University of Limerick has received funding of €1.85 million to enhance its research into Ireland’s marine capabilities and ocean habitats as the country expands its offshore wind capacity.
Associate Professor Ger Dooly, School of Engineering has received the funding as part of an overall €17.7 million investment in nine research infrastructure projects through Research Ireland’s Research Infrastructure Programme. The awards will contribute to the advancement of high-quality and high-impact research activities across Ireland.
Announcing the funding, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD said: “This targeted investment in research infrastructure will help to future-proof the conducting of high-quality research endeavours across our higher education institutions and in a wide range of disciplines. It is important for researchers to be equipped with the innovative tools and the conducive environments that can help deliver research excellence and impact.”
The UL funding will be used to acquire a coastal and offshore autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) with a length of nine meters and a range of 2,500 nautical miles. This will enhance Ireland's marine science capabilities, bridge data gaps, and improve our understanding of ocean habitats.
Ger Dooly who is also Co-Director of UL’s Centre for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CRIS) and a member of Lero Research Ireland Centre for Software hosted by University of Limerick said this investment is a game-changer for our research centre and for marine science across Ireland.
“It marks a shift away from reliance on costly, crewed vessels toward more efficient, autonomous research platforms. The ASV will dramatically expand our operational reach, enabling persistent, high-resolution data collection in both coastal and offshore environments. This is vital for advancing climate research, habitat assessment, and offshore energy development. It not only cements UL’s leadership in autonomous marine systems but also strengthens Ireland’s ability to monitor and protect its ocean resources.”
UL Vice President Research and Innovation Professor Kevin Ryan said: “It is crucial that researchers have access to the proper infrastructure and equipment when carrying out leading-edge research. This investment by Research Ireland in UL will allow Ger and his team to push the boundaries with their research. This research will have a wide-ranging impact on how Ireland delivers on its climate change commitments.”
“Ireland faces urgent climate, biodiversity and energy challenges and effective monitoring of our oceans is central to solving these issues. Offshore wind is one of the key solutions to decarbonisation, but it must be deployed responsibly. Our work provides the tools and data needed to monitor impacts, safeguard habitats, and ensure sustainable development.
“With this infrastructure, we can build on UL’s existing expertise and platforms to deploy heterogeneous autonomous systems, driving down the levelised cost of offshore wind, supporting climate targets, and enabling sustainable marine innovation,” Associate Professor Dooly added.
Among the other infrastructure projects funded are a Photon-counting CT scanner for advanced medical imaging for oncology and cardiovascular research and a testbed to reduce animal methane emissions.
Celine Fitzgerald, Interim Chief Executive of Research Ireland added: “The Research Infrastructure Programme supports the research community in building and sustaining cutting-edge infrastructure to accomplish high-quality, impactful, and innovative research. The programme encourages partnerships and collaboration between different cohorts of researchers in Ireland, across academia and enterprise.”
