Building materials giant Kingspan is teaming up with Innovate for Ireland as part of a multi-year €3m collaboration agreement.
Innovate for Ireland is an initiative which aims to position the country as a world-class hub for doctoral research and innovation talent.
Co Cavan-headquartered Kingspan is aiming to support multiple PhD iScholars over the next decade, backing research that connects Irish universities with real-world industry challenges in areas including climate action, sustainability, green materials and the future of the built environment.
Kingspan said the investment forms part of the broader Innovate for Ireland initiative, a national doctoral scholarship programme which aims to attract exceptional research talent from around the world and develop the next generation of innovation leaders in Ireland.
Researchers involved will undertake cutting-edge projects across Irish universities in areas including green materials and the future of the built environment, the circular economy, sustainable aviation fuel, clean energy, and advances in chemotherapy.
The first iScholar being sponsored by Kingspan is Abhishek Kaitheri Edathil, an India-born materials scientist researcher, studying at TUS Athlone. Availing of research facilities at TUS Athlone and the IKON Innovation Centre in Cavan, Abhishek will research recycling solutions for Polyurethane and Polyisocyanurate insulation waste across the building lifecycle.
Sandra Del Bove, Group Head of Innovation at Kingspan, said the initiative will build Ireland's next generation of sustainability and innovation leaders while strengthening the country's position as a world-class innovation ecosystem.
"For Kingspan, this is a long-term investment in people, ideas and solutions. As we continue to develop advanced solutions to support the decarbonisation of the built environment, access to world-class research talent will be critical," Ms Del Bove said.
"Through programmes like Innovate for Ireland, we can combine outstanding research talent, academic expertise and industry insight to strengthen our innovation pipeline and turn promising ideas into practical solutions. By connecting research excellence with industry, we can help transform breakthrough ideas into practical applications with global impact," she added.
Dr Simon Boucher, CEO of Global Innovators Ireland, which delivers Innovate for Ireland, said the programme is designed to attract exceptional PhD talent from around the world to Ireland, giving researchers the opportunity to tackle challenges that matter to industry, society and public policy.
"Kingspan's commitment represents an important partnership for the programme," Dr Boucher said.
"By combining world-class industry expertise with a strong focus on sustainability, this collaboration will help develop the next generation of research leaders while strengthening Ireland’s innovation ecosystem for the years ahead," he added.
