3D-printed homes and biomedical breakthroughs: RISE@ATU showcases innovation for industry

November 18, 2025

ATU Researchers, students, and industry partners come together to showcase pioneering projects in 3D-printed construction, advanced manufacturing, and health innovation.

Pioneering research in sustainable 3D-printed concrete, advanced manufacturing, and health innovation took centre stage at The Model, Sligo during the ATU Partnerships for Innovation, Enterprise and Growth showcase hosted by RISE@ATU as part of Science Week 2025.

The event brought together researchers, students, and industry partners to highlight how Atlantic Technological University (ATU) is strengthening academic–industry collaboration to deliver solutions across a range of sectors.

“We ran this event as part of Science Week, showcasing how RISE@ATU connects research with industry. Speakers highlighted projects at various stages, from 3D printing and motion capture to curing and diagnosing throat cancer, giving our PhD students insight into real-world collaboration”, said Dr Ruth Quinn, organiser of event and Head of Department of Civil Engineering & Construction Studies.

Sustainable 3D-Printed Concrete for Housing

One of the evening’s standout highlights explored how ATU researchers are building upon a world-first 3D-printed housing achievement in Dundalk, where three social housing units were completed in just 12 days using COBOD 3D construction printing technology.

ATU researcher Dr Ahmed Saeedi, enterprise collaborator Mark McGowan of Future Cast, and material supplier Roadstone are developing sustainable 3D-printing concrete to scale affordable, low-carbon housing across Ireland. Their work showcases how the academic–industry collaboration model drives innovation:

“Over the last four years, I’ve been part of the team at Dundalk and Bristol for tremor testing and have been heavily involved in all concrete material testing. Working with Dr Ahmed on aggregates and locally sourced concrete allows him to apply testing at an industry-ready scale and share valuable research insights with us firsthand,” said Mark McGowan, Technical Expert at Future Cast.

ATU brings research rigour, industry brings practical expertise, and material suppliers ensure quality. Together, this model accelerates innovation – Dr Ahmed Saeedi.

Quick-Fire Research Competition

The evening also featured the Quick-Fire Research Competition, highlighting early-career projects. Postgraduate researcher, Sara Finnerty, achieved first place in the competition. Her work focuses on identifying natural compounds from marine microorganisms, that could support better health and potentially inspire new therapeutic products.

She presented her research on bioactive lipids from intertidal microphytobenthic biofilms, a natural products chemistry study that explores bioactive compounds with potential health benefits:

“My research focusses on bioactive lipids from intertidal microphytobenthic biofilms. We extract these compounds from the biofilm and separate them into groups with different chemical properties. We can then identify the compounds present and test their antioxidant capacity. The goal is to identify substances that could benefit human health. It was great to present my work and share what we’ve found with others at ATU.”

Dr Ruth Quinn expressed her congratulations:

We ran a mini competition for researchers to present their work, covering topics from rainwater harvesting and water quality to marine ecology and nutrition for children with cancer. I would like to congratulate Sara Finnerty, who won the competition with her impressive presentation!

The evening concluded with a presentation from Dr Jamie Roche, Lecturer at ATU, who highlighted how advanced imaging and AI can assist clinicians in identifying tumours and abnormal tissue in the upper airway and throat, combining real-time endoscopic imaging with diagnostic algorithms to improve accuracy and patient outcomes.

The showcase was an opportunity for each researcher to demonstrate how their work will contribute a positive difference to societal, industrial, and global challenges.

RISE@ATU is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021-2027.