Economic impacts: Research activity with Irish-based multinationals

Foreign multinationals account for 70% of Business Expenditure on R&D (BERD) in Ireland and engagement with these companies forms the backbone of the AMBER Business Plan. Our value proposition to these companies is to be an intrinsic part of the ecosystem which supports their transition from a purely manufacturing base to ownership of higher value-add R&D programmes;.We have ongoing collaborative research engagements with Intel, Integra and Merck with multi-annual commitments for projects.

Our research programmes with Intel and our continued engagement with Integra Life sciences (O’Brien-RCSI) on ground-breaking peripheral nerve regeneration research both won external awards in 2020; the AMBER-Intel engagement received the Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) Industry Engagement Impact Award in recognition of a 14-year engagement, which has yielded over 50 scientific publications and funded 15 research projects. Similarly, our 15- year engagement with Integra Lifesciences received the 2020 SFI Industry Partnership Award 2020 focusing on the project led by Professors Fergal O’Brien (RCSI) and Conor Buckley (TCD) which has successfully developed two unique peripheral nerve repair technologies, effective in repairing damaged nerves in pre-clinical trials.

Our TRANSITION Spoke brings together the research activities of DePuy Synthes, based in Cork, and US-based J&J Services Inc to develop a 3D printed Metal-Biological Hybrid implant. This programme is hosted in the J&J-AMBER Collaborative Bioprinting Laboratory at Trinity College which was officially opened in June 2019. The lab is the third such facility to be established by J&J at a University location and the first to be set up outside the US. Speaking at the launch event, Wim Appelo, Worldwide Vice President, Supply Chain Strategy, Innovation & Deployment, Johnson & Johnson, highlighted the potential for bioprinting to improve patient outcomes. This activity complements the in-house activity of the Innovation centre at the Ringaskiddy site in Cork.