Why Partner with University College Dublin?
1. University College Dublin has an international reputation for being at the forefront of innovative research and creative discovery.
The university has four strategic themes:
- Creating a Sustainable Global Society
- Transforming through Digital Technology
- Building a Healthy World
- Empowering Humanity
2. Support offered
The goal is to find targeted solutions to the pain points and gaps faced by the industry. We will work with you in negotiating terms and conditions that allows researchers to develop specific solutions to your challenges.
3. Collaborative Research Funding Opportunities
UCD works closely with the Irish State Agencies and EU funding bodies to develop collaborative industry linkages and can advise on the wide range of public funding mechanisms for research collaboration. Examples of such funding include:
This funding is focused on small companies were €5,000 is available to assist a company to explore a business opportunity or problem with a designated knowledge provider.
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This encourages Irish based companies to work with Irish colleges to access their expertise and resources to develop new and improved products, processes, services, and generate new knowledge and know-how. Enterprise Ireland provides grants of up to 80% towards eligible costs of the research project.
These centres link scientists and engineers in partnerships across academia and industry to address crucial research questions, foster the development of new and existing Irish-based technology companies, attract industry that could make an important contribution to Ireland and its economy, and expand educational and career opportunities in Ireland in science and engineering.
Find Out More here and here.
TIDA facilitates greater interaction between SFI-funded researchers and engineers developing new technologies and industrial partners. The aim of the programme is the generation of new applied technologies. Funding is up to €100k for 12 months.
There are numerous international programmes that stimulate and improve collaboration between companies in different EU member states
4. Tax Incentives for R&D in Ireland
4. Tax Incentives for R&D in Ireland
- R&D Tax Credits Qualifying R&D expenditure can receive a tax credit of 25% of the R&D costs incurred
- EU Grants Large-scale research projects supported through H2020, LIFE and CEF programs.
- IDA Ireland Feasibility and RD&I Grants Grant support for locating R&D projects in Ireland or substantially increasing R&D activities. Grant aid of up to 50% for feasibility projects. Grant aid of up to 25% for experimental development activities for large projects.
- KDB 6.25% corporation tax rate on profits arising from R&D projects relating to certain patents and copyrighted software carried out by an Irish company
For further information please contact a member of the Knowledge Transfer team based at NovaUCD.
Case Study: ENBIO – Collaborating with University College Dublin
ENBIO is a world leading, specialised coatings company. The company has invented a technology called CoBlast, which offers industry the potential to redefine the performance, function and value of metals across all sectors.
Deep space travel poses many significant environmental challenges to spacecraft. To minimise the risk, protective outer coatings are required.
ENBIO had worked with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a thermal control coating. When ESA asked the company for a white version, ENBIO contacted Professor Kenneth Stanton, UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering for assistance.
This was the start of a long-term collaborative research project leading to the development and commercial delivery, in 2017, of SolarWhite, a thermo-optical coating developed to reflect radiation and protect spacecrafts. Rigorously tested for space-flight readiness, it is the only qualified white coating on the €1.7 billion Solar Orbiter mission.
In 2017, ENBIO secured additional funding to further develop SolarWhite. It has doubled its workforce, located both in Dublin and Clonmel including locating new laboratories at UCD to maximise the benefits of the research and has benefitted from recruitment of graduates and postgraduates involved in the collaboration over the years.
The UCD Technology Transfer Team at NovaUCD supported ENBIO in its research collaborations, filing a patent application and subsequently licensing the patented technology to the company.
Additional support was provided to the company, when it located at NovaUCD and in the application process for additional research funding. The company is now an alumnus of NovaUCD.
In 2018 UCD was awarded the Knowledge Transfer Ireland ‘Collaborative Research Impact Award’ for this research collaboration with ENBIO.
“Collaborative research with UCD not only led to a breakthrough technology but enabled us to double our workforce, and was transformative for the company’s business model”.
John O’Donoghue, CEO, ENBIO
