ATU Innovation Hub secures €45.75 million of Disruptive Technologies Innovation Funding (DTIF)
Demonstrating a commitment to innovation and technological advancement, Atlantic Technological University’s (ATU) Innovation Hubs (iHubs) have achieved outstanding success within the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF), with its Galway iHub client companies securing €45.75 million over the last five years, across twelve projects representing 12% of total funding awarded (details of the projects are outlined in the tables below).
Established under Project Ireland 2040 and managed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland, the DTIF aims to invest in disruptive technologies and applications, facilitating collaborations between Ireland’s research base and industry to drive economic growth and innovation. To date €371 million has been awarded to 104 projects across six DTIF calls. Among the notable projects funded through the DTIF are innovations in medical devices, healthcare systems, and minimally invasive treatments.
Of the 12 ATU iHub clients which secured DTI funds, three client companies secured two DTI funds each – Endowave, Tympany Medical & Crannmed, while several client companies such as Aurigen Medical, Rockfield Medical and Symphysis Medical received significant funding for projects aimed at revolutionising healthcare delivery and improving patient outcomes.
The Enterprise Ireland Medical and Engineering Technologies (MET) Gateway based in ATU was selected as a Research Partner Organisation on four DTI funds.
George McCourt, Head of Innovation and Enterprise at ATU, outlined the critical importance of DTI funding, saying: “The success of ATU’s iHubs in securing DTI funding underscores our commitment to fostering innovation, research integration and supporting the development and adoption of disruptive technologies. These collaborations not only showcase the cutting-edge research capabilities within ATU but also highlight the potential for transformative impact on various industries.”
Sharon White, Manager at the Enterprise Ireland MET Technology Gateway, emphasises the importance of collaboration in driving innovation: “The partnerships forged through the DTIF enable us to leverage our research expertise and industry insights to develop solutions that address real-world challenges.”
Additionally, collaborations involving MET Technology Gateway partner companies including iHub clients such as Rockfield Medical, InVera Medical and Endowave along with Ceroflo have further contributed to the success of ATU in supporting DTIF funding, totalling €15.6 million.
Méabh Conaghan, Enterprise Ireland Regional Director for the West & North West Region, says: “The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund plays a crucial role in supporting Irish companies and Ireland’s world-class research base to engage in collaborative projects which have the potential to disrupt markets and create new business opportunities. The projects funded under the DTIF at ATU’s Innovation Hubs are diverse and some are potentially life-changing, such as developing new minimally invasive and targeted treatment for metastatic lung cancer and a treatment for chronic knee osteoarthritis to deliver dramatic pain management and mobility benefits to patients.”
CAPTION:
Pictured (L to R): Giuseppe Ruvio, CSO, EndoWave; Turlough Rafferty, Operations Manager, ATU iHub Galway; Meabh Conaghan, Regional Director, West and North West Regions, Enterprise Ireland; Tim Jones, CEO SymPhysis Medical; Dr Elizabeth McGloughlin, CEO, Tympany Medical; George McCourt, Head of Innovation & Enterprise, ATU; Ena Brophy, Innovation Grants Project Manager, InVera Medical; Tony O’Halloran, CTO, Aurigen Medical; Tomás Thompson, CEO, Rockfield Medical Devices; and Sharon White, Technology Gateway Manager, Medical and Engineering Technology Gateway ATU.
The breakdown of DTIF funding to ATU iHub client companies
| DTIF Call | Year | ATU iHub Client Company | Project Description | Funding Awarded |
| 1 | 2019 | Aurigen Medical | Medical Device solution for persistent Atrial Fibrillation | €5.9M |
| 2 | 2019 | Rockfield Medical | Connected Enteral Feeding Healthcare System for Integrated & Co-ordinated Care: a Mobility+ ecosystem leverages innovation in sensors, a new innovative feed delivery device design, connectivity and apps for an entirely new level of data-driven patient-centred care. | €2M |
| 2 | 2019 | Tympany Medical | EyeVU, will deliver a disruptive, miniaturised “eyeball” endoscope camera, which will allow clinicians to see around corners, with unparalleled precision. | €3.2M |
| 3 | 2021 | Prelude Medical | RELAY will develop and commercialise a disruptive large-bore vascular closure device that will become the new standard of care for catheter-based surgeries | €2.89M |
| 3 | 2021 | SymPhysis Medical | A smart, patient-centric catheter-based solution for treating malignant pleural effusion “fluid on the lung” in the home resulting in improved autonomy of care | €2.87M |
| 3 | 2021 | Endowave | Develop a minimally invasive and intelligent microwave ablation catheter for treatment of lung cancer | €2.68M |
| 3 | 2021 | Crannmed | Develop a treatment for chronic knee osteoarthritis, to deliver dramatic pain and mobility benefits to patients | €2.47M |
| 4 | 2022 | Xtremedy Medical | BioBlate will disrupt the current treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers and other mixed tissue infections by developing a non-invasive surgical device that delivers a high amplitude of electrical pulses to remove infected muscle and bone tissues, preserving the integrity of the wound bed to promote healing. | €3.4M |
| 4 | 2022 | InVera Medical | BioVas, a Microvascular vessel wall Intervention for vein closure in Venous Leg Ulceration DTIF | €4.6M |
| 6 | 2023 | Endowave | The PRETA project will develop a novel robotic-enabled microwave ablation catheter with integrated position sensing and ablation imaging technology to provide a new minimally invasive and targeted treatment for metastatic lung cancer. | €5.4M |
| 6 | 2023 | Crannmed | The Flowsure project will develop and validate a differentiated and reversible liquid embolic treatment for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). | €3.48M |
| 6 | 2024 | Tympany Medical | Solascope – the world’s first sterile, sustainable, panoramic endoscope – designed for and enabling the circular economy for medical devices. | €6.86M |
| Total Awarded Funding | €45.75M |
Breakdown of DTIF Funding by MET Centre Partners
| DTIF Call | Year | MET Gateway Partner Company | Project Description | Funding Awarded |
| 2 | 2019 | Rockfield Medical | Connected Enteral Feeding Healthcare System for Integrated & Co-ordinated Care: a Mobility+ ecosystem leverages innovation in sensors, a new innovative feed delivery device design, connectivity and apps for an entirely new level of data-driven patient-centred care. | €2M |
| 4 | 2022 | InVera Medical | BioVas, a Microvascular vessel wall Intervention for vein closure in Venous Leg Ulceration DTIF | €4.6M |
| 4 | 2022 | Ceroflo | Ceroflo, Advant Medical and ATU will develop a DB stent that is more effective and efficient but will also eliminate pre-stent procedures and mitigate risks associated with conventional stent procedures | €3.6M |
| 6 | 2023 | Endowave | The PRETA project will develop a novel robotic-enabled microwave ablation catheter with integrated position sensing and ablation imaging technology to provide a new minimally invasive and targeted treatment for metastatic lung cancer. | €5.4M |
| Total Awarded Funding | €15.6M |
