Trinity College Dublin and RCSI have today signed an agreement to create a consortium that will allow the institutions to collaborate closely to more effectively exploit research outcomes linked to health and clinical expertise.

The partnership will facilitate the sharing of knowledge, expertise, process and procedures between the two institutions, with the shared objectives of implementing best practice in technology transfer; providing RCSI with access to the innovation, entrepreneurship and incubation programmes in place at Trinity College; and leveraging the broader base academic collaborations in materials, engineering, computer science and the arts and humanities which can enable and enhance commercialisation and industry engagement.

Combining efforts in knowledge transfer will enable the consortium to present a cohesive opportunity for industry to engage with researchers, clinicians and resources in both Trinity and RCSI and to license bundled intellectual property in specific fields.

Trinity and RCSI have a good track record of research collaboration leading to commercialization of research, and this has expanded further in recent times due to the institutional partnership in the SFI funded AMBER Centre.

The consortium has been created under the Enterprise Ireland Technology Transfer Strengthening Initiative Phase 2 (TTSI2) programme, with financial support from Enterprise Ireland, TCD and RCSI.

Speaking at the launch, Diarmuid O'Brien, Director of Trinity Research and Innovation said: "Today's agreement will enable both institutions to build on an existing synergy based on a joint expertise in medical research. Through the sharing of knowledge transfer experience, as well as leveraging our respective clinician linkages through our teaching hospitals, we plan to enhance this relationship to deliver value to both institutions, to industry, and ultimately to Ireland."

Professor Ray Stallings, Director of Research at RCSI welcomed the launch of the TCD-RCSI consortium. "The consortium provides an important opportunity to provide faster and more efficient translation of research discoveries for the benefit of patients due to the ensuing synergies that will develop on knowledge transfer."

While today's launch marks an important first step, the partnership will now turn its focus towards delivering on its key objectives - namely, enhanced output in technology and knowledge transfer through research collaborations, licensing of IP and industry collaborations to generate impact for Ireland.