Appendix 3

List of International RD&I Organisations with Irish involvement

Low Frequency Array (LOFAR)	This is an international radio telescope with stations across Europe. Ireland’s station was installed at Birr Castle, Co. Offaly in 2017. The Irish LOFAR consortium (I- LOFAR) includes researchers based in Dublin, Galway, Cork and the Midlands. I- LOFAR provides enterprise opportunity in the Midlands, particularly for industries working with big data, reflected in the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 under Strategic Objective 2.2. Birr Technology Centre works with I-LOFAR researchers to run training courses, specialised consultancy, and industry events.
European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN)	In November 2023, Government approval was received for Ireland to apply for associate membership of CERN, the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. The CERN Taskforce visited Ireland in April 2024 to assess the application and met with nearly every higher education institution across the country, as well as SMEs from Connaught and Munster. DFHERIS has coordinated a visit to CERN with representatives from every Irish university and is engaging with industry and technological universities on CERN participation.
European Space Agency (ESA)	ESA is an international organisation established to “provide for and to promote, for exclusively peaceful purposes, cooperation among European States in space research and technology and their space applications, with a view to their being used for scientific purposes and for operational space applications systems:” The primary purpose of Ireland’s membership of ESA is to nurture and build a base of innovative Irish companies to develop space technologies for commercial exploitation on the global space and related markets.
Strategic Energy Technology Plan Implementation Groups	DECC is engaged with the European Commission’s Strategic Energy Technology Plan Implementation Groups, which inform alignment of the National Energy RD&I Funding Programme, operated by the SEAI, with European priorities.
Clean Energy Transition Partnership	The Clean Energy Transition Partnership aims to empower the clean energy transition and contribute to the EU’s goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, by pooling national and regional RDTI funding for a broad variety of technologies and system solutions required to make the transition.
International Energy Agency (IEA)	SEAI represents Ireland on the Committee of Energy Research and Technology of the IEA which oversees the activity of five working parties, who in turn oversee the activities of Technology Collaboration Programmes (TCPs). Ireland is involved in 11 TCPs. Ireland has also joined the IEA’s Expert Group on Research and Development which consider R&D priority setting and evaluation.
North Seas Energy Co- Operation (NSEC)	As part of its membership of NSEC, Ireland is committed to regular exchanges with key actors including in the area of research & innovation, to reap the full renewable energy potential of the North Seas to the benefit of Europe as a whole.
European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre	DECC, via the National Cyber Security Centre, is the National Coordination Centre for Ireland under the European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre and the Network of National Coordination Centres Regulation.
Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS)	The EPA has supported Ireland’s membership of ICOS-European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) as the National Focal Point since Ireland became a full member in January 2023.
Joint Programming Initiative “Connecting Climate Knowledge for Europe” (JPI Climate)	The EPA is one of Ireland’s key member organisations in JPI Climate, a pan-European intergovernmental initiative which brings together European countries to jointly coordinate climate research and fund new transnational research initiatives that provide useful climate knowledge and services for post-COP21 Climate Action.