ATU’s iHub and MET Centre collaboration strengthens Galway’s position as a national MedTech innovation hub
Galway, 8 September 2026: Companies based in ATU Innovation Hubs Galway have secured €79.55 million through the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) since the fund was established.
The funding represents approximately 15% of all DTIF funding awarded nationally, highlighting the strength of the innovation ecosystem around Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and the growing role of Galway and the West of Ireland in developing disruptive technologies, particularly in MedTech and healthcare.
The figures are being highlighted as Enterprise Ireland’s DisrupTech on Tour – the DTIF Call 8 Roadshow – arrives in Galway, bringing companies and researchers together to explore new opportunities for collaboration and funding under the next €40 million DTIF call. The Galway event recently took place at the Radisson RED Galway as part of a ten-location national roadshow running throughout September and October.
Left to Right: Christian Stafford (Senior Development Advisor, Enterprise Ireland), Paul Mc Carthy (CEO, Full Health Medical), Turlough Rafferty (Manager, ATU Galway iHub)
€79.55 million secured by ATU iHub companies
The €79.55 million secured by ATU iHub client companies has been awarded across multiple DTIF calls between 2019 and 2025.
The portfolio includes AuriGen Medical, Rockfield Medical Devices, Tympany Medical, Prelude Medical, SymPhysis Medical, EndoWave, CrannMed, XTremedy Medical, InVera Medical, CroíValve and LaNua Medical.
Several companies have successfully secured multiple DTIF awards as their technologies have progressed from early-stage development through technical validation, clinical development and towards regulatory approval and commercialisation.
The infographic illustrates the progression of this investment, from the first awards in 2019 through to the €79.55 million cumulative total in 2025.
Among the most recent awards, EndoWave secured €11.1 million under DTIF Call 7 for its SensABLATE project, while AuriGen Medical secured €6.3 million for the PIONEER project. CroíValve and LaNua Medical also secured significant DTIF funding during the period.
The €79.55 million represents a substantial contribution to the national DTIF programme and demonstrates the ability of companies emerging from the ATU iHub ecosystem to successfully compete for highly competitive, challenge-based funding.
The ATU research contribution
The story extends beyond the companies themselves.
ATU’s Medical and Engineering Technologies (MET) Centre has played an important role in a number of DTIF-funded collaborations involving iHub companies, providing research, engineering, prototyping, testing and technology development expertise.
In 2024, ATU reported that the MET Centre had been selected as a research partner organisation on four DTIF projects involving companies including Rockfield Medical, InVera Medical, Ceroflo and EndoWave, representing €15.6 million in DTIF funding. (Enterprise Ireland)
This collaboration has continued to develop. Under DTIF Call 7, ATU is a consortium partner in EndoWave’s €11.1 million SensABLATE project, alongside Quadrant Scientific and Tyndall National Institute. The project is developing advanced ablation, shape-sensing and tissue-sensing technologies to enable the removal or destruction of unwanted tissue without major surgery. (Enterprise Ireland)
ATU is also a partner in AuriGen Medical’s €6.3 million PIONEER project,(in collaboration with Medical and Engineering Technology Gateway (MET) as well, through Academic Director Dr. Liam Morris) which is advancing a next-generation left atrial appendage occluder for patients with atrial fibrillation. (Enterprise Ireland)
This illustrates the importance of the relationship between enterprise, research and technology infrastructure within ATU – with the iHubs supporting ambitious companies while the MET Centre and wider ATU research community contribute specialist technical and research capabilities to projects capable of progressing technologies towards the market.
DTIF attendees at the Medical and Engineering Technologies (MET) tour in ATU iHub Galway
Turlough Rafferty, Innovation Centre Manager at ATU iHub Galway, said:
“€79.55 million is a significant figure, but what is most important is what sits behind that number – ambitious companies, entrepreneurs, researchers and teams developing technologies that can make a real difference.
“Many of these companies have been part of the iHub ecosystem for a number of years, and we have seen them progress through funding rounds, product development, clinical validation and, in some cases, towards regulatory approval and international markets.
“What makes the story particularly strong is that the iHub is only one part of the ecosystem. The work being carried out through the ATU MET Centre and our wider research community demonstrates how enterprise and research can work together to turn disruptive technologies into real-world solutions.
“To have companies connected to the ATU iHubs account for approximately 15% of all DTIF funding awarded nationally is a tremendous achievement. It is also a strong endorsement of the quality of the companies, research capability and collaborative ecosystem that has developed across ATU and the West of Ireland.”
From incubation to research and commercialisation
The ATU Innovation Hubs provide incubation and innovation support to ambitious companies, connecting entrepreneurs with ATU expertise, research infrastructure, student talent, enterprise programmes and the wider regional innovation ecosystem.
The ATU MET Centre, an Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway, complements this enterprise support by providing companies with access to specialist expertise in medical and engineering technologies, helping businesses develop, test and advance innovative products and technologies.
The ATU MET Centre are also a partner in another DTIF with PerQHern, which brings MET Centre to a total of 7 DTIF partnerships.
“DTIF is at its strongest when industry, research and innovation come together around a shared challenge. At MET, our role is to bring the expertise, facilities and collaborative mindset needed to help companies turn ambitious ideas into real-world solutions.”
Dr Jamie Meehan, Director, MET Technology Gateway
The combination creates a pathway from entrepreneurship and incubation through research, technology development and commercialisation.
The success of ATU-connected companies in DTIF also contributes to the wider strength of the Galway innovation ecosystem. The University of Galway’s recent DTIF publication highlights the significant contribution of Galway-based organisations to the national programme, reinforcing the region’s position as one of Ireland’s leading centres for disruptive technology and MedTech innovation.
Looking ahead
With further opportunities emerging through the DTIF programme, the combination of ATU’s innovation hubs, research expertise and technology infrastructure, alongside the wider Galway ecosystem, provides a strong platform for the next generation of high-growth technology companies.
The €79.55 million secured to date represents not an endpoint, but the latest chapter in the development of a growing pipeline of companies and technologies originating from, or supported by, the ATU innovation ecosystem.
Left to right: Lynn Collisson (IDA), Jamie Meehan (MET Technology Gateway), Noeleen Hussey (IDA), Turlough Rafferty (ATU Innovation Hubs), Adrienne O Flynn (IDA)