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Health Tech Spinout Wins KTI Impact Award

/ 26th November 2021 /
Ed McKenna

Knowledge Transfer Ireland has named the winning partnerships between third-level institutes and businesses in its annual Impact Awards.

The three winners were named as RCSI/LocateBio, UCC/Irish Photonic Integration Centre/Rockley Photonics,  and DCU/Inclusio.

The Commercialisation award went to RCSI/LocateBio for success achieved from licensing technologies to the company.

LocateBio licensed three bone and cartilage regenerative technologies from the college which it developed into forms that have won ‘breakthrough device designation’ from the FDA in the US.

The technologies involve substances that orthopaedic surgeons use to help injuries heal more quickly, often using the body’s own cells and healing capabilities to reverse damage.

In Association with

UCC and its partners, the Irish Photonic Integration Centre and Rockley Photonics, took the Industry Engagement award for “an enduring research partnership that has delivered value to the company, university and wider community through job creation”.

This partnership has been running since 2017, and led to Rockley’s establishment in 2020, growing to ten employees by this year. The judging panel was impressed by the significant investment by the company and other parties into the collaboration so far, including a joint investment of €3.4m by Rockley and Science Foundation Ireland.

Dublin City University and Inclusio won the inaugural Future Forward award.

Inclusio is a spinout from DCU, founded in December 2020, that is focused on transforming workplace culture with an AI engine which enables companies to take a data-driven approach to culture and diversity. It drives personalised, bite-sized learning and engagement, empowering employees to influence workplace culture.

The judging panel was impressed with Inclusio’s focus on the area of diversity and inclusion, and the commercial potential of the company, having already secured strong levels of financial backing and boasting an impressive client base. 

Public Good

KTI director and judging panel chair Dr Alison Campbell said: “Our 2021 winners all represent significant impact from research and exemplify what a vibrant knowledge transfer community looks like. 

“Across diversity and inclusion, health technology and cutting-edge photonics, our winners today are delivering economic and societal benefit. I applaud the hard work and dedication in the innovation offices in our higher education institutes, who are driven by the desire to make a difference and see research translated for public good.”

KTI is the national office that makes it simpler for businesses and organisations performing research to work together, and aims to maximise the extent to which state-funded technology, ideas and expertise get into the hands of business to drive innovation. KTI is located in Enterprise Ireland and funded by EI with co-financing from the Irish Universities Association.

More detail on all nine finalist partnerships and on the winners here.

Photo: Dr Alison Campbell with awards presenter Richard Curran. (Pic: Maxwells)

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