MTU Joins €4 Million All-Island Cybersecurity Initiative to Protect Critical Infrastructure

Munster Technological University has been named a key partner in CyberUnite, a groundbreaking €4 million research programme designed to defend Ireland's critical infrastructure from evolving cyber threats, with Cork-based experts leading crucial elements of this historic cross-border collaboration.

The initiative, announced by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless, forms part of a broader €16 million investment in four major cross-border research collaborations between higher education institutions across the island of Ireland.

Led jointly by the University of Limerick and Queen's University Belfast, CyberUnite represents the first dedicated funding awarded by an Irish Government agency specifically for collaborative cybersecurity research on an all-island basis. The project unites leading academic institutions with industry partner Gas Networks Ireland to develop innovative defence solutions against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

MTU's contribution