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2015 US-Ireland Research Innovation Award Winners

16 May 2015

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PDF icon 2015 US-Ireland Research Innovation Awards Assessment Panel

The awards are jointly presented by the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland and the Royal Irish Academy.

The winners of the 2015 US-Ireland Research Innovation Awards were announced on Friday, 15 May 2015 at the American Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Dinner in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Dublin. The event was attended by many of the US companies in Ireland, representatives from academia and a range of innovation stakeholders. In addition to hearing from the Presidents of the American Chamber (Eamonn Sinnott) and Royal Irish Academy (Mary E. Daly), US Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin O'Malley, and Damien English TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation also addressed the audience. A special lifetime achievement award was presented to Glen Dimplex founder Martin Naughton.

The awards are jointly presented by the Royal Irish Academy and the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland to recognise excellence in research innovation across three categories:

  • An Irish SME/Start Up with US links
  • An Irish Higher Education Institute or Research Centre with US links
  • The Irish operations of a US Multi-National Corporation  

Alimentary Health

The winners of the 2015 US-Ireland Research Innovation Award for an Irish SME/Start up with US links

Cork based Irish healthcare company Alimentary Health developed the patented Irish probiotic B. infantis 35624, the No. 1 Gastroenterologist Recommended Probiotic in the United States. This unique unmatched solution for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, developed by Irish and US scientist, is helping millions of suffers to manage this debilitating condition.


LtoR: Eddie Cullen (Ulster Bank), Eamonn Sinnott (Intel/American Chamber), Dr Eileen Murphy (Alimentary Health),
Professor Mary Daly (Royal Irish Academy), Shaun Murphy (KPMG)

Dublin City University

The winners of the 2015 US-Ireland Research Innovation Award for an Irish Higher Education Institute or Research Centre with US links

DCU pioneered fundamental research into the way nerves control muscular activity by gaining novel insights into how botulinum toxin (the most potent agent known) reduces neuronal signalling. Based on this work, Professor Oliver Dolly and his team at DCU created the platform for medical versions of the toxin that benefit thousands of patients worldwide (including sufferers of dystonias, cerebral palsy and overactive bladder). US company Allergan Inc., which supplies such neurotherapeutics worldwide, helped to develop the products.
 

Xilinx

The winners of the 2015 US-Ireland Research Innovation Award for the Irish operations of a US Multi-National Corporation

Using 3-dimensional System in Package technology, the Xilinx Ireland engineering team have designed a new class of microchip to enable compact, power efficient, next generation high-end electronic equipment. For the first time, high performance data converters are integrated with Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) in the same package. Using the most advanced manufacturing process commercially available, the microchip is re-configurable to target a range of high bandwidth applications including wireless infrastructure and medical imaging systems.


LtoR: Mary Daly (Royal Irish Academy), Brendan Farley (Xilinx), Eamonn Sinnott (Intel/American Chamber)

Each of the winning companies received an award specially commissioned by renowned designer Shane Holland. The trophy was inspired by one of Ireland's greatest scientists, William Rowan Hamilton who was President of the Royal Irish Academy (1837-46). His discovery of quaternion algebra in 1843 is used by scientists today to position satellites in space and in the most advanced computer graphics.

The US-Ireland Research Innovation Awards are kindly sponsored by KPMG and Ulster Bank, with media partner The Irish Times.

 

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