New project to strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure
A Leeside university has been announced as a key partner in CyberUnite, a €4 million cross-border research initiative aimed at strengthening the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure across the island of Ireland.
Through CyberUnite the MTU research team will contribute their expertise in secure and adaptable digital infrastructure. The project led by the University of Limerick (UL) and Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) is the first dedicated funding awarded by an Irish Government agency to support collaborative cybersecurity research on an all-island basis. It brings together leading academic and industry partners, including MTU’s Dr Susan Rea, Director of the Nimbus Research Centre, Dr George O’Mahony, Head of the Department of Computer Science and Dr Dylan Smyth, Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, based at MTU’s Bishopstown campus in Cork.
Working alongside colleagues from UL, QUB, UCC and industry partner Gas Networks Ireland, the team will develop innovative cybersecurity solutions which are designed to guard cross-border infrastructure against cyber threats that are ever evolving.
Dr Susan Rea, Director, Nimbus Research Centre, said: "MTU is delighted to partner in Cyber Unite, advancing all-island collaboration in cybersecurity, trust, and programmable networks. With expertise from the Nimbus Research Centre and the Department of Computer Science, this project builds on our strong track record in trusted and secure, adaptable digital infrastructure to enhance Ireland’s cyber resilience and innovation capacity."
Announced by Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD, this project is part of a €16 million investment in four major cross-border research collaborations between higher education institutions in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Announcing the funding, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD, said: “Deepening cooperation between higher education institutions and researchers on a cross-border basis to conduct research of economic and social benefit to the whole island is a key priority of the Government’s Shared Island Initiative.
“I am very pleased to see the Higher Education Authority in this second round of the programme enabling four major new institutional cross-border research partnerships with this focus. I congratulate all of the successful research teams and institutions and look forward to seeing the outputs and benefits that each project will deliver in the years ahead.”
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD said: “Since my appointment, I have actively engaged in strengthening North-South collaborations between higher-education and research institutions. (This) announcement is a clear demonstration of the potential we unlock when we work together at scale.
“These projects, spanning cybersecurity, language and identity, Parkinson’s disease research, and inclusive design, demonstrate the potential of what shared research ambition can achieve. They will foster innovation, inform policy, and enhance the quality of life across communities. Crucially, they set the stage for deeper collaboration in years ahead.”
The investment is provided through the second call of the North-South Research Programme (NSRP), administered by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). The NSRP is a key element of the Government’s Shared Island strategy, promoting an all-island research plan. that delivers lasting benefits to individuals across the island.
For further information on MTU’s Nimbus Research Centre in cybersecurity and digital infrastructure, visit nimbuscentre.ie.