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ATU appointed as lead partner for Republic of Ireland in €10 million ONEHEALTH project
Atlantic Technological University (ATU) has been appointed as the Republic of Ireland’s lead academic partner in the €10 million ONEHEALTH project, a major cross-border research and innovation initiative led by Catalyst and supported through the PEACEPLUS Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
ONEHEALTH brings together Catalyst, ATU, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), the University of Galway, Tyndall National Institute Cork, and the Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland (HIRANI). Over the next four years, the consortium will address critical public health and agrifood challenges using advanced artificial intelligence, digital health technologies and integrated data insights. The project applies a holistic approach, recognising the interconnected nature of human, animal and environmental health.
ATU’s involvement is driven through the JANUS Research Centre, with Dr Michael McCann, Director of JANUS, serving as Academic Lead for the Republic of Ireland on the ONEHEALTH leadership team. ATU will contribute to developing scalable digital solutions, accelerating AI-driven research and supporting regional SMEs across health, agrifood and environmental sectors.
Across its four-year programme, ONEHEALTH aims to deliver:
• 12 cross-border research and innovation projects
• Support for 20 SMEs in developing new products or processes
• Mentorship and accelerator support for an additional 20 SMEs
• 20 significant joint publications, patents or industry white papers
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald said: “I want to congratulate all partners on the launch of ONEHEALTH. This dynamic collaboration is positioning the north as a leader in health and agri-food innovation, delivering cutting-edge digital and AI-driven solutions.
“ONEHEALTH reflects the ambition set out in my Department’s Life and Health Sciences and Agri-Tech Action Plans. Partnering with key research and innovation organisations to support SMEs, this investment will strengthen our cross-border innovation ecosystem, address critical health and agri-food challenges, and enable SMEs to create new products and processes that enhance health outcomes and drive economic growth.”
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD said: “The launch of the ONEHEALTH project represents a significant step forward in fostering cross-border collaboration and innovation. I welcome the project’s close alignment with Ireland’s strategic priorities under the National AI Strategy and our Research and Innovation Strategy.
“By harnessing cutting-edge AI technologies and bringing together expertise from academia, industry, and research bodies, this initiative will help address critical health and agrifood challenges while driving economic growth. The partnership exemplifies how cooperation between Northern Ireland and the border counties can deliver real benefits for our people, our environment and our shared future.”
SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: “Funded through the PEACEPLUS Innovation Challenge Fund, ONEHEALTH reflects the vision we share for a healthier, more resilient, and more prosperous future for the citizens of Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. This innovative cross-border research project sets out to harness the power of innovation and strengthen the ties that bind communities, researchers and enterprises across the island of Ireland.
“This comes at a critical time. We are living in a world that is more connected but also more vulnerable to climate change, emerging diseases, economic shocks and societal divisions. Economic development in any post-conflict region is essential for building and sustaining peace. ONEHEALTH is a demonstration of how targeted investment in this area supporting innovation can deliver tangible benefits for health, the environment and the economy.”
Dr Rob Grundy, Director of Innovation Partnerships, Catalyst said: “We are proud to lead ONEHEALTH, a project that represents a transformative step in how we approach public health challenges. By connecting expertise across borders and harnessing the power of AI, we will create real tangible, lasting improvements which will benefit generations. This collaboration will not only drive innovation but also create real-world impact for communities and businesses, strengthening our shared health and economic resilience.”
Dr Michael McCann, Academic Lead for the Republic of Ireland, ONEHEALTH Programme Project and Director of the JANUS Research Centre from Atlantic Technology University said: “The ONEHEALTH AI Programme Project represents a major step forward for cross border innovation. ATU is proud to lead the Republic of Ireland’s academic contribution, applying advanced AI and digital technologies to address complex challenges in health, agrifood and the environment. This collaboration shows what is possible when universities across the North West and Western corridor work as one research and innovation community to support our critical industry ecosystems.”
Professor Mark Lawler Professor of Digital Health at Queen’s University Belfast and Academic Lead for Northern Ireland ONEHEALTH Project said: ‘It is great to see ONEHEALTH move from planning to delivery. It brings together partners who each hold a piece of the wider health and innovation jigsaw, creating a collective momentum that none of us could achieve alone. At Queen’s, through Momentum One Zero, our £70M, business-focussed, Belfast Region Innovation Centre, we will deploy AI, digital and deep tech approaches in this exciting project to support better health outcomes while driving economic benefit. ONEHEALTH provides the perfect framework and ecosystem for us to apply our experience and innovative solutions alongside the expertise of like-minded colleagues across the island. What matters to me is that ONEHEALTH creates the conditions for genuine cooperation and co-creation on health and socio-economic issues that are shared north and south. This is critical to ensuring that practical, evidence-based solutions emerge and reach the communities and businesses that need them, maximising both the health dividend of research and innovation, while also delivering the business dividend of health’
Professor Joann Rhodes, Chief Executive of Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland (HIRANI), said: “It is a privilege to participate in this cross-border programme project, to support innovators access diverse expertise to uncover new patterns of disease and develop services which will solve public health challenges and build economic resilience across the ONEHEALTH supply chain. This isn’t just about collecting and analysing data – it’s about empowering our community to drive the health discoveries that will benefit generations to come.”
Dr Paul Galvin from Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork said: Tyndall welcomes the opportunity provided through the collaborative ONEHEALTH project to leverage our AI expertise for the benefit of SMEs who are creating novel solutions for human and animal, health and wellbeing. The ONEHEALTH project will leverage Tyndall’s industry-facing semiconductor-enabled Digital Health tech programmes, to facilitate and promote cross-border collaborations, and deliver economic impacts.”
Professor John Breslin and Dr Priyanka Verma from University of Galway said: ‘ONEHEALTH marks a significant step forward in integrating health initiatives and strengthening collaboration across sectors to achieve better outcomes for all.’
For the full story, please visit the SEUPB website here.
PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.
Photo Caption: (L-R) Dr Rob Grundy – Catalyst, Sean O’Connor – Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland (HIRANI), Dr Priyanka Verma – University of Galway, Dr Michael McCann – Atlantic Technological University, Gina McIntyre – SEUPB Chief Executive, Professor Mark Lawler – Queen’s University Belfast, Ally Armstrong – Catalyst, Dr Paul Galvin – Tyndall Institute
