Two University of Limerick innovations have been included among finalists at the 2022 Knowledge Transfer Ireland Impact Awards, it has been announced.
The Annual KTI Awards recognise significant impact and achievements arising from the commercialisation of research and the engagement of the third level and other State research institutions with industry.
These awards pay tribute to the work of those within Ireland’s Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) around the country who provide a vital link between industry and academic research.
UL has been shortlisted in two categories with the winners to be announced on December 1 at a ceremony in Dublin.
In the first category, UL and Class Medical Ltd have been shortlisted for the Commercialisation Impact Award, which recognises successful outcomes from licensing rights to technology or intellectual property or through the creation of a spinout company.
Class Medical was spun out from the University of Limerick in 2014 and develops systems to prevent complications from urethral trauma. One of their products, a Trans-Urethral Catheter Safety Valve, has prevented approximately 30 patients from suffering severe injury in Ireland this year. To date, Class Medical has raised $2.5 million in venture funding and has been recognised as a High Potential Start Up by Enterprise Ireland.
In the second category, UL with Carbery Food have been shortlisted for the Industry Engagement Award. This award recognises and celebrates knowledge transfer success when publicly funded research performing organisations and companies work together through collaborative research or consultancy.
Carbery Food Ingredients has worked with research teams at the University of Limerick consistently in recent years, including on a project to develop a new whey protein, Optipep 4Power that launched to market in 2021 and is targeted at the high-performance sport market including CrossFit and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
Paul Dillon, Director of the UL Technology Transfer Office, said: “We are delighted to have two excellent finalists this year. Both are excellent examples of knowledge transfer where society benefits from the transfer of UL research to create real impact in people’s lives. I wish both entries the best of luck in the finals.”
Imelda Lambkin, Manager – Disruptive Technologies, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer at Enterprise Ireland, said: “There are some incredible stand out examples of collaboration between industry and publicly funded research on this year’s Impact Awards shortlist. Each one is providing solutions to real challenges which industry and society are facing each day, and they are solutions that are backed up by lasting partnerships, some many years in the making. This year was a particularly competitive collection of entrants, and the judging team have their work cut out in choosing the eventual winners in advance of our awards presentation in December.”