Ireland’s innovation ecosystem is built on collaboration. For businesses navigating digital transformation, access to the right expertise, facilities and funding is critical. Two key supports available to Irish companies are the Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway Network and Ireland’s network of European Digital Innovation Hubs Network (EDIHs).
While these networks operate at national and European levels respectively, their combined offering provides a powerful, complementary pathway for companies looking to innovate, adopt new technologies and bring solutions to market.
Supporting Industry Through Applied Research
The Technology Gateway Network plays a central role in connecting industry with applied research expertise. With 17 Gateways located across five Technological Universities and DKIT, the network provides businesses with direct access to specialist facilities and experienced research teams.
Companies engage with the Gateways to solve real-world challenges, whether that involves product development, prototyping, testing or validation. With expertise spanning a range of sectors including engineering, IoT, food, energy, materials, design and advanced manufacturing, the Gateways support businesses at every stage of the innovation journey.
Each year, the network works with companies, helping to reduce development risk, accelerate R&D timelines and enhance competitiveness. The focus is always on delivering practical, commercially relevant solutions that meet industry needs.
Enabling Digital Transformation Through EDIHs
Complementing this applied research capability are Ireland’s European Digital Innovation Hubs: CeADAR, Data2Sustain, ENTIRE and FactoryXChange.
EDIHs act as “first-stop shops” for digitalisation, supporting SMEs and Public Sector Organisations (PSOs) to adopt advanced technologies and improve operational performance. Their services include:
- Digital maturity assessments
- Test-before-invest opportunities
- Training and skills development
- Ecosystem building and networking
- Support to access funding and investment
By lowering barriers to entry, the EDIHs enable companies to explore technologies such as AI, data analytics, IoT and automation in a low-risk and structured way.
A Complementary and Flexible Approach to Innovation
While the Technology Gateway Network and the EDIHs are distinct initiatives, their collaboration is deliberate, complementary, and highly flexible.
A company can begin its journey with either network. For example:
- Businesses exploring digitalisation may start with an EDIH to assess their digital maturity
- Companies with a specific technical or product challenge may engage directly with a Technology Gateway
From that point, both networks work together to guide the company towards the most appropriate supports.
1. From Discovery to Delivery
EDIHs typically begin with a broad digital maturity assessment and discovery process, helping companies identify gaps, opportunities, and potential pathways. This early-stage engagement can be flexible and iterative, allowing companies to explore options before committing to larger projects.
Technology Gateways complement this by undertaking technical scoping and applied research planning, shaping how solutions can be developed and implemented.
Through test-before-invest services, companies can trial technologies and evaluate feasibility. Once validated, Technology Gateways support the next phase through prototyping, development, testing, and refinement.
This creates a seamless pathway from exploration to implementation.
2. Scaling and Funding Pathways
One of the key strengths of this collaboration is the ability to scale projects over time.
Engagements may begin with EDIH services such as feasibility studies or use-case design, before progressing into:
- Enterprise Ireland Innovation Vouchers
- Innovation Partnerships
- Feasibility funding
- Larger-scale R&D and innovation funding
Both networks guide companies through these funding pathways, ensuring the right supports are aligned to business needs.
3. Multi-Service and Ecosystem Support
EDIHs bring an additional layer of value through their multi-partner structure and national reach. They can integrate services such as AI, cybersecurity, user experience, and data analytics into projects, complementing Gateway expertise.
They also provide access to business and ecosystem supports, including investment readiness and commercialisation guidance through partners such as regional and national innovation agencies.
This ensures companies benefit not only from technical development, but also from broader business support and ecosystem connections.
4. Not a One-Size-Fits-All Approach
Importantly, collaboration between Technology Gateways and EDIHs is not generic.
Each Gateway has its own areas of expertise; industry focus and approach to working with EDIHs. Similarly, each EDIH brings different capabilities, partners and sectoral strengths.
This means every company engagement is tailored, whether that involves:
- A Gateway-led innovation project supported by EDIH services
- An EDIH-led discovery process leading into Gateway R&D
- Or a fully integrated, multi-service collaboration
This flexibility ensures companies receive the most relevant and effective support for their specific challenges.
Delivering Real Impact for Industry
Across Ireland, this collaborative model is delivering real impact. Companies are supported at every stage of their innovation journey from early digital exploration through to product development and commercialisation.
Together, the Technology Gateway Network and EDIHs create a complete innovation pipeline, enabling companies to move from idea to implementation with confidence.
Case Study: Sheep Activity Tracker Prototype
As an example, sheep flock activity tracker is collaborative model co-created with BT-Brotech to detect unusual sheep flock activities. The trackers’ primary objective is to detect unusual sheep flock activities and automatically send alerts and GPS data to the farmer to address “sheep worry.” Sheep worry is attacks or harassment of sheep that can commonly identify in lambing seasons.
With technological support from WiSAR lab, part of the Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway Network and funding through Data2Sustain, BT-Brotech was able to codesign and develop a sensor-based Sheep Activity Monitoring concept to field-tested protype ready for further development and commercialization.
Three prototype units were successfully deployed in live field conditions and demonstrated its ability to deploy in remote farming environments and accurate data tracking and alert delivery.
Read more regarding the case study here.
Other Technology Gateways such as ICS Gateway at Walton Institute and Nimbus Gateway have collaborated with ENTIRE EDIH to support on similar innovation journeys:
Carlow based Feedalpha teamed partnered with Walton Institute and ENTIRE on GreenSphere, an energy efficient AI Platform helping SMEs cut the carbon footprint of AI driven content generation.
Read more here: Walton Institute and Feedalpha team up to slash AI’s carbon footprint
RowTiec’s Rowing Performance Monitoring system
Nimbus Technology Gateway, ENTIRE and RowTiec collaborated on a project using sensor technology to give rowers and coachers real-time performance and technical data on water.
Read more here: RowTeic’s Rowing Performance Monitoring
The Technology Gateway Network and European Digital Innovation Hubs are here to support your business at every stage of its digital journey. By combining applied research expertise with digital innovation supports, they provide a powerful, connected approach to helping Irish companies grow, innovate and compete on a global stage.
For more information please get in touch with our team.
