The University of Limerick (UL) will lead a major €4 million research initiative, CyberUnite, to strengthen the cybersecurity of cross-border critical infrastructure. Co-led by Professor Donna O’Shea of UL’s School of Engineering and Dr. Kieran McLaughlin of Queen’s University Belfast’s Centre for Secure Information Technologies, the project marks the first time an Irish government agency has provided dedicated funding for collaborative cybersecurity research. It is part of a €16 million investment supporting four major cross-border collaborations between higher education institutions in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The project brings together a consortium of academic and industry partners, including UL, Munster Technological University, University College Cork, and Gas Networks Ireland. Their goal is to develop innovative, resilient, and adaptive cybersecurity solutions to protect essential infrastructure from evolving cyber threats. By focusing on rapid, coordinated, all-island development of transformative security technologies, CyberUnite aims to safeguard key sectors, improve economic and operational resilience, and build a unified cybersecurity research ecosystem.
Professor O’Shea described the award as a significant milestone for both UL and Ireland’s cybersecurity research community, noting that it lays the foundation for a long-term vision of a national cybersecurity research centre. She highlighted UL’s strong academic and research capabilities as critical to leading this initiative.
The funding is part of the North-South Research Programme (NSRP), administered by the Higher Education Authority under the Government’s Shared Island strategy. Each of the four selected projects will receive up to €4 million over four years, following a competitive selection process that saw 131 applications from 17 higher education institutions reviewed by international experts.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin praised the initiative for deepening cross-border research collaboration with tangible economic and social benefits for the whole island. Minister James Lawless emphasised the potential of North-South partnerships to foster innovation, inform policy, and enhance quality of life. Higher Education Authority CEO Dr. Alan Wall highlighted the programme’s role in advancing research excellence, capacity building, and knowledge sharing across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
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