Ireland saw significant progress in collaborative research, consultancy, spinout company formation, and intellectual property commercialisation last year, Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) has said.
The national office for supporting businesses in accessing expertise, technology, and intellectual property from publicly funded research organisations said Ireland's research and innovation landscape displayed growth and resilience in 2024.
KTI's annual report draws on data from publicly funded research performing organisations (RPOs), including eight universities, five technological universities, two institutes of technology, two colleges, and state research bodies such as Teagasc, the Marine Institute, and Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR).
A total of 932 were signed between RPOs and industry partners in 2024, with 60% involving Irish SMEs.
These collaborations spanned from Innovation Voucher projects to large-scale strategic research initiatives.
A further 378 collaborations were recorded with non-commercial entities, reflecting the wide-reaching societal impact of publicly funded research.
Some 754 research consultancy agreements were signed with companies, allowing the direct application of academic expertise to industry challenges, and an additional 206 consultancy agreements were concluded with public and non-profit organisations.
Ireland’s research institutions reported the creation of 25 new spinout companies in 2024, bringing the total number of active spinouts to 166, collectively employing 2,098 people.
KTI said the growth underscores the increasing contribution of academic entrepreneurship to Ireland’s innovation economy.
Intellectual property also grew, with 221 licences, options, and assignments (LOAs) executed, an increase of 7% year-on-year.
Software and patented technologies accounted for the majority of these transactions, comprising 15% and 24%, respectively.
Total research expenditure reached €880m in 2024, an increase of €46m year-on-year.
The university sector accounted for 76% of this investment, followed by technological universities and institutes of technology (14%), and colleges and state research organisations (10%).
"The results of the 12th annual survey published today point to solid increases in levels of IP licensing activity, spin-out company formation and new innovative products and services coming to market," said Christian Stafford, head of KTI at Enterprise Ireland.
"KTI’s mission is to make it easier for businesses to access publicly funded research, and Enterprise Ireland, through KTI, will continue its work with the Research Performing Organisations on this important agenda of supporting and encouraging innovation across the entire business landscape.”
(Pic: Getty Images)
