CRANN  Celebrates a Decade of Success

CRANN, the Science Foundation Ireland funded nanoscience institute based at Trinity College Dublin has celebrated 10 years of Science and technology, looking back over a decade that has seen nanoscience grow to the effect that it is now linked to 10% or €15 billion of Ireland’s annual exports, and is responsible for over 250,000 jobs. During this time CRANN has grown from just 6 researchers to over 300, from working with 4 companies to over 100 and has leveraged State funding to bring in over €50M of non-Exchequer investment from industry and international funding streams.

Speaking at celebration event Máire Geoghegan Quinn, EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, said, “The European Commission has prioritised nanoscience research directing €1BN of funding through the Graphene Flagship. CRANN is involved in that project and with a track record of working with industry, is recognised as using excellent research for commercial impact. That link between industry and academia is a model which we aim to replicate across Europe, to ensure that the economic return of research is fully realised.”

Minister of State, Fergus O’Dowd TD said, “Nanoscience is a crucial industry in Ireland, and is critical for supporting manufacturing and research for 90% of the world’s medical multinationals and 70% of technology multinationals based in Ireland.Leading research centres of excellence such as CRANN have helped to transform Ireland’s research landscape and higher education connectivity with industry since the early 2000s.With top-class researchers like those working in CRANN, Ireland is regarded as one of the leading countries for nanoscience innovation in the world.”

Prof John Boland, Director of CRANN said, “The past decade has been an exciting growth period for CRANN. We employ over 300 researchers, work with more than 100 companies in Ireland and internationally, have won €50M of non-Exchequer funding and filed almost 50 patent applications. Ireland is now ranked 6^th for nanoscience and 8^th for materials science internationally. We are also attracting researchers from other universities to Ireland’s shores, as well as developing indigenous research talent. In the next decade nanoscience in Ireland will lead on the international stage”