Future Digital Challenge
The Future Digital Challenge seeks to realise transformational societal and economic impact from disruptive digital technologies.
Do you have an idea for new digital technologies that could help unlock transformational societal and economic impact for Ireland?
The Future Digital Challenge will support researchers in creating disruptive digital technologies that will lead to new digital products, processes or services that will unlock transformational societal and economic impact for Ireland. Participation in the challenge will involve teams progressing through phases, each supporting further development of the challenge concept and solution, to compete for an overall Prize Award of €1M.
It is an agile, fast-paced programme that allows research teams to work with societal stakeholders to deliver tangible impact through their research. In addition to funding, teams are provided with training and mentoring to support the acceleration of an idea and to demonstrate how it can solve real-world problems. Participation has the potential to foster significant career development and collaborative opportunities.
Applications are welcome from teams of academic researchers based at eligible Irish research bodies. Teams are strongly encouraged to consider including researchers from different and diverse disciplines, at all career stages.
Applications should be submitted by two academic researchers who will act as team lead and co-lead. In addition, it is strongly recommended that applications identify a Societal Impact Champion to act in a non-technical leadership role. Where a Societal Impact Champion is not identified at the time of application, teams successful in their applications will be expected to have the Societal Impact Champion in place soon after their award commences.
The Future Digital Challenge comprises four phases: Concept, Seed, Grow and Prize Award. Participation in the challenge will involve teams progressing through phases, each supporting further development of the challenge concept and solution, to compete for an overall Prize Award of €1M.
|
Phase |
No. Teams |
Duration (Months) |
Funding (€) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Concept |
15 |
6 |
50k |
|
Seed |
15 |
12 |
150k |
|
Grow |
5 |
12 |
500k |
|
Prize Award |
1 |
24 |
1M |
The Future Digital Challenge will support researchers in creating disruptive digital technologies that will lead to new digital products, processes or services that will unlock transformational societal and economic impact for Ireland. The Future Digital Challenge will build leadership in deep tech and, by demonstration of impact potential, inform future approaches, research priorities and policy on how digital transformation can enhance our society and economy.
Under this challenge, researchers are invited to develop innovative and sustainable future products, processes or services, based on cross-cutting digital technologies including, for example: Sensors; Mobile Communication Systems; Internet of Things (IOT); Data (incl., Small, Big, Open) and Analytics (incl., Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning); Distributed Ledger Technology (e.g., Blockchain); XR (i.e., Mixed Reality); Simulation and Digital Twins.
Areas of Interest
Applications that identify challenges from any sector are welcome, however, particular focus should be placed on sectors where digitalisation can bring transformational opportunity. Such areas may include (along with illustrative examples of high-level research questions):
- Science and Knowledge Creation – How can digital technologies, such as AI, be applied to accelerate how new knowledge is created? How can the democratisation of scientific knowledge and data be advanced?
- Manufacturing, Value Chains and Logistics – How can digital technologies increase the competitiveness of the Irish manufacturing sector? How can supply chains be made more adaptive and sustainable?
- Construction, Buildings and Cities – Can digital technologies increase the efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of the construction sector? How should buildings be designed to better suit our future needs? How can we better design cities?
- Agriculture – How can digital technologies increase the productivity and reduce the environmental impact of the agriculture sector?
- Transportation – How can route planning be optimised to reduce the emissions from transportation modes? How can public transport be made more accessible and efficient using digital technologies?
- Energy and Natural Resource Management – How can energy demands be predicted more reliably, and renewable energy integrated more efficiently and effectively? How can natural capital quantification be undertaken more efficiently using digital technologies?
This challenge is funded under the Digital Transformation component of the National Challenge Fund.
The National Challenge Fund was established under the Government’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. The fund is coordinated and administered by Science Foundation Ireland.