Knowledge Transfer
The Knowledge Transfer team members are:
Dr Ciaran O’Beirne
Dr Ciaran O’Beirne
Manager, Knowledge Transfer
t: +353 1 716 3713
e: ciaran.obeirne@ucd.ie
Dr Ciaran O’Beirne is the Manager, Technology Transfer and heads up the team responsible for identifying, protecting and commercialising intellectual property (IP) arising from UCD research projects either through licensing and/or new venture creation.
Ciaran also plays a lead role in business development activities and in negotiating IP terms in various agreements between UCD and industry partners.
Ciaran’s career has included working as a Pharmaceutical Assessor with the Irish Medicines Board, as a Research Scientist in Abbott Laboratories and as the Assistant Director for Product Evaluations with the American Dental Association.
Ciaran graduated with a PhD in Biochemistry from Trinity College Dublin and an MBA from the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.
Ciaran is the Manager, Technology Transfer and heads up the team responsible for identifying, protecting and commercialising intellectual property arising from UCD research projects either through licensing and/or new venture creation.
Dr Stephen Donoghue
Dr Stephen Donoghue
Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer, Environment
Stephen is responsible for managing the identification, protection and commercialisation of University College Dublin research outputs within the environment area.
He is responsible for fostering the development of a strong Intellectual Property (IP) pipeline in this research space by supporting researchers at grant proposal stages and in drafting business plans and commercialisation roadmaps to ensure that the resulting IP is commercialised via licensing and/or start-up creation to achieve maximum strategic impact.
Stephen previously occupied a couple of positions at Swansea University, including technology transfer officer and IP & Commercialisation Research Manager. At Swansea Stephen helped to develop a diverse range of technologies including cleantech, GMOs, biopesticides and several modelling and medical technologies. He also led on the first investment by the VC firm IP Group in Swansea University technology.
Prior to his technology commercialisation experience Stephen had worked for Novozymes and Knoll Pharmaceuticals in the UK.
Stephen graduated with a BSc in Biotechnology from Dublin City University and has obtained postgraduate degrees in Toxicology and Pathology from the University of Leicester. After his PhD Stephen completed postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard and UCD. He also completed a LLB from Griffith College Dublin and has been a guest lecturer on a couple of LLM courses related to technology and law.
Dr Tony Donnelly
Dr Tony Donnelly
Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer, ICT
t: +35317163727
Tony is a Case Manager for Technology Transfer and is responsible for managing the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the ICT research area.
Tony graduated with a BSc in Experimental Physics from UCD and a PhD in Physics from Trinity College Dublin. Tony has worked for over 10 years in academic and industry research environments. During an academic research career Tony co-authored over twenty research articles in the area of photonics, plasma light sources and nanomaterials and examined the commercial feasibility for several different laser-based processes. He secured over €300k in R&D funding to develop academic research outputs towards industry relevant technologies.
Tony has also worked with several different R&D intensive companies including a French SME developing process solutions for the semiconductor industry, an Irish SME developing wearable RFID payment technologies and a UCD spin-out developing the world’s first commercial soft x-ray microscope for 3D structural imaging of biological cells.
Tony is responsible for fostering the development of a strong Intellectual Property (IP) pipeline in the ICT research area by supporting researchers at grant proposal stages and in drafting business plans and commercialisation roadmaps to ensure that the resulting IP is commercialised via licensing and/or start-up creation to achieve maximum strategic impact.
Dr Stacey Kelly
Dr Stacey Kelly
Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer, Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Science
t: +353 1 716 3705
e: stacey.kelly@ucd.ie
Stacey is responsible for managing the identification, protection and commercialisation of University College Dublin research outputs within the food, agriculture and veterinary research areas.
She is responsible for fostering the development of a strong Intellectual Property (IP) pipeline in the above research areas by supporting researchers at grant proposal stages and in drafting business plans and commercialisation roadmaps to ensure that the resulting IP is commercialised via licensing and/or start-up creation to achieve maximum strategic impact.
