In This Section
UCC anchors new frontier research network 'Rinn', leading key centres
Researchers at University College Cork (UCC) will lead three new Research Ireland centres. The announcement was made today by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, who also announced a new enhanced research national network, 'Rinn'.
UCC will lead Rinn Energy, which will drive Ireland’s energy system decarbonisation. UCC’s research flagship, Tyndall National Institute, will lead Rinn Semiconductors which is set to position Ireland as a global leader in next-generation semiconductor technologies. UCC will also co-lead Rinn Artificial Intelligence, that will address some of the greatest challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence and data science. These three Rinn centres at UCC comprise a combined funding investment of €244 million.
In addition, UCC researchers are co-investigators in Rinn Pharma & Biopharma and Rinn Advanced Therapies, and researchers across the University have a significant footprint in all seven Rinn centres that were announced today. The first phase of the seven new Research Ireland Rinn centres will operate over the next eight years, comprising an overall investment of €460 million.
Making the announcement, Minister Lawless said: “The scale and scope of this €460 million investment is a powerful statement of Ireland’s ambition in research and innovation. Our higher education institutions and enterprise collaborators have been critical to that success. With these seven new Rinn, we are building on this progress by supporting talent, strengthening industry partnerships, attracting foreign direct investment, advancing indigenous industry growth, promoting regional development, and enabling Ireland to remain internationally competitive.”
Professor John O’Halloran MRIA, President of UCC said: "The establishment of the Rinn research network is a welcome step forward for Ireland’s research and innovation ecosystem. This strategic, coordinated investment in research excellence aligns with our UCC Futures research framework and reflects a shared commitment to strengthening interdisciplinary capacity, generating and disseminating knowledge and enhancing international competitiveness. We welcome the opportunity to contribute to a nationally connected research landscape that fosters talent and drives innovation to deliver meaningful societal impact."
Rinn Energy - A whole system approach to renewable energy
Professor Jimmy Murphy, co-director of Rinn Energy. Image credit: Provision
Co-directed by Professor Jimmy Murphy, School of Engineering & Architecture at UCC, and Professor Lisa Ryan, University College Dublin, the €51.7 million funded Rinn Energy will drive energy system decarbonisation by delivering an ambitious, world-leading, and scientifically excellent research programme. It will consolidate expertise from ten institutions, integrating engineering, economics, policy, and the social sciences to take a whole system approach from renewable energy supply and smart grids to end-use in transport, industry, and communities. The research programme is focused across eight integrated thematic areas addressing technological innovation, offshore renewable energy, smart grids, Power-to-X solutions, energy economics, policy development, and societal engagement.
"Rinn Energy represents a new departure in research collaboration in the decarbonisation sector. It will address critical topics related to security of supply and climate change whilst facilitating the energy transition from fossil fuels in a societally acceptable manner," said Professor Murphy.
Rinn Semiconductors - Pioneering semiconductor design
Led by Professor Paul Townsend at Tyndall National Institute, the investment of €71 million in Rinn Semiconductors aims to lead Ireland’s response to the end of Moore’s Law scaling - the point where traditional improvements in computer chips slows down or ends - by pioneering modular integrated circuit-based (chiplet-based) semiconductor design and integration. Rinn Semiconductors will foster deep collaboration across the seven universities and institutions involved, leveraging the semiconductor fabrication facilities at Tyndall and ultimately creating a cohesive atom to systems value chain in Ireland that connects everything from basic materials research through to complete technology solutions.
"Rinn Semiconductors represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine how we design and build hardware and smart systems. By advancing chiplet-based architectures, through heterogeneous integration and advanced packaging, we are moving beyond the limits of traditional scaling and opening up entirely new pathways for performance, efficiency, and functionality. This centre brings together exceptional expertise from across Ireland, and by working collaboratively through Tyndall’s facilities, we will create a truly integrated research ecosystem that can deliver impact from fundamental science through to real-world applications in communications, healthcare, and sustainable technologies," said Professor Paul Townsend.
Rinn AI - A national hub for research and innovation in AI
Professor Barry O’Sullivan and Professor Ken Brown, School of Computer Science & Information Technology, are co-leads with researchers within Dublin City University (DCU), University College Dublin (UCD), University of Galway (UG) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) on the €121.7 million Rinn Artificial Intelligence.
Rinn Artificial Intelligence (AI) is designed to serve as a national hub for research and innovation in Data Science and AI. The programme has two overarching goals: to advance foundational cutting-edge research in Data Science and AI, and to pursue open, international, and inter- and transdisciplinary research aimed at studying, designing, and implementing strategies to address societal challenges. Rinn AI is structured into 33 research themes within seven clusters; Foundational Methods, Translational Methods, Data & Processing, People Centred AI, Democratic Governance, Health, and Society & Culture.
Professor Barry O’Sullivan, Rinn AI institutional lead at UCC, said: "We are delighted to lead Rinn AI in collaboration with colleagues from DCU, UCD, UG and TCD, working with our many partners in institutions across the country. Rinn AI is established to become one of the largest AI and data science centres in the world. The centre is conceived to maximise its impact for the benefit of Ireland."
Rinn Pharma & Biopharma - Transforming medicines for patients and planet
Professor Anita Maguire (School of Chemistry & School of Pharmacy) and Professor Abina Crean (School of Pharmacy) are co-investigators in the €60.3 million University of Limerick-led Rinn Pharma & Biopharma.
Rinn Pharma & Biopharma proposes a transdisciplinary research programme focussing on two core challenges in drug development. The first is the creation of patient-centred medicines that meet the needs of diverse patient groups, including the development and manufacture of advanced formulations that improve drug effectiveness, acceptability, and dosing. The second is the integration of sustainability into all stages of drug development and manufacturing, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of pharmaceutical processes across synthesis, bioprocessing and formulation.
Rinn Advanced Therapies - Delivering the right therapy at the right time
Professor Elena Matsa, School of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, is a co-investigator on the €51 million Trinity College Dublin-led Rinn Advanced Therapies.
Rinn Advanced Therapies is focused on the development and manufacturing of personalised advanced cellular immune therapeutics (ACITs). ACITs have a variety of defined disease-specific uses within the field of cancer therapies, as well as for other non-cancer conditions, such as autoimmune diseases. Delivering effective ACITs requires seamless integration of research, therapy design, manufacturing, regulation, and clinical trials. Patient variability adds complexity to market delivery. Rinn Advanced Therapies is patient, and society, focused and addresses these challenges by delivering the right therapy, at the right dose, to the right patient, at the right time.
Professor John F. Cryan, Vice President for Research and Innovation at UCC, said: "I am delighted to see UCC researchers lead and partner in these new research centres, providing further evidence of the world leading role that UCC will continue to have in tackling critical challenges in energy, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and healthcare. I would like to acknowledge the significant role played by research support staff in UCC and in Tyndall National Institute in securing this new centre funding. The level of investment in these Rinn centres will ensure that that future generations of UCC PhD students are well trained in important research fields."
The seven Rinn are expected to leverage additional funding of €500 million from industry and other sources, with support from over 200 industry partners comprising over 100 multinational corporations and almost 100 SMEs.
The Rinn announcement follows an open competitive process, where proposals underwent a rigorous, multi-stage evaluation process by independent international experts.