Queen’s University Belfast has announced a partnership with Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) that will see DkIT become a University College of Queen’s, expanding its research, teaching and innovation capability from 2026.

For HSE Technology and Transformation, which already has a Memorandum of Understanding with DkIT, this development significantly expands the scale, capability and opportunity of the existing relationship and introduces new potential through the inclusion of a university of international standing.

Students enrolling from September 2026 would graduate with a Queen’s University Belfast Degree or Postgraduate qualification.

A central feature of the partnership is the creation of a Joint Research and Innovation Centre in Dundalk, with future projects expected to focus on areas such as health and life sciences, sustainability, and emerging technologies.

For the HSE, this provides a stronger platform for collaborative research aligned to national digital health priorities, including remote patient monitoring, digital workflows, data-sharing frameworks, service redesign and future-focused healthcare delivery. Queen’s University brings established research capacity, academic leadership and access to competitive research funding streams that can be leveraged to support and accelerate digital transformation within the health service.

The expanded partnership is also expected to strengthen the health sector talent pipeline. By integrating Dundalk Institute of Technology programmes within Queen’s academic framework, students and postgraduates will have access to broader learning pathways and greater specialisation.