Stacey previously worked as a research scientist with Food for Health Ireland, a multi-party collaborative programme incorporating expertise from four leading academic institutes (UCC, UCD, Teagasc and UL) in association with four industry partners (Carbery Group, Dairygold Food Ingredients Ltd, Glanbia plc and Kerry Group plc) to develop new functional food ingredients and products from milk-derived bioactive.
Prior to this ,she worked as a patent scientist with Oriflame R&D where she supported the identification of IP arising from NPD projects alongside the patent activity of a dedicated skin research team. She has previous experience working with the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in the genotyping of scrapie susceptibility SNPs within the Irish sheep flock.
Stacey graduated with a BSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Dublin Institute of Technology and a PhD in Immunology with Trinity College Dublin.
Stacey is a Case Manager for Technology Transfer and is responsible for managing the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the food, agriculture and veterinary research areas.
Dr Hugh Hayden
Dr Hugh Hayden
Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer, Physical Sciences and Engineering
t: +353 1 716 3725
e: hugh.hayden@ucd.ie
Hugh is responsible for managing the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the physical sciences and engineering research areas.
He is responsible for fostering the development of a strong Intellectual Property (IP) pipeline in these research areas by supporting researchers at grant proposal stages and in drafting business plans and commercialisation roadmaps to ensure that the resulting IP is commercialised via licensing and/or start-up creation to achieve maximum strategic impact.
With over 15 years of experience in the material science R&D, including developing a number of patents and technology which were licenced to various industry sectors (automotive, aerospace, ceramics) Hugh has extensive experience in technology development of IP from the university sector.
Hugh has previously worked in UCD in a large European project involving over 300 SMEs and start-ups across North West Europe, working with key stakeholders to develop new products and markets. This involved working with the start-ups and SMEs on product development activities, including, validations and certification, market assessments, supporting business plans etc.
Hugh’s extensive technology transfer experience includes spinning out a start-up from an academic centre which developed novel smart-coatings and working with industry centres on product and process improvement.
Hugh graduated with a PhD from Trinity College Dublin in Material Science and with an MBA from Dublin City University
Hugh is a Case Manager for Technology Transfer and is responsible for managing the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the physical sciences and engineering research areas.
Dr Ena Walsh
Dr Ena Walsh
Life Sciences
t: +353 1 716 3706
e: ena.walsh@ucd.ie
Ena is responsible for managing the identification, protection and commercialisation of University College Dublin research outputs within the life sciences area.
She is responsible for the development and negotiation of licensing opportunities with industry. She plays a key role in fostering the development of a strong Intellectual Property portfolio and high-tech spin-out companies from the University by supporting the business plan and commercialisation roadmap development by advising on how licensed University intellectual property can have a maximum strategic impact and by supporting fund-raising for early-stage ventures.
With over 25 years experience in the life science area, 15 years of which were spent in the international pharmaceutical industry, Ena has significant senior management experience in both multinationals and startups. Ena held product and business development roles in Elan Corporation, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals and the start-up, PharmaNeuroBoost.
As a consultant, she supported Irish and international companies and Universities in the development and commercialisation of life science technologies in the pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic sectors. Ena has also worked with agencies (Enterprise Ireland, Forfas, Invest Northern Ireland and InterTrade Ireland) and Venture Capital firms. Ena was a founding member and Chairperson (2001-2004) of BioConnect Ireland.
Ena is a Case Manager for Technology Transfer and is responsible for managing the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the life sciences area.
John Wrigley
John Wrigley
Administrative Assistant, Technology Transfer
t: +353 1 716 3721
e: john.wrigley@ucd.ie
John provides administrative support to University College Dublin’s technology transfer team. He maintains the database of intellectual property, providing statistical information and attending to the supervision of patenting costs.
John has many years of experience in office management and administration. Before joining University College Dublin he worked with Aer Lingus and has also worked in academic administration in UCD’s School of Public Health.
John graduated with Bachelor of Arts (History and French) from University College Dublin and a Masters of Business Administration in Aviation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida.
John, Administrative Assistant, Technology Transfer, provides administrative support to the NovaUCD technology transfer team.