Minister Seán Canney welcomes €34.3m HealthTech ARC Hub to be headquartered at University of Galway
Seán Canney TD, Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rails and Ports and Leader in Cabinet of the Independent Ministers, has welcomed the announcement that the new ‘Accelerating Research to Commercialisation’ (ARC) Hub for HealthTech will be headquartered at the University of Galway, bringing a major boost to health innovation and regional development in the West of Ireland.
The HealthTech ARC Hub — led by Professor Garry Duffy at University of Galway, in collaboration with Atlantic Technological University and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences — is backed by €34.3 million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Government of Ireland. It will fast-track the commercialisation of cutting-edge research focused on chronic disease management. The Hub was launched by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless, TD.
“This is a transformative investment for Galway and for the entire Northern and Western region,” said Minister Canney. “Locating the ARC Hub at the University of Galway highlights the region’s leadership in connected health, research, and advanced technology. The Hub will bring together world-class expertise to deliver real-world solutions — improving health outcomes, creating enterprise opportunities, and strengthening regional innovation capacity.”
The HealthTech ARC Hub will focus on areas including smart implants, advanced wearables, novel sensors, decision support systems, and artificial intelligence. It aims to translate breakthrough research into commercial products and services, delivered through close collaboration between academia, healthcare, and industry.
“This initiative is a strong example of regional development in action,” Minister Canney added. “It will position Galway and the wider region as a national leader in health innovation, while also supporting Ireland’s smart specialisation strategy and generating long-term societal and economic benefits.”
The ARC Hub for HealthTech is the latest in a national programme of ARC Hubs being rolled out by Research Ireland.