The four programs will focus on medical technology, agritech, cybersecurity, and digital health, with the aim of creating new talent and companies.
The Irish Support Scheme is supporting the launch of four programs to promote key sectors for the Irish economy.
These four education and training programs will each receive €7 million in funding and will be provided by the Irish Innovators Initiative. This initiative, co-funded by the EU, was announced last year as a way to attract talented individuals and multidisciplinary teams to create new IP and promising new start-up companies.
The four training programs will be hosted by publicly funded research organizations and will be funded over seven years. The goal is to create innovators who can identify unmet market needs in specific growth areas in Ireland.
After completing the program, participants can start a new company or return to their field, bringing new skills and training with them. Participants will also receive further funding and training through Enterprise Ireland’s Commercialization Fund, which could lead to the creation of high-potential start-up companies.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney said the four programs would play a key role in identifying and addressing “real market needs and opportunities”.
“The Innovators Initiative is an important new element that will strengthen the innovation ecosystem across Ireland,” Mr Coveney said. “A strong base of talented leaders, future entrepreneurs and innovation champions from across the region who have all the skills and competencies needed to drive and leverage innovation in areas of strategic and economic importance to Ireland. We offer a comprehensive program to create a population.”
Each of the four programs is expected to focus on a specific area of economic importance comprising medical technology, agritech, cybersecurity and digital health.
The BioInnovate program is hosted by the University of Galway and the Sustainable Food Systems and AgTech program is hosted by University College Dublin and supported by Teagasc.
Meanwhile, the Cyber-Innovate program will be hosted by Munster Institute of Technology Cork. Finally, the DigiBio program is hosted by Dundalk Institute of Technology in collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons, the Tyndall Institute, Dublin City University and Trinity College Dublin.
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Minister Simon Coveney, TD. Image: Swedish Government Agency (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) via Johannes Frandsen/Flickr