The government has announced €2.4m in funding to develop disruptive solutions to challenges facing the Irish Defence Forces, with a total of 10 research teams shortlisted for the SFI-Defence Organisation Innovation Challenge.

These teams will collaborate with the Defence Forces and compete for funding to develop disruptive solutions to a number of challenges identified by the Defence Organisation that are of broad relevance to society.

Portable device that detects biological agents and AI technology

Ideas include a portable device that detects biological agents, AI technology to assist the Irish Air Corps fight wildfires, reducing the carbon footprint of its vehicle fleet to a novel prototype marine electric motor and a co-operative system that will allow a human controller and robot to work together to manoeuvre aircraft.

Higher education minister Simon Harris said: “The innovation on display can help address existing and future challenges within our Defence Forces. “There is a myriad of innovative ideas and expertise from machine learning and virtual reality to data analytics, engineering, and robotics. Today, the 10 projects will be awarded funding to initiate their projects and one will secure €1m in funding.”

Defence minister Simon Coveney said: “From the time we launched this challenge last July, I believed that it would confront emerging issues within the Defence Forces head-on, through the collaboration of leading researchers with the talented people behind our Defence Forces.

"At EU level, the role of innovation and disruptive technologies in delivering next generation military capability is already well recognised. I am looking forward to seeing the results that this synergy of innovators and practitioners under this challenge will undoubtedly generate for the Defence Forces going forward.”

'Real and tangible benefits'

Prof Philip Nolan, director general, Science Foundation Ireland, said: “Challenge-based research funding empowers talented teams to address significant national and global challenges. This kind of collaboration between government departments, agencies such as the Defence Forces, companies, researchers, and entrepreneurs is just one of the ways science delivers real and tangible benefits for our society and economy.”

Project MISTRAL, with a research team lead by Prof Holger Claussen (head of wireless communications lab, Tyndall), co-led by Dr Boris Galkin (postdoctoral researcher, CONNECT, Trinity College Dublin) and DefOrg Liaison Capt Ken Lyons (CIS Corps) aims to develop a network of flying, automated drones to provide reliable communications for humanitarian and peacekeeping missions.  

Prof Holger Claussen, head of wireless communications lab, Tyndall

Prof Claussen said: “MISTRAL will create world leading capability in the area of next generation autonomous drones for enabling reliable long range wireless communications coverage and RF sensing capability for the Irish Defence Forces".