The government has announced €2.4m in funding for the development of disruptive technological solutions for challenges being faced by the Irish Defence Forces.
Ten research teams have been shortlisted for the Science Foundation Ireland-Defence Organisation Innovation Challenge, which will see them collaborate with the Defence Forces and compete for funding to develop their ideas, which will both assist the military and be of broad relevance to society.
Shortlisted ideas include a portable device for detecting biological agents, AI technology to assist the Irish Air Corps in fighting wildfires, a prototype marine electric motor to reduce the carbon footprint of vehicle fleet, and a cooperative system that will allow a human controller and robot to work together to manoeuvre aircraft.
Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said one of the projects would secure €1m in funding and that the programme "shows the value of a partnership between our research community and the Defence Forces".
Defence minister Simon Coveney added: ""At EU level, the role of innovation and disruptive technologies in delivering next-generation military capability is already well recognised. I am looking forward to seeing the results that this synergy of innovators and practitioners under this challenge will undoubtedly generate for the Defence Forces going forward."
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Prof Philip Nolan, SFI director general, added: "Challenge-based research funding empowers talented teams to address significant national and global challenges.
"This kind of collaboration between government departments, agencies such as the Defence Forces, companies, researchers, and entrepreneurs is just one of the ways science delivers real and tangible benefits for our society and economy.
“Having this level of talent compete in this challenge not only bodes well for this particular initiative but the future of scientific research more generally. I look forward to seeing the different solutions that develop as the competition continues."
The announcement comes after the publication last week of the Commission on the Defence Forces report, which found maintaining defence spending at current levels would leave Ireland without a credible military capacity to protect itself.
The commission outlined two further "levels of ambition" beyond the status quo, the more moderate of which would see the Defence Forces acquire radar and coastal radar systems, upgrade the naval fleet and strengthen military intelligence and cyber defence.
At the third and most ambitious level, the defence budget would be increased 2.5 to three-fold and see Ireland's military capabilities improved to meet the standard of similarly-sized countries with an expanded naval fleet and the acquisition of a squadron of combat aircraft.
Photo: Ministers Simon Harris (left) and Simon Coveney with Prof Rozenn Dahyot, Maynooth University. (Pic: Jason Clarke)
