A new HealthTech hub, the result of a multimillion-euro Government investment to drive regional development by accelerating the commercialisation of cutting-edge, patient-focused research, has been officially launched at University of Galway this week.
The hub, which will focus on developing solutions to improve chronic disease management, forms part of Research Ireland’s Accelerating Research to Commercialisation (ARC ) programme.
The aim of the ARC Hub for HealthTech is to fast-track high-potential technologies in areas such as smart implants, advanced wearable medical devices, novel sensors, and AI and machine learning-driven modelling.
The facility is hosted by the University of Galway, in partnership with Atlantic Technological University (ATU ) and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Twenty-three projects are currently in the ARC Hub for HealthTech after being selected for their strong potential to improve patient outcomes.
The launch of the ARC Hub for HealthTech – under the theme of ‘Regional roots, global presence’ – included a call for new projects to be assessed for funding and support on the journey to commercialisation. The event also featured a showcase of some of the current projects which are being fast-tracked to commercialisation, including advanced sensory detection devices to prevent falls in elderly people, and intelligent devices to help control blood pressure.
“The ARC Hub for HealthTech has the potential to deliver game-changing acceleration of research commercialisation that will directly benefit individuals and communities in the west and northwest and further afield,” Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless said at the launch on Tuesday. “As it continues to ramp up its operations and establish partnerships, the ARC Hub’s ambitions are clear and far-reaching. I look forward to seeing the hub progress in its endeavours, outputs and impact over the coming years.”
The ARC Hub for HealthTech was established in 2025 with a landmark funding investment of €34.3 million by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Northern & Western Regional Programme 2021-2027. It aims to position the Northern and Western Region as a national and international leader in the commercialisation of health technologies.
According to Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, chief executive of Taighde Éireann-Research Ireland, the Hub programme is one of the most proactive, imaginative and potentially disruptive programmes ever delivered by Research Ireland.
“The ARC Hub for HealthTech is an operation of strategic importance under the European Regional Development Fund programme for the Northern and Western region,” added Peter Power, head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland. “It aligns with the objective of EU Cohesion policy to support thriving innovation ecosystems for all regions. Thanks to the ARC Hub for HealthTech, research will be translated into marketable products, thereby boosting the competitiveness of both the Northern and Western region and European competitiveness.”
The hub is designed to support the development of entrepreneurial scientists and engineers with the skills to realise opportunities to create start-up companies from research.
It will equip researchers with early clinical validation pathways, entrepreneurial skills and commercialisation supports, to transform novel ideas into patient-focused healthcare solutions with global market potential.
President of University of Galway, Professor David Burn, told the launch that the ARC Hub for HealthTech is a remarkable opportunity to create a global powerhouse for healthcare in the Northern and Western regions of Ireland. “With our partners and regional collaboration, we are seizing the moment to push the commercial impact of research with new supports, at a faster pace, with the overarching aim of bringing new healthcare, treatments and therapies to patients,” he added.
Conall McGettigan, Northern and Western Regional Assembly, said the project is designed to accelerate regional development by expediting early-stage, advanced research to commercialisation. “In alignment with Ireland’s smart specialisation strategy and by fostering entrepreneurial ideas within the research and innovation ecosystem, the hub will facilitate the transformation of innovative concepts into tangible economic and societal benefits for the Northern and Western Region,” he predicted.
To mark the official launch, applications have been opened for new projects to be assessed for funding and support on the journey to commercialisation.
According to Professor Garry Duffy, Professor of Health Technology Innovation at University of Galway, Professor of Anatomy at RCSI and Director of the ARC Hub for HealthTech, the ARC Hub will empower researchers to become entrepreneurs by bridging the gap between research and real-world impact.
“With regional roots and a global presence, we’re empowering researchers to become entrepreneurs and ensuring that HealthTech innovations developed in Ireland reach patients and markets worldwide,” Prof Duffy added.
The ARC Hub for HealthTech has the support of a high-calibre advisory committee comprising private investors, entrepreneurial training specialists from the US and Europe, industry leaders from various start-ups and multinational corporations, and Government and public sector representatives.
The ARC Hub for HealthTech is one of a family of three ARC Hubs announced in 2025 as part of a multi-annual investment programme. The ARC Hub for Therapeutics (led by Trinity College Dublin ) and ARC Hub for ICT (led by TU Dublin ) are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027.
The primary objective of the ARC Hub programme is to drive regional development by accelerating the commercialisation of cutting-edge research, while also supporting the development of scientists and engineers with entrepreneurial skills to realise their commercial ambitions.
