Research and Development

Limerick’s long-held reputation as one of Ireland’s leading centres for Research & Development is reflected across a deep culture of innovation that embraces all sectors and levels.

GMTA Manufacturing LIT Conference

Renowned research institutes/centres at UL include, among others, the Bernal Institute, the Health Research Institute (HRI); LERO (The Irish Software Research Centre), Epi-Stem (National Centre for STEM Education), CONFIRM (Smart Manufacturing Centre).

Simultaneously, TUS delivers the ACADEmy Institute (Art, Creative, Education, Digital Design & Enterprise), LIFE-Health and Life Sciences Research Institute, Sustainable Development Research Institute, ACORN Research Centre, Analytics Methods Research Group, Built Environment Technology Education Research Group and more.

These research centres and institute are complemented by innovation centres such as:

Urban Innovation Limerick Pic Alan Place
ENGINE
ENGINE provides a platform for engagement for all stages of enterprise from start up to established businesses developing new concepts
Limerick
The Digital Collaboration Centre
The Digital Collaboration Centre, which works with multi-national companies (MNC’s), small-medium enterprises (SME’s), Start-Ups and third level institutions to facilitate the use of existing technology to solve business problems
Limerick Citizen Innovation Lab.
Citizen’s Innovation Lab
The new Citizen’s Innovation Lab, a collaboration between Limerick City and County Council and UL aimed at engaging members of the public, groups and organisations in helping to create Limerick’s future.
University of Limerick City Centre Campus - Fab Lab (Pic Sean Curtin)
FabLab
The FabLab, which is a fully functional digital fabrication laboratory that offers cultural, educational and research programmes on digital fabrication

Support for the start-up communities include the Nexus Centre at UL, a purpose-built contemporary building offering the start-up community a quality environment to pursue their entrepreneurial interests.

At TUS’s Moylish campus, the Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre is a business acceleration centre aimed at delivering a unique business environment that stimulates innovation, research commercialisation, internationalisation and entrepreneurship.