Manufacturing & Supply Chain

Smart Dublin, an initiative of the four Dublin Local Authorities to engage with smart technology providers, researchers and citizens to solve city challenges and improve city life, and Enterprise Ireland are serious about supporting entrepreneurs to solve city challenges and are delivering one of the largest smart city innovation programmes globally. Solutions will be tested to address illegal dumping, to monitor and predict blocked gullies in high risk flooding areas and to design innovative wayfinding solutions across the Dublin region. This programme is being delivered through Enterprise Ireland’s Small Business Innovation Research programme (SBIR) and is also a key action in the Dublin Action Plan for Jobs.

The challenges announced last May generated almost 200 expressions of interest with 40 proposals submitted and evaluated by industry, academic and city experts. Of those, 16 have been awarded phase 1 funding of circa €12,500 alongside supports from Smart Dublin to research and demonstrate the viability of their solution before the end of 2017. Following this, a number of phase 2 contracts worth €25k-€50k each will be awarded to prototype the solutions in the city.

“This is an outstanding cohort of companies and we look forward to working with them over the coming months across the 4 Dublin Local Authorities. We will support them to build new products and services that address our challenges, in turn creating new job opportunities and supporting the companies to scaleup internationally,” said Philomena Poole, Chair of Smart Dublin.

Many of these companies are pushing the realms of innovation. There is a strong focus on deploying Internet of Things (IOT) technologies with an emphasis on building and proving low cost and impactful solutions for Dublin.

“We are delighted with the quality and diversity of solutions proposed by the companies with a diverse mix of skillsets includes data analysts, engineers and software developers. The solutions proposed include the testing of drones and the building of low cost smart camera solutions to deter illegal dumping. A number of companies are also exploring the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to support the local authorities in solving these challenges” said Jamie Cudden, Smart City Programme Manager, Dublin City Council

Maria Gavin, Enterprise Ireland said: “Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) is recognised internationally as a proven approach that works for both public bodies and companies. It facilitates SMEs with early stage ideas to access public sector procurement opportunities. I commend Smart Dublin for expanding their programme to take in 3 challenges and 16 new companies. This new fund has the potential to create in-demand technologies and innovations which can be adopted quickly to make positive and significant societal impacts.”

See Link to company details and project overviews. www.smartdublin.ie/SBIRwinners