Tyndall revenues flat at €31.6m despite funds rise

Revenues at Tyndall National Institute research centre remained largely flat last year at €31.6m despite a significant increase in industry funding.

The Cork-based centre saw a 65% increase in industry funding, which totalled €8m, while the EU contributed a further €5m.

Expenditure also stayed relatively static in 2015 despite remuneration costs increasing €1.5m to €20.18m.

“As a growing innovation hub and leading RTO [research trade organisation], our role is to practically translate excellence for our partners, bringing them to the manufacturing process and proof of concept,” said Tyndall chief executive Dr Kieran Drain.

“We also work with industry partners along all steps in European programmes, and act as consultants to SMEs to help them link up with the European funding ecosystem through instruments like Horizon 2020.”

In total, the institute participated in 26 EU Horizon 2020 projects worth over €140m during 2015 while also playing a role in three Europe-wide research and enterprise programmes launched last year.

Horizon 2020 is the EU’s largest ever research and innovation programme, backed by close to €80bn in funding over a seven-year period from 2014.

Tyndall, recognised as one of just 23 competence centres in the European components and systems arena, also helped a number of SMEs gain funding during 2015.

Cork-based PMD Solutions secured over €4m in funding to commercialise its respiratory monitoring device, RespiraSense.

Limerick’s Fleming Medical leveraged Tyndall’s partnership with Phillips on the Horizon 2020 InForMed programme to land extra funding for technology projects.