The second Applied Research Forum hosted by Enterprise Ireland, took place on 18th June in the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin. The event provided an opportunity for publicly-funded researchers to focus on the issues and benefits associated with the commercialisation of their research. The event was attended by over 220 people.
A special publication entitled The Business of Research containing examples of companies and technologies that have emerged from Irish Higher Education Institutes was launched at the event.
The 'One to Watch' Award 2009
Enterprise Ireland commissioned a special award called the 'One to Watch' award which was presented to the researcher deemed to have the most commercial potential, both in their approach to research and in the technologies they have developed and was announced by An Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan T.D. at the event.
This years winner was Dr. Bruce Murphy, currently TCD and formerly NUI Galway for developing a device that cuts through the plaque that builds up in human arteries using tiny blades and a balloon in a safer more effective way than existing medical devices. Click here to read more about his win
The other nominees were:
Dr. Aleksandar Jaksic, Tyndall National Institute for his work on radiation dosimeters, devices that measure exposure to radiation. Initially developed for use by astronauts, Aleksandar has modified them for use by medical professional treating cancer treatment patients to ensure that neither patient of doctor are over-exposed to radiation.
Dr. Guido Mariotto, TCD, for his work on a skin scanner that produces 3-D images revealing where the skin has been damaged by sun, acne, age or other conditions. The hand-held instrument can be used by professionals in every section of the skincare market including, beauty therapists, dermatologists and new product developers in the cosmetics industry.
Dr. Suzanne Martin, DIT for her work developing a printable hologram that can be used as a unique identifier on the packaging of high-value products like pharmaceuticals and electronics.
Dr. Lorraine Nagle, Tyndall National Institute, for her work on developing long life fuel cells that replace batteries in things like security sensors or tracking technology.
Dr. Suresh Pillai, CREST DIT, for developing a surface coating that kills MRSA once exposed to any type of light. This is an improvement on previous technologies that only worked with UV rays from natural daylight. As well as having applications in hospitals, the technology could be used in other sterile environments like clean-rooms or water treatment facilities.
Dr. Laurentiu Vasiliu, DERI at NUI Galway, for developing software that helps financial experts to make complex calculations instantly. An example of how it could be used would be to allow an investment executive to analyse and compare the performance of hundreds, even thousands of mutual funds at one time.
We have recently launched a blog for researchers to discuss issues and experiences around research commercialisation -click here to access the blog and discussion forum
Business opportunites from emerging companies - took place on the afternoon of 18th June in the same venue, this event was for the investor community to hear pitches from 10 academic promoters who are seeking investment in their technologies. Click here for more information