Research Infrastructure

We support the research infrastructure in Northern Ireland so we can help accelerate technology transfer and stimulate the development of innovative and commercially viable products and processes.

Commercially focused research and development (R&D) will improve the competitiveness of Northern Ireland industry and raise our profile in the global marketplace.

Centres of excellence

Central to Northern Ireland’s research infrastructure are centres of excellence – R&D focused partnerships between government, businesses and the science base. Many of the current number of 18 established centres of excellence in Northern Ireland are working in cutting-edge areas of research, including functional genomics and proteomics, pharmaceuticals and nanotechnology.

These centres of excellence are maximising the impact of investment in R&D in Northern Ireland and also providing high-tech environments and state-of-the-art equipment, as well as buildings and facilities such as business incubators and best practice showcases.

Our Research and Technological Development (RTD) Centres of Excellence programme is designed to help establish more centres of excellence.

Download a full list of RTD centres of excellence (PDF)