelerator programme is part of Enterprise Ireland’s overall strategy to increase the number and quality of start-ups that have the potential to employ more than ten people and achieve €1 million in export sales within three years.


Announcing the launch of the BioExel Accelerator programme,


An Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Frances Fitzgerald TD said: “Ireland is recognised as a key hub for medical technology and innovation and the launch of this new accelerator is an opportunity to further build on our strong international reputation for excellence and innovation in healthcare and medtech. The Accelerator programme located at NUI Galway and supported by my Department DBEI through Enterprise Ireland will further enhance the High Potential Start-up (HPSU) eco- system and develop start-up capability, infrastructure and capital investment within the Galway region. We are delighted to support the initiative, which will go towards sustaining Ireland’s status as a global leader in medical technology innovation.”


NUI Galway is also home to the CÚRAM Centre for Medical Device Research and the entrepreneurial BioInnovate-Ireland Fellowship Programme.


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Pictured left to right: Dr. Faisal Sharif, Consultant Cardiologist and Director BioInnovate NUIG; David Murphy, Manager, Technology Transfer Office, NUIG; Tom Early, Start Department Manager, Enterprise Ireland; An Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Frances Fitzgerald TD.


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