The projects are led by researchers from across universities in Ireland.

Four research teams have received more than €6.9m to identify solutions around problems related to Ireland’s green transition and digital transformation.

The awards are a part of the prize phase of the €65m Research Ireland National Challenge Fund, given to teams that qualified over several rounds of testing and research. The competition began in 2022 with 96 teams that each received €50,000 each for their initial concepts.

‘PureTex’, led by Dr Susan Kelleher and co-led by Dr Jennifer Gaughran, both of Dublin City University (DCU), won funding under the Sustainable Communities Challenge.

The project takes post-consumer textiles and converts them into useful products such as polyurethane foam insulation.

Dublin-based socio-environmental group the Rediscovery Centre’s CEO Claire Downey supported PureTex as its societal impact champion.

“This funding means a great deal to us,” said Kelleher. “Addressing textile waste at scale requires both rigorous fundamental research and a clear pathway to real-world impact – you cannot do one without the other.”

‘Conundrum’, a University College Dublin (UCD)-led project, received the runner-up award under the Challenge. The project is led by Prof Niamh Moore-Cherry from UCD and co-led by Prof Brian Caulfield from Trinity College Dublin.

Meanwhile, the Future Food Systems Challenge was won by the ‘NanoSA’ project, led by Dr Niall Maloney from Atlantic Technological University, alongside co-lead Prof Enda McGlynn from DCU and societal impact champion Catherine McManus, the operations director of farming from Mowi Ireland, a sustainable seafood producer.

NanoSA is developing a technology to detect bacteria and other pathogens that impact the aquaculture sector with the hope of enabling fish health experts with fast and reliable information needed to make informed decisions about disease management.

Maloney said that the training provided as part of the National Challenge Fund “has been central in shaping [the project’s] technological developments”.

“This support allows us to continue developing our platform for rapid, farm‑site detection of pathogenic infections in salmon aquaculture,” he said.

Challenge runner-up ‘Sinfert’ is developing a soluble phosphate fertiliser from solid agricultural biowaste for sustainable agrifood systems.

The project is led by Dr Kirill Nikitin with co-lead Dr Simon Hodge, both of UCD, with Peter Mooney from the Waterford-based meat company Dawn Meats Group and Lucas van der Saag, a senior process engineer at fertiliser producer ICL, as the societal impact champions.

The National Challenge Fund is supported by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility and calls on researchers to work directly with affected parties and stakeholders to solve key environmental issues. The latest winners represent the final two challenges under the programme.

“The teams receiving funding today join a network of researchers supported through challenge-based funding programmes that are delivering real and tangible benefits for the people of Ireland,” said Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless, TD.

“From pioneering new circular approaches to textile recycling, transforming mobility at community level, advancing sustainable aquaculture and resilient agrifood production, the teams have demonstrated exceptional ambition, scientific excellence and a clear pathway to real-world impact.”

The first of the prize winners under the National Challenge Fund were announced in September, followed by six additional projects receiving around €8m in December.

SiliconRepublic.com has spoken in depth with the team behind prize fund winner AI2Peat, a UCD-based project that works in peatland identification and restoration.

“This vital initiative supports talented researchers to deliver solutions which will have impact within Irish communities at a local level, but also at an EU and international level – a strong example of how EU funding can have tangible impact from the ground up,” said EU commissioner for democracy, justice, the rule of law and consumer protection Michael McGrath.

“By advancing solutions in sustainable communities and future food systems, today’s teams are contributing directly to Europe’s priorities towards climate neutrality by 2050, resource efficiency and a circular economy.”

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