UCD and Irish Space Association Join Forces to Drive New Partnerships in Ireland’s Growing Space Sector

University College Dublin (UCD) and the Irish Space Association (ISA) today welcomed leaders from across academia, industry, and government to the “Building Academia-Industry Partnerships in Ireland’s Space Sector” event, held at the UCD Sutherland School of Law. The gathering brought together key stakeholders to examine how cross-sector collaboration can strengthen Ireland’s position in the rapidly expanding global space economy.

Ireland’s space sector continues to expand, with increasing opportunities across research, commercial development and national policy. Today’s discussions underscored a shared commitment to building deeper partnerships that can unlock new capabilities and enhance Ireland’s competitiveness. Attendees engaged in a wide-ranging programme that included sessions on the benefits and challenges of academia–industry collaboration; updates on the National Space Subsystems & Payloads Initiative (NSSPI), an excellent example of an academia–industry collaboration supported by government to build strategic national capability; and an exploration of funding pathways and future opportunities.

The event also marked the official launch of Beyond the Horizon: Building Ireland’s Space Workforce, a landmark national report led by DFHERIS Regional Skills in partnership with the Irish Space Association, the Space Industry Skillnet and Space Life Sciences Ireland. Drawing on extensive engagement with companies across Ireland’s upstream and downstream space sector, alongside education providers, government agencies and emerging space-adjacent industries, the report offers the most comprehensive analysis to date of Ireland’s evolving space skills ecosystem. Its launch provided an opportunity to recognise the collective contributions of stakeholders and to advance a shared vision for a future-ready space workforce.

A keynote contribution was delivered by James Lawless, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, who addressed Ireland’s long-term vision for space and the importance of fostering a cohesive national ecosystem. Reflecting on the opportunity ahead, Minister Lawless said, “Events like today’s show the strength and ambition of Ireland’s growing space sector. When universities, industry partners, and government come together, we can create the conditions for real innovation, high-skilled jobs, and international leadership. The government is committed to supporting a vibrant, collaborative space ecosystem, one that gives Irish researchers and companies the opportunity not just to participate in the global space economy, but to shape its future.”

UCD Vice-President for Research Innovation and Impact, Professor Kate Robson Brown said: “This event highlights the breadth of capacity and capability of Ireland’s space sector. Flagship projects such as EIRSAT-1, led by UCD, have already demonstrated Ireland’s ambition and appetite to occupy a substantial position in the global space sector. Today’s discussions have highlighted how that momentum can be built upon through stronger partnerships between academia and industry, helping to develop the skills, innovation, and collaborations that will drive Ireland’s space sector forward and maximise the benefits on Earth.”

Further contributions from event leaders echoed this emphasis on collaboration as the engine for Ireland’s future progress.

Dr. David McKeown, NSSPI Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor at UCD’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, commented: “Today’s discussions show just how much potential exists within academia and industry to grow Ireland’s space sector. Ireland has the talent, the research strength and the ambition to become a centre of excellence in space technology, research and innovation. What we saw today was a real appetite for collaboration and a shared understanding that coordinated partnerships are essential to driving the next stage of growth.”

Dr. Patricia Moore, Co-founder and Director, Irish Space Association added: “Today’s event reflects the momentum building across Ireland’s space community. We are seeing universities, companies and government increasingly align around shared ambitions, from skills and research to commercialisation and international collaboration. Strengthening these partnerships is essential if Ireland is to realise its full potential in the global space economy, and the ISA is committed to creating the spaces where those connections can take shape.”