Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
704. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount of funding that is being allocated to semiconductor manufacturing innovation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37708/22]
View answerMy Department allocates specific funding for research through Science Foundation Ireland, the Irish Research Council and the Higher Education Authority. In 2021, SFI and the IRC spent €257 million on targeted research funding. Higher Education Institutions also fund research from their block grants from the HEA, in addition to other calls such as the North-South Research Programme.
Currently, the Irish Research Council is supporting 7 awards which relate to semiconductor manufacturing innovation, with a total value of €750,000.
Science Foundation Ireland funds a significant number of excellent research projects across its portfolio of individual led research to large scale SFI Research Centres that will have a potential impact on semiconductor manufacturing innovation, this includes support for research into areas such as materials science, photonics, telecommunications and advanced manufacturing.
Current investment in related areas includes:
- AMBER, the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research.
- IPIC, the SFI Research Centre for photonics
- Connect, the SFI Research Centre for Future Networks and Communications
- CONFIRM, the SFI Research Centre for Smart Manufacturing
- I-Form, the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing
Specific funding levels are not readily available for semiconductor manufacturing innovation.
In addition, SFI has supported significant infrastructure upgrade at the Tyndall National Institute in UCC in the area of semiconductor fabrication.
I am advised by my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, that IDA Ireland as part of its suite of financial incentives approves Research & Development Grants as appropriate for clients based on the submission of investment and business plans.
These grants are applicable to clients across a wide range of sectors including the Technology sector which encompasses semi-conductor manufacturing. Enterprise Ireland provides funding to the Microelectronic Circuits Centre Ireland (based in Tyndall) Technology Centre.
In 2020, the Microelectronic Circuits Centre Ireland, was approved for a third phase of funding of €10m over the period 2020-2024. The two previous phases (2010-2019) of core support were €5m and €6.8m.
