Tánaiste and Minister reveal million-euro idea in SFI-Defence Organisation Innovation Challenge

Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris today (Wednesday) announced the winners of the first SFI-Defence Organisation Innovation Challenge.

Over a period of 18 months, 10 teams competed for funding to develop disruptive solutions to key Defence Organisation challenges for use across the Defence Forces.

The winning project, which receives €1 million to continue its work, was devised by a team at Maynooth University and uses machine learning and observation from satellites and drones to help aerial crews to fight wildfires.

Announcing the winning team, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said:

“To witness the innovation, and creative problem-solving by so many of the teams involved in this challenge is really encouraging.

“The Defence Organisation RTI Unit is increasing the use of research, innovation and technology in support of our Defence Forces capabilities, and as a recent creation its progress is really impressive.

“Being able to engage directly with research allows everyone to understand the problems they are trying to solve. I congratulate the winning team, and I’m equally encouraged to see how other teams will contribute to missions, and capabilities aligned with national defence policy.

“I thank those members of the Defence Organisation who worked on these projects and really look forward to seeing how this work develops into the future.”

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris added:

“The researchers involved have broken the mould of innovation in Ireland and shown that we can be disruptive not just in our ideas but in how we deliver them and improve everyday life in Ireland.

“The winning team has shown the power of new technologies to help in the work of the Defence Forces, with applications that may reach far beyond the original challenge.

“This was a pioneering scheme and I look forward to seeing more and more benefits coming from the National Challenge Fund and the Sustainable Development Goal challenges showing that Ireland is ready to tackle the hardest problems and provide solutions.”

Professor Philip Nolan, Director General SFI said:

“At SFI, we are guiding people into challenge‐based research because we know it can transform the work being undertaken. Every team involved in this challenge has had a chance to gain not only funding, but unique experience in engaging with those whose problems they want to solve.

“I hope this is just the beginning for these teams, and for the teamwork between researchers and the Defence Organisation.”

Team leader Professor Tim McCarthy said this research funding will help prepare for the future when wildfires are expected to become more frequent and intense events, and autonomous sensor technologies and AI will play an increasing role in responding to these emergencies.

He added: “The reality is that wildfire events are now likely to affect us all either directly or indirectly because of climate change.

“Our CoPilot AI project brought together an interdisciplinary team including Co-Principal Investigator, Prof. John McDonald, research strand leader Dr Charles Markham and additional researchers drawn from the Department of Computer Science, the National Centre for Geocomputation in Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute, working closely with Commandant Jay O'Reilly's aerial firefighting team and key stakeholders from the Fire Service, National Parks and Wildlife Service and Coillte.

“Over 18 months, we designed, built and tested an intuitive Common Operational Picture platform to improve how digital data from satellites, aircraft and drones sensors can be captured, pooled and shared in real time between various responder agencies.”

ENDS

Note To Editors:

The Department of Defence and the Defence Forces make up the Defence Organisation. In 2021, they selected five challenges that needed solutions as well as leaving an open category for research teams to propose new ideas.

The Challenge pioneered a new way of working, connecting the teams with members of the Defence Forces to embed with them and develop solutions to the challenge.

A live exercise to demonstrate the winning system took place in the Dublin Mountains with more than 40 multi-agency personnel working together.

The team will use the prize to continue their work to the pre-operational stage of the system, with a view to supporting responder organisations not only in Ireland but across the European Union and further afield.

Professor Holger Claussen led the runner-up MISTRAL team, from Tyndall National Institute based at University College Cork, and Trinity College Dublin receiving €500,000 in continued funding.

The team worked closely with Captain Ken Lyons from the Communications and Information Services Corps, and the Irish drone manufacturer A-techSYN. They proposed a new system for using drones to relay radio signals, showing that a small number of high-flying drones could ensure safe communications for Defence Forces operating in remote areas, including those on peacekeeping duties overseas