Projects to boost competitiveness on both sides of border to share £54m funding

A number of innovation projects are to receive a share of £54,372,539 (64,999,270 euro) of funding to boost productivity and competitiveness on either side of the Irish border.

The Peaceplus funding will support 96 enterprises, resulting in 82 SMEs introducing product or process innovation and 36 research organisations participating in the joint projects.

Peaceplus is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and represents a funding partnership between the European Union, the UK and Irish governments and the Northern Ireland Executive.

The funding has been awarded across eight projects:

– Clibeef (5,773,940.70 euro) – Lead partner AFBI and partners QUB, Teagasc and Agri Search will engage with a core cohort of 12 farms (six in Northern Ireland and six in the border counties of Ireland) to develop innovative feeding strategies for the beef cattle industry, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

– DATUM (8,223,630.47 euro) – The Digital Manufacturing Transformation Platform, led by Queen’s University Belfast, will aim to develop 20 digital manufacturing transformation plans for SMEs.

– HF-TIC (9,130,024.92 euro) – Led by Ulster University along with 20 partners in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Scotland, the Health Frontiers–Technology Innovation Centre will establish a consortium focusing on next generation medical device technologies, new digital and AI technologies to support health clinic systems, and digital transformation in health.

– NWCAM2 (9,981,033.15 euro) – Led by Catalyst, the project will aim to develop environmentally sustainable manufacturing processes and products enabling them to innovate and reduce emissions.

– ONEHEALTH (9,852,752.84 euro) – The project will create a cross-border AI driven ecosystem addressing health and agrifood challenges. The project will be led by Catalyst, in partnership with ATU, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland, TNI Cork and the University of Galway.

– PRISM (7,678,718.60 euro) – Led by South West College, it brings together six research organisations, 24 enterprises and six associate partners to establish three manufacturing clusters. These will focus on concrete production and sustainable manufacturing processes, hydrogen and rotational storage, and food innovation and manufacturing.

– SPEAR Centre (8,460,763.86 euro) – The Semiconductor Photonics Education and Research Centre aims to deliver socio-economic regeneration and transformation to the North-West region.

-TRACE (5,898,405.66 euro) – Led by Ulster University with partners in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the project will establish a cross-border innovation hub focusing on the agri-food industry..

Stormont Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald said: “These projects will strengthen collaboration among SMEs and research organisations across the island, driving skills development and expanding expertise in emerging fields such as photonics, digital manufacturing, agri-feeding solutions, medical technologies and AI.

“This investment will support SMEs in developing innovative new products and processes, fostering lasting economic, environmental and social benefits.”

Irish Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke said: “These eight projects to be funded will bring huge benefits to Northern Ireland and the Irish border counties and beyond.

“I wish all the projects and participants every success and I look forward to hearing about their progress in the months and years ahead.”

SEUPB chief executive Gina McIntyre said: “By investing in collaborative innovation through these eight projects, we will see the development of strong and entrepreneurial, innovation-led ecosystems that drive sustainable growth, increased productivity and competitive advantage.

“We very much look forward to supporting the research organisations, enterprises and SMEs involved in the coming years to realise a wide range of economic benefits for Northern Ireland, the border counties of Ireland and beyond.”