The National ARC Hub for ICT has been officially launched at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin). The hub is designed to accelerate the journey from cutting-edge ICT and artificial intelligence research to real-world, commercially viable solutions with economic and societal impact. It will support ICT and AI researchers across Ireland through targeted funding, training, mentorship, and access to industry networks.
Dr Deirdre Lillis, President of TU Dublin, said: “TU Dublin is proud to lead this important national initiative. As Ireland’s number one university for knowledge transfer, we have a strong track record of driving innovation in collaboration with industry, delivering more than 550 industry-linked research projects. The ARC Hub for ICT builds on this momentum by supporting researchers to translate innovation into application, delivering meaningful benefits for society and the economy.”
Also commenting on the launch, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, said: “The ARC Hub for ICT will play a critical role in supporting our researchers to translate cutting-edge research into commercial impact, driving growth and innovation both regionally and nationally. With today’s launch, the ARC Hub for ICT team, comprising interdisciplinary researchers from across or higher education sector have further showcased their talent and the scale of their ambition. I share that ambition and I look forward to seeing the ARC Hub for ICT, based in and led by TU Dublin, progress in its endeavours, its collaborations and its impact over the coming years.”
Prof Sarah Jane Delany, Director of the ARC Hub for ICT, added: “The ARC Hub for ICT is about unlocking the full potential of Ireland’s world-class ICT and AI research. By providing a clear, supported pathway from research to impact, we are empowering researchers to transform innovative ideas into solutions that address real-world challenges.”
Investment in ICT research accounts for a third of Research Ireland’s funding, with approximately €547 million of awards currently active across a broad range of programmes, specialisations and higher education institutions.
Research Ireland’s Accelerating Research to Commercialisation (ARC) Hub Programme, co-funded by the Government and the European Union, has established a new model for regional innovation and entrepreneurial training, which aims to catalyse a step-change in the translation of cutting-edge publicly-funded research toward impact at a regional level, through the establishment of regional ARC Hubs focused on specific thematic areas aligned with the regional strategic priorities and the National Smart Specialisation Strategy for Innovation 2022-2027.
Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO of Research Ireland, said: “The ARC Hub programme is one of the most imaginative and potentially disruptive programmes ever delivered by Research Ireland. At its heart is a scalable model of entrepreneurism that will generate and convert talent and ideas into future enterprises.”
