Enabling Technology and Innovation

Overview of Pillar 2: Enabling Technology and Innovation

Our mission is to build a research community that maximises opportunities for funding, collaboration, and translational impact

Vision

We aim to foster a collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment by uniting expertise across diverse fields, enabling high-impact discoveries through networking, knowledge sharing, and access to cutting-edge technologies. By strengthening industry partnerships, integrating clinical applications, and leveraging advanced methodologies such as laser-enabled printing and bioinformatics, we seek to drive innovation in healthcare, medical devices, and therapeutic solutions

Research Focus

• AI, Statistical and Computational Modelling
• Medical Technologies and Diagnostics
• Advanced materials and Biofabrication

Funding Ambition

We are committed to supporting our members in securing national and international grant funding, providing guidance, infrastructure, and strategic partnerships to enhance research success.

Pillar Lead: Prof Andrew Simpkin

Prof Andrew Simpkin is Professor in Statistics at the University of Galway. He develops novel statistical methods for high-dimensional data, with an emphasis on functional data analysis, where he has a proven research track record in Statistics and Data Science. He is author of over 130 publications (over 25 as senior author), collaborating across all Colleges and most Schools in the University of Galway, as well as many national and international institutions. He has developed new methods for modelling high-dimensional data using functional data analysis, and models for epigenetic change in genomics research which are now used worldwide.

Prof Simpkin is a Funded Investigator (FI) in two SFI Research Centres – the Insight Centre for Data Analytics and the Confirm Centre for Smart Manufacturing. Prof Simpkin has generated more than €24M in research funding, with over €4 million as PI or co-PI. Prof Simpkin has actively collaborated with industry throughout his career. As an FI at Insight, he has collaborated with Orreco Ltd. (a professional sports analytics company) to develop a web application for sports scientists to plan, save and edit training sessions, which resulted in the submission of two IDFs. Prof. Simpkin led the Insight-Connacht Rugby targeted project, for which he developed a full data analytics platform (database, modelling and dashboard) for ticketing data. This led to an IDF, licensed for continuing use by Connacht Rugby. As an FI at SFI Confirm – Johnson & Johnson partnership, he has developed novel models of J&J’s colour contact lens manufacturing process, to increase manufacturing yield.

Prof. Simpkin is co-PI on two Enterprise Ireland Disruptive Technology Innovation Awards, with over €9m in funding and six industry partners involved. The first project (HealAsyst) Prof Simpkin is developing algorithms to fully utilise pressure sensor data from the Tight Alright device by Feeltect Ltd. In the second project (DigiStent), Prof Simpkin is developing a data analytics platform for a novel medical device.