Dr Andrew Keane’s SFI Industrial Research Fellowship with ESB Networks

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Dr Andrew Keane’s Industrial Research Fellowship with ESB Networks, is one of the first tranche of Industrial Research Fellowships announced by The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD on 9th June 2014. In total  funding of over €1.7 million was awarded to support twenty new industry–academia partnerships through the Science Foundation Ireland Industry Fellowship Programme. The programme is funded by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Science Foundation Ireland.

SFI

Project Title: Development of Irish Smart Grid Test Bed

Project Summary: The development of the Irish electricity system for the integration of high levels of renewable energy is continuing at pace. In tandem with this, Ireland is emerging as a centre for smart grid development. ESB Networks is playing a central role is what is termed the smart grid test bed, which will entail the development and implementation of a range of leading edge field trial demonstration projects. This fellowship is focused on the development of a smart grid test bed in Ireland, through a strong industrial and academic partnership between UCD and ESB Networks.

SFI Announcing the funding, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said: “A key part of our Action Plan for Jobs is delivering measures to deliver more commercial outcomes and ultimately jobs from the excellent research infrastructure we have built up over recent years. The SFI fellowships are an important measure in delivering this, by providing funding to research projects working directly on solutions to problems that particular companies are facing. In this way, we can support researchers who are working on projects which can ultimately be developed into commercial ideas and employment – turning good ideas into good jobs. I congratulate all involved and wish them every success with their projects”.

The SFI Industry Fellowship Programme provides researchers from academic institutions with the opportunity to gain important first-hand experience in a commercial research environment, while also providing industry with access to highly specialised trained researchers from academic institutions. The aim of the programme is to increase levels of collaboration between industry and academia.

These are the first twenty awards approved for funding under this new programme and involve research in key sectors such as animal health, smart grid, marine, solar energy, transport and mobility studies, and diagnostics in oncology with both multinational companies and SMEs participating.

Companies participating in the programme include: Siemens AG, Alcatel-Lucent Ireland Ltd., Bell Labs Ireland, Crystal Innovation, ESB Networks, IBM, Intel Ireland, Orbsen Therapeutics Inc., Pavement Management Services Ltd, Tech Works Marine Ltd, TreeMetrics Ltd, Westway Health, AstraZeneca, AMGEN, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and Perkin Elmer.

Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland said, “The Industry Fellowship programme is an important element of SFI’s Agenda 2020 which aims to build strategic partnerships between industry and academic institutions, to encourage cutting-edge research and further grow Ireland’s competitive advantage. The awards will provide academic researchers with practical working knowledge of relevant business drivers as well as legitimate industry experience and important industry contacts. Industry partners participating in the programme will gain from the up skilling of staff and input into their research and development.   The partnerships will in turn provide an important stepping stone for fuelling future collaborations between industry and academia.”