The Accelerating Research to Commercialisation (ARC) Hub for HealthTech has been officially launched at the University of Galway (UG). With funding of €34.3 million, the Hub aims to drive regional development by accelerating the commercialisation of cutting-edge, patient-focused research.
Focused on developing solutions to improve chronic disease management, the aim of Hub is to fast-track high-potential technologies in areas such as smart implants, advanced wearable medical devices, novel sensors and AI and machine learning-driven modelling.
The initiative is being hosted by UG, in partnership with Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) University of Medicine and Health Sciences, and forms part of Research Ireland’s flagship Accelerating Research to Commercialisation (ARC) programme.
Applications open
The Hub is currently progressing 23 projects, including advanced sensory detection devices to prevent falls in elderly people and intelligent devices to help control blood pressure. To mark the official launch, applications have been opened for new projects to be assessed for funding and support.
The ARC Hub for HealthTech is designed to support the development of entrepreneurial scientists and engineers with the skills to realise opportunities to create start-up companies from research. It equips researchers with early clinical validation pathways, entrepreneurial skills and commercialisation supports, to transform novel ideas into patient-focused healthcare solutions with global market potential.
UG President, Professor David Burn, said the ARC Hub for HealthTech is “a remarkable opportunity to create a global powerhouse for healthcare in the Northern and Western regions of Ireland. With our partners and regional collaboration, we are seizing the moment to push the commercial impact of research with new supports, at a faster pace, with the overarching aim of bringing new healthcare, treatments and therapies to patients.”
Professor Garry Duffy, Professor of Health Technology Innovation at UG, Professor of Anatomy at RCSI and Director of the ARC Hub for HealthTech, said: “The ARC Hub bridges the gap between exceptional medical research and real-world impact. With regional roots and a global presence, we’re empowering researchers to become entrepreneurs and ensuring that HealthTech innovations developed in Ireland reach patients and markets worldwide.”
One of three ARC Hubs
The ARC Hub for HealthTech is one of a family of three ARC Hubs announced in 2025 as part of a multi-annual investment programme, co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union. The ARC Hub for Therapeutics is being led by Trinity College Dublin and the ARC Hub for ICT is being led by TU Dublin.
Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, Chief Executive of Taighde Éireann-Research Ireland, said: “ The ARC Hub programme is one of the most proactive, imaginative and potentially disruptive programmes ever delivered by Research Ireland. Bringing together our leading researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and industry to create an environment where our best research ideas can be translated from the lab to the market represents an inclusive and scalable model for creating companies of the future.
Peter Power, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, said: “The ARC Hub for HealthTech is an operation of strategic importance under the European Regional Development Fund programme for the Northern and Western region. It aligns with the objective of EU Cohesion policy to support thriving innovation ecosystems for all regions. Thanks to the ARC Hub for HealthTech, research will be translated into marketable products, thereby boosting the competitiveness of both the Northern and Western region and European competitiveness.
