Each of the teams will focus on a particular challenge. (Image: SFI)
The Irish Ministers for Defence; for Foreign Affairs; and for Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science dedicated €2.4 million in funding to develop disruptive defence solutions on 17 February.
Ten research teams have been shortlisted for the SFI-Defence Organisation Innovation Challenge.
They will collaborate with the Irish Defence Forces and compete for funding to develop disruptive solutions to a number of challenges identified by the Defence Organisation. Each team will tackle a particular issue.
These include a portable device to detect biological agents, AI technology to assist the Irish Air Corps to fight wildfires, reducing the carbon footprint of its vehicle fleet to a novel prototype marine electric motor and a cooperative system that will allow a human controller and robot to work together to manoeuvre aircraft.
Simon Harris, the Minister for Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, commented: ‘Today, the ten [teams] will be awarded funding to initiate their projects and one will secure €1 million in funding’.
The SFI-Defence Organisation Innovation Challenges consists of three phases, Concept, Seed and Prize Award.
After three months, up to five shortlisted teams will be provided with further funding to validate and prototype their solutions and the finalists will then compete for the final award, to be announced in January 2023.
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Germany’s Rheinmetall released its 1H 2025 results on 7 August, continuing the strong growth of recent years. A particular highlight of the result’s presentation was the Skyranger air defence system for which the company is predicting sales of about US$8.2 billion from the German Government before the end of the year.
Vehicle and technology companies are reporting substantial growth compared to the first half of 2024. Italy’s Fincantieri saw revenues jump 24% for the first half of the year compared to 2024 and Thales up 6.8% for the same period. General Dynamics reported second quarter revenue growth of 8.9% for the second quarter compared to last year and MilDef reported organic order intake growth of 58%.
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