Two University of Limerick-led projects have been funded as part of a €3.2 million fund to develop new technologies in the Defence Forces.
Research projects chosen include novel approaches to search and rescue, innovative shelter concepts, aeromedical emergency service and the enhancement of our Naval Service Capabilities.
Ten research teams will receive funding under the Research Ireland-Defence Innovation Challenge 2024, two of which are from UL.
These are:
- Associate Professor Gerard Dooly, School of Engineering, leads the project OVERSIGHT – Innovative detection system for maritime awareness. [co-lead Dr Alex Vakaloudis, MTU]
- Professor Daniel Toal, Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, will lead on the SeaDOM project which focuses on sea-surface and subsea object detection. Co-lead is Dr Edin Omerdic, also from the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering in UL.
Announcing the funding, Tánaiste Simon Harris said: “I am delighted to announce this €3.2 million investment, which will help develop new and innovative technologies in our Defence Forces. This funding is not only designed to benefit our Defence Forces personnel, but also wider society as a whole.
“I welcome the fact there are members of the Defence Forces, Civil Defence and the Office of Emergency Planning embedded into each research team. This collaboration will foster a deep understanding of both the challenges and the role research can play in addressing them. I look forward to seeing the progress the teams make over the coming months.”
The funding will assist innovative research projects including proposals to enhance the Naval Service’s capabilities in maritime situational awareness, encourage the use of drones in search and rescue operations, support aeromedical emergency services, develop advanced shelter designs as well as ideas for disruptive/radical technologies.
The aim of the Research Ireland-Defence Innovation Challenge is to develop new technologies, aligned with national defence policy, that have strong potential to deliver significant beneficial societal impact for Ireland.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless said: “This announcement builds on and reinforces the partnerships we have developed between the research community and the Defence Forces, Civil Defence and Office of Emergency Planning. It demonstrates the value and potential of collaborative research in addressing the challenges faced by our Defence Forces and Irish society as a whole. I congratulate the 10 teams receiving funding and wish them success as they work to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges they are addressing over the coming months.”
Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, said: “Óglaigh na hÉireann is proud to support the Research Ireland-Defence Innovation Challenge with military subject matter experts. These personnel will provide both operational context and an understanding of the key challenges faced by Defence personnel in an effort to enhance defence capability.
“Four key challenges were identified by the Defence Forces which were posed to Irish Researchers: Maritime Situational Awareness, Advanced Shelter Concepts, Aeromedical Emergency Service Dispatch and Search & Rescue. The Defence Research, Technology and Innovation Office co-ordinates the programme with Research Ireland and supports the defence subject matter experts during engagement with the research teams.”
Celine Fitzgerald, Interim CEO, Research Ireland, said: “Challenge-based research funding is a solution-focused approach that encourages researchers to work directly with those most affected by the problems they seek to address. Using this kind of collaborative funding model with agencies such as the Defence Forces ensures that research can help deliver innovative and impactful solutions for significant national challenges.”
Find out more about the Research Ireland-Defence Innovation Challenge 2024.