Industry

In each of its three thematic areas of research, engCORE collaborates with regional, national and transnational industrial partners, ranging in size from indigenous start-ups to large scale multi-national corporations to undertake research and develop near term product solutions and prototypes. These research activities have led to numerous Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnerships and Commercialisation Fund Technology Development research grants.

  • Innovation & Commercialisation Funding
  • Facilities & Capabilities
  • Industry Related Projects

Innovation & Commercialisation Funding

Some of the funding opportunities available to industry to collaborate with engCORE in achieving technical solutions to business challenges can be accessed through national funding agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland. If you have a research idea and you would like to engage with the engCORE team to discuss idea development, supervision and funding options please contact the engCORE director.

Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnership Grant Scheme Who is this funding targeted towards? A company with a specific idea or innovation which they would like developed further resulting in a close-to-market solution ready for the next stage of commercialisation. It’s open to small, medium and large companies. Projects up to €200k can be approved, nominally 80% contribution from Enterprise Ireland and 20% from the company. This is an ongoing call.

Enterprise Ireland Innovation Vouchers Scheme Who is this funding targeted towards? Innovation Vouchers, worth €5,000, are available to assist early stage companies to work with a registered college or knowledge provider in Ireland and Northern Ireland to explore a business opportunity or solve a technical problem. This is an ongoing call.

IRC Enterprise Partnership Scheme  The aim of the Irish Research Council Enterprise Partnership Scheme Postgraduate Scholarship is to link with an Enterprise Partner to award co-funded postgraduate scholarships to highly promising researchers. By working closely with an Enterprise Partner, researchers benefit from an enhanced research experience as well as having the opportunity to learn key transferable skills relevant to career formation. Scholars will hold an Enterprise Partnership Scheme Postgraduate Scholarship.

The Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Industry Fellowship Programme The Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Industry Fellowship Programme encourages industry-academia collaborations through the funding of collaborative industry-academia research projects. Fellowships can be awarded to staff and postdoctoral academic researchers based in Ireland, wishing to spend time in industry worldwide and to individuals from industry anywhere in the world (including Ireland) wishing to spend time in an eligible Irish academic or research institution.

Consultancy

engCORE engages in directly funded multidisciplinary research projects to solve specific engineering technical challenges for companies large and small, across many engineering disciplines.

 

To find out more about any of these research funding opportunities and more, please contact the engCORE Director.

 

Facilities & Capabilities

Facilities

engCORE has 100m2 of dedicated research laboratory space for its research activities across all engineering disciplines. This lab space is situated within the Enterprise and Research Incubation Centre (ERIC) where it is in close proximity with new and developing start up engineering and technology companies. Embedding the engCORE research team within ERIC helps forge natural synergies with emerging spin out companies off the back of developed technologies.

There are a number of facilities linked with engCORE including:

  • engCORE research lab based on the SETU Carlow campus
  • engCORE Advanced Manufacturing Lab
  • Centre of Aerospace Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering Workshop
  • Avionics Workshop
  • Electrical and Electronic Workshop
  • The Dargan Research Centre

Capabilities

engCORE has the following capabilities within its three thematic areas of research providing our team with an environment to develop multidisciplinary engineering solutions to industry relevant problems:

Smart Materials & Mechanics

  • CAD modelling – CATIA, AutoCAD & SolidWorks
  • Static and Dynamic Simulation – ANSYS
  • Vibration Analysis – ANSYS
  • Mechanical Design Optimisation
  • Product Development
  • Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)
  • Wind Tunnel Testing & Validation
  • Tensile Testing
  • Stress Strain Analysis
  • Product Prototyping
  • Automation and PLC Programming
  • Machine Design
  • Sustainable Systems for Power Generation
  • Electric Machines (Motors, Generators & Transformers)
  • Condition Monitoring for Rotating Machines
  • Electrical Insulation Degradation Analysis

Circuits & Systems

  • Internet of Things (Sensors and Systems)
  • Embedded Systems
  • Microcontroller-based development board
  • Applied Signal Processing Methods
  • Signal Classification and Segmentation
  • Acoustic Array Techniques
  • Sound Source Localisation
  • IC Design – Cadence, Mentor Graphics, Tanner
  • PCB Design – Cadence Allegro, OrCAD, Mentor PADS, Proteus
  • PCB Fabrication – LPFK Milling Machine
  • FPGA Design – Xilinx Vivado
  • RF Chacterisation – R&S Spectrum Analyser, Signal Generators
  • Devices/Systems – ARM, Intel x86, Artix/Kintex/Virtex, Raspberry Pi, Beagleboard

Intelligent Built Environment

  • Testing and Characterisation of Granular Fill
  • Building Information Modelling (BIM)
  • Energy Performance Monitoring Systems
  • Radon Measurement and Evaluation
  • Urban Environment 3D modelling
  • Biomass Systems Analysis
  • Wetlands Condition Monitoring
  • Spanning Structure Optimisation

Industry Related Projects

Aircraft Vehicle Detection – Aircraft Vehicle Detection (AVoiD) is a novel solution for both the detection and reporting of contact and near-contact incidents between a piece of Ground Support Equipment (GSE) and an aircraft. AVoiD has the ability to uniquely provide GSE handlers, airlines and airports internationally the necessary to ensure compliance with ground handling safety standards and airside operating procedures. Following a Commercialisation Feasibility Funding (CFF), AVoiD is now funded by the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund (CF). A product trial has been successfully carried out in Shannon and Dublin Airport.

Safe Aerator-Agitator – An innovative combined Aerator-Agitator unit designed to safely remove Hydrogen Sulphide gas from slurry tanks during the agitation process. The resulting agitated slurry will have higher nutritional value, greater yields for the farming community and creating a safer method of agitating slurry. This project has recently been awarded an Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Feasibility Funding (CFF) grant to carry out a market analysis for the proposed product.

Previous research projects have included:

  • Manufacturing Process Optimisation – Medical Device Industry
  • Redesigned Refilling Valve – Hand Tool Manufacturing
  • Calf Dehorning Unit – Hand Tool Manufacturing
  • Lean Process Optimisation – Pharmaceutical Industry
  • Bespoke Shaft Alignment Tool – Aviation Industry
  • Waste Heat Recovery System – Food Industry
  • Digital Integrated Circuit Design – Circuit Design Industry