CeADAR to Receive €5.7 million in EDIH Phase 2 Funding

CeADAR, Ireland’s Centre for AI, is to receive €5.675 million in funding under Phase 2 of the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) Programme. 

The funding will go towards CeADAR’s  EDIH Programme, a Europe-wide initiative which is co-funded by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, via Enterprise Ireland, and the Digital Europe Programme.

CeADAR is one of Ireland’s four European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) which are at the forefront of supporting the digital transformation in Ireland.

Phase 2 funding of the EDIH programme, which runs from 2026 to 2029, was announced by Peter Burke TD, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, at the end of last year and will allow the significant scale up of digitalisation efforts among SMEs and public sector organisations. 

Through EDIH, CeADAR helps SMEs and Public Service Organisations (PSOs) become more digitally intense by providing access to technical expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics, as well as test-before-invest solutions, skills development and support to find investment.

The EDIH funding will further support start-ups through the AI Ecosystem Accelerator programme delivered by NovaUCD in partnership with CeADAR. 

In the next phase, CeADAR will collaborate with ICHEC, to provide access to advanced computer capabilities and specialist expertise where this adds value to enterprise and public sector engagements.

John Lonsdale, CeADAR, CEO, said, “CeADAR is delighted to have had funding confirmed for the second phase of the EDIH programme, enabling us to continue to assist SMEs and Public Service Organisations across Ireland by supporting them in accelerating their digital journey with AI and data science.”

CeADAR, which is based at NexusUCD, allows organisations to access funded specialist training and upskilling as well as development and testing of prototypes, and scope proof of concept solutions, helping these organisations to understand how they can benefit from analytics and AI, minimising the barriers to the adoption of technology. 

CeADAR has also been awarded the prestigious  Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) Seal Award by the European Commission. This recognition marks CeADAR’s continued excellence in driving innovation and supporting businesses in Ireland. 

Ricardo Simon Carbajo, Director of Innovation and Development, CeADAR, said, “It is a great honour for CeADAR to be awarded the prestigious STEP Seal Award from the European Commission. The Award is a testament to the continued hard work of everyone at CeADAR and we look forward to continuing to drive innovation through our European Digital Innovation Hub programme.”   

The STEP Seal (or Sovereignty Seal) award is a quality label awarded to  excellent European projects and aims to recognise top rated innovation projects facilitate access to European funding and attract additional or alternative private or public investment.  

ENDS

9 January 2026

For further information contact Micéal Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager, UCD Research and Innovation, NovaUCD, e: (opens in a new window)miceal.whelan@ucd.ie.