Ministers James Lawless and Helen McEntee announce the Research Ireland – Defence Innovation Challenge winning project

Sea-Scan research team from Trinity College Dublin spearheads next-generation maritime situational awareness project to strengthen Ireland’s naval security.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, TD and Minister for Defence, Helen McEntee, TD today announced over €1.8 million in prize phase funding under the co-funded Research Ireland – Defence Innovation Challenge. This Challenge is a national initiative aimed at unlocking the power of research to develop innovative solutions to enhance the capabilities of the Defence Forces at a time of increased global focus on defence readiness.  

Today’s announcement builds upon the partnerships Research Ireland has developed between the research community, Defence Forces, Department of Defence and others. Challenge-based research funding encourages researchers to work directly with those most affected by the problems they seek to address, demonstrating the value and potential of collaborative research to address the challenges faced by Irish society as a whole.   

The teams being awarded funding today will, through their projects help to enhance both the Naval Service’s capabilities in maritime situational awareness and the Ordnance Corps’ capability through the development of an advanced, rapidly deployable shelter system for defence and humanitarian needs. 

Minister James Lawless said:

I am delighted to announce the winning projects in the Research Ireland – Defence Innovation Challenge. These projects will harness artificial intelligence to deliver real‑time maritime awareness and will develop rapidly deployable, multi‑purpose shelter systems to support and enhance the operational needs of our Defence Forces.  

The prize‑winning projects demonstrate how cutting‑edge research can deliver practical, real‑world solutions that strengthen national security while driving technological innovation.

 Minister Helen McEntee said:

Innovation is critical to ensuring our Defence Forces have the tools they need to operate effectively in an increasingly complex environment. AI-driven technologies like Sea-Scan will significantly enhance maritime situational awareness, supporting the Naval Service in safeguarding our waters and responding swiftly to emerging challenges. This investment reflects our commitment to modernising defence capabilities and embracing innovative solutions for the future.

The Sea-Scan team, led by Professor Marco Ruffini and Dr John Kennedy, Trinity College Dublin and Defence Forces Liaison Cdr Cathal Power, has been awarded prize funding under the Maritime Situational Awareness Challenge. The project represents an important opportunity to enhance Ireland’s ability to monitor maritime activity, including the detection of so-called “dark” vessels, strengthening both national security and economic resilience. Sea-Scan will develop an AI-enhanced real-time vessel detection system to support early warning and improved situational awareness. Beyond security, the system also has potential applications in environmental monitoring, contributing to a broader national resilience.  

The MASH – Mobile Adaptable SHelter team, led by Dr Daniel McCrum and Dr Kevin Roche, University College Dublin and Defence Forces Liaison Capt. Dave McKenna, has been awarded runner-up funding. Current deployable shelters used by the Irish Defence Forces are slow to erect and require large, specialised teams. The MASH team is developing a modular, rapidly deployable, multi-purpose shelter system for defence and humanitarian needs. Their solution combines speed, safety, durability, and adaptability for global impact. 

Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy, Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, said:

Innovation and collaboration are central to ensuring Óglaigh na hÉireann can continue to fulfil our roles effectively in a rapidly evolving security environment. The Research Ireland – Defence Innovation Challenge demonstrates the value of close partnership between Defence Forces personnel, researchers and innovators in developing practical, mission focused solutions. 

Projects such as Sea-Scan have the potential to significantly enhance the Naval Service’s maritime situational awareness, supporting our ability to monitor, protect and respond within Ireland’s maritime domain. Equally, the Mobile Adaptable SHelter project represents an important advancement in deployable infrastructure, offering flexible, rapidly deployable shelter solutions that can support Defence Forces operations at home and overseas, as well as humanitarian and emergency response tasks. 

I welcome this investment in capability development and commend the research teams for working closely with the Defence Forces subject-matter experts to deliver solutions that are operationally relevant and future focused.

Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO, Research Ireland, said:

Challenge-based research funding encourages researchers to work directly with those most affected by the problems they seek to address. The teams being funded today have developed their solutions through close collaboration with Defence Forces personnel.  

The Sea-Scan team are developing a high-quality solution to a complex problem that will deliver a transformational capability for the Irish Defence Forces. The MASH team have developed an impressive and innovative solution that balances speed and quality, offering a structure that can be assembled quickly without complex tools. I congratulate both teams and look forward to seeing them deliver their solutions to issues which are of critical national importance.

  Professor Marco Ruffini, Sea-Scan Team Lead, said:

“Maintaining strong awareness of activity in Ireland’s maritime domain is essential, particularly given the country’s role as an island nation and a key Atlantic gateway for digital connectivity. As subsea communications and energy infrastructure continue to grow in strategic importance, so too does the need for continuous, reliable monitoring of the surrounding maritime environment. 

Over the past year, we have demonstrated the potential to detect and characterise vessel activity using existing subsea fibre infrastructure, showcasing a robust sensing capability embedded within operational communications assets and enabling effective vessel monitoring and subsea infrastructure protection. This research lays the foundation for future capabilities that can complement existing maritime surveillance systems and support both national and European resilience.” 

Teams receiving funding are as follows: 

Prize award 

The Maritime Situational Awareness Challenge; developing solutions to enhance the Irish Naval Service’s capabilities in Maritime Situational Awareness. 

Sea-Scan – Vessel identification for maritime awareness 

• Lead: Prof. Marco Ruffini, Trinity College Dublin; co-lead Dr John Kennedy, Trinity College Dublin and Defence Forces Liaison Cdr Cathal Power. 

 Runner-up award 

The Advanced Shelter Concepts Challenge; developing modular, multipurpose shelter structure systems. 

MASH – Mobile Adaptable SHelter 

• Lead: Dr Daniel McCrum, University College Dublin; co-lead Dr Kevin Roche, University College Dublin and Defence Forces Liaison Capt. Dave McKenna.