A new joint agreement coincided with last week’s UK-Ireland Summit in Cork.

Research Ireland, Ireland’s national competitive research and innovation development agency, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which is the UK’s national funding agency for research and innovation, have agreed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). 

The MoU is designed to support the current partnership between the two bodies, and coincided with the second UK-Ireland Summit, which was held in Cork last week. The initiative will enable further collaboration on research areas that are critical to technological innovation and economic growth.

It will also support researchers in a number of key areas, such as telecommunications, advanced materials, quantum technologies and a new creative industries programme which will be launched later this year. 

Furthermore, via the MoU, there will be continued collaboration on the existing lead agency agreement between the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Research Ireland.

Commenting on the announcement, Research Ireland’s CEO, Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, said, “Research Ireland is delighted to agree this MoU with UKRI, which paves the way for both an extension and expansion of our partnership arrangements. The MoU is aligned with our strategy, launched earlier this month,which is structured around the three interconnected impact themes of talent, economy and society. 

“We look forward to the research collaboration, knowledge exchange, capacity-building and other cooperative activities that will be facilitated by the agreement.”

UKRI international champion and AHRC (arts and humanities research council) executive chair Prof Christopher Smith added, “From the creative industries, design and advanced communications to vaccines and biomedical research, collaborations between the UK and Ireland are addressing the major challenges and opportunities of our time.

“This memorandum of understanding deepens the already strong ties between the UK and Ireland’s research and innovation sectors, enhancing our ability to work together to advance our knowledge and deliver growth for the benefit of everyone in society.”

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