The investment is aimed at helping Irish enterprises boost their competitiveness.
The Irish Government has announced a €5.74m investment into seven projects under this year’s Capital Equipment Call. This year’s awardees include Technology Gateways and Centres from the South East Technological University and Dundalk Institute of Technology.
The Call, administered Enterprise Ireland, is aimed at addressing the gap between existing technical capabilities, and new, state-of-the-art technologies, to ensure that Irish enterprises – particularly SMEs – can access the latest research infrastructure and accelerate product development.
The Technology Gateway programme is also run by the agency. It has 17 centres in five technological universities, and offers companies with access to more than 350 industrially focused researchers, together with specialist equipment and facilities.
Meanwhile, the Technology Centre programme, is a joint collaboration between Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland that focuses on market-focused R&D projects in collaboration with research centres.
The two programmes are set up to provide complementary benefits to Irish enterprise. Technology Centres focus on medium-to-long-term, industry-led research in strategic sectors, while Technology Gateways, on the other hand, deliver near-to-market solutions and rapid problem-solving for SMEs.
As part of the latest funding, Technology Centre Irish Manufacturing Research received more than €1.2m for a femtosecond laser machining, while Applied Polymer Technologies, a Technology Gateway within the Technological University of the Shannon received €600,000 for an advanced 3D printing suite.
Announcing the investment, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, TD said, “By investing in advanced equipment for our Technology Gateways and Technology Centres, we are giving Irish businesses the tools to turn ideas into market-ready solutions faster and with less risk.
“This is about building a stronger, more resilient economy powered by innovation, and building trusted relationships between industry and academia for the benefit of both.”
Enterprise Ireland CEO Jenny Melia, added, “Access to cutting-edge equipment is often the catalyst that allows a company to move from early-stage research to a commercially viable product.
“Through this call, we are strengthening the capability of our Technology Gateways and Technology Centres to deliver high-value solutions for Irish enterprises, particularly SMEs.” Last year, 10 projects secured a total of €12.1m as part of this call.
Here are the seven projects funded under the 2025 Capital Equipment Call.
- Irish Manufacturing Research: Femtosecond laser machining, €1,282,774
- Applied Polymer Technologies, Technological University of the Shannon: Advanced 3D printing suite, €600,000
- South Eastern Applied Materials, South East Technological University: Non-destructive test suite, €1,190,000
- South Eastern Applied Materials, South East Technological University: Ultra-high-definition smart digital microscopy, €149,903
- Construct Innovate, University College Dublin: Advanced fire testing hub, €919,610
- Centre for Advanced Photonics and Process Analysis, Munster Technological University: Industrial non-destructive scanning for precision engineering, €1,481,000
- Credit, Dundalk Institute of Technology: Air temperature control unit, €120,000
Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.