TUS secures 2.4-million-euro funding for cutting edge technology to help Irish industry

THE Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) has secured €2.4 million in funding through the latest Capital Equipment Call to access state-of-the-art research equipment. 

The equipment funded through this call will be accessible to local companies and SMEs to develop new products and services in areas of Sustainability and Manufacturing Productivity and is administered by Enterprise Ireland (EI) through the Technology Gateway and EI/IDA Technology Centre Programmes. 

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, announced the ten successful projects of the Capital Equipment Call from the TUS Athlone campus last Thursday. 

Commenting on the funding award, TUS Vice President Research, Development & Innovation Dr Liam Brown said:

“The latest Enterprise Ireland Capital Equipment Call represents a further transformative investment in Ireland’s industrial base. TUS’s four Technology Gateways across our campuses: APT, COMAND, CABR and Smarter Factory have successfully secured in excess €8m in state-of-the-art cutting-edge equipment from Enterprise Ireland in the last two years. Access to this equipment will directly benefit the companies that engage with TUS.” 

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The Centre for Applied Bio Research (CABR) Gateway (formerly Shannon ABC) on the TUS Moylish campus, is to receive €997,250 towards a Complete Circular Bioprocessing and Biorefinery Plant. The innovative machinery turns waste from plants, animals, or industries into useful products such as biofuels, bioplastics, or fertilisers - without leaving harmful leftovers. 

The Smart Sustainability Manufacturing Suite at the Applied Polymer Technology (APT) centre at TUS Athlone, will receive almost €1.4 million. The funds will be put to a set of advanced tools, designed to enhance industrial plastics manufacturing by providing real-time data on raw materials and finished products. This includes a recovery station that tests the recyclability of plastics through grinding, washing, and drying - promoting greater sustainability within the plastics industry. 

A total of €12.1 million in funding will be shared across ten projects to access high-tech equipment that will increase R&D collaboration and competitiveness for companies through the Technology Gateways and Technology Centres based in the Third Level Sector nationwide. 

The Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway Programme in TUS is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-27.