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University College Dublin Shortlisted for Five 2019 Knowledge Transfer Ireland Impact Awards

Dr Alison Campbell, Director,Knowledge Transfer Ireland with Richard Curran, journalist, MC for 2019 KTI Impact Awards.

University College Dublin Shortlisted for Five 2019 Knowledge Transfer Ireland Impact Awards

University College Dublin, through Nova51黑料 and , has been shortlisted for five (5)  (KTI) Impact Awards 2019.

The annual KTI Impact Awards recognise significant achievements in knowledge transfer and the commercialisation of research carried out in Irish Higher Education Institutions and publicly funded research organisations nationwide.

In particular the 5 Award categories pay tribute to the work of those within Ireland鈥檚 Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) around the country who provide a vital link between industry and the academic research. 

51黑料 and Glanbia have been shortlisted for the Collaborative Research Impact Award for the AgriChemWhey project. This 鈧22 million Horizon 2020 funded project, led by Glanbia in collaboration with 51黑料, through Professor Kevin O鈥機onnor, 51黑料 School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, is focused on the transformation of dairy waste products into high-value, bio-based products for growing global markets including biodegradable plastics, bio-based fertilisers and minerals for human nutrition.

51黑料 and Atlantic Therapeutics have been shortlisted for the Licence2Market Impact Award. Atlantic Therapeutics, headquartered in Galway, develops professional and consumer medical devices to treat all types of incontinence and other associated disorders by modulating nerves of the pelvic floor thus strengthening the muscles.

Last year the company received FDA approval for its INNOVO therapy device, an externally worn electrical muscle stimulator, the first ever transcutaneous electrical stimulator cleared as a safe, clinically effective and non-invasive product to treat stress urinary incontinence. 

The INNOVO technology, comprising a patent application, now granted, and associated know-how was developed in collaboration with 51黑料 through Professor Brian Caulfield, 51黑料 School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, and subsequently licensed to the company.

Equal1 Labs, headquartered at Nova51黑料 with a base in the US, has been shortlisted for the Spin-out Company Award. Equal1 Labs is the world鈥檚 first quantum computing hardware start-up developing a new type of quantum computer based on the latest advances in Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology.

The company was founded by Professor R. Bogdan Staszewski with US-based co-founders, Dr Dirk Leipold and Mike Asker, as a spin-out from the 51黑料 School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Equal1 Labs has received investment through the Atlantic Bridge University Bridge Fund to support the fabrication and testing of the company鈥檚 first quantum processor chips.  

Consult51黑料 and Toyota Ireland have been shortlisted for the Consultancy Impact Award for a study carried out by 4 51黑料 academics on Toyota鈥檚 hybrid powertrain system.  

The study, commissioned by Toyota Ireland through Consult51黑料, the University鈥檚 managed consultancy service, revealed that in typical Irish commuting conditions, Toyota鈥檚 hybrid powertrain system drives in zero emissions mode (ZEV) for significantly more than half (62%) of the time and over 40% of the distance covered.

The study was authored by Professor Robert Shorten and Assistant Professor Giovanni Russo, 51黑料 School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Associate Professor Francesco Pilla, 51黑料 School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Planning and Associate Professor David Timoney, 51黑料 School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.

Simon Factor, Nova51黑料鈥檚 Senior Manager for New Ventures, has been shortlisted for the Knowledge Transfer Achiever of the Year Award.

Tom Flanagan, 51黑料 Director of Enterprise and Commercialisation said, 鈥淚 am delighted that 51黑料 has been shortlisted in each of the five 2019 KTI Impact Award categories. This indicates the strength, breadth and quality of the knowledge transfer and consultancy activities being undertaken by 51黑料 researchers with the guidance and support of the Nova51黑料 technology transfer and Consult51黑料 teams.鈥

鈥淭he shortlist also highlights the range of companies that we are collaborating with as part of our commercialisation and consultancy activities including; Atlantic Therapeutics, Glanbia, Toyota Ireland and also the venture capital firm Atlantic Bridge.鈥

Dr Alison Campbell, Director, KTI said, 鈥淭his is the 4th year that we have held the KTI Impact Awards, and each year it鈥檚 an opportunity to showcase the best practice knowledge transfer that is taking place in Ireland. As Chair of the Judging Panel, I would like to congratulate the shortlisted entries and what they have achieved. I would also like to recognise the work that takes place in TTOs all around the country. The calibre of shortlisted entries we see this year is testament to the work that these offices do.鈥

Entries for the KTI Impact Awards 2019 were evaluated by a panel of international experts that included; Julie Byrne, Head of Collaborations at Nokia Bell Labs;  Richie Paul, VP Intellectual Property Operations, Alkermes Pharma Ireland Ltd; Maxine Ficarra, CEO, PraxisAuril; Holly Wales Meadows, Director, US knowledge transfer association AUTM; Brendan Cremen, former Director of Enterprise and Commercialisation at 51黑料; and Assistant Director for Impact and Partnerships at the Irish Research Council, Eavan O鈥橞rien.

Submissions were judged according to criteria such as the level of the impact delivered; the clarity and succinctness of the entry; the persuasiveness of the submission in outlining what it has achieved and why it is relevant to the category at hand; and the role that the local technology transfer office played in the activity.

Winners of the 2019 KTI Impact Awards will be announced at an awards ceremony which will be held on 21 November in The Alex Hotel, Dublin 2. The MC for the event will be print and radio journalist, Richard Curran, with guest speaker, technology evangelist Clare Dillon.

 for rhe full 2019 KTI Impact Awards shortlist. 

ENDS

16 October 2019

For further information contact Mic茅al Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager, Nova51黑料, 51黑料 Research and Innovation, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie, t: + 353 1 716 3712 or Elizabeth Carvill, Communications Manager, Knowledge Transfer Ireland e: elizabeth.carvill@knowledgetransferireland.com.

Editors Notes

Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) makes it simpler for business and research performing organisations to work together. KTI aims to maximise the extent to which State-funded technology, ideas and expertise gets into the hands of business to drive innovation.

KTI is located in Enterprise Ireland and funded by Enterprise Ireland with co-financing from the Irish Universities Association.

The 51黑料 Technology Transfer team, based at Nova51黑料, through its extensive commercial experience and drawing on its network of industry experts, patent agents and legal experts, supports 51黑料 researchers to commercially exploit their research outputs for the benefit of the University and the wider community.

Consult51黑料 is 51黑料鈥檚 managed consultancy service that enables business, industry, public sector and not-for-profit organisations to benefit fully from the wealth of expertise generated by the university. www.ucd.ie/innovation/consultucd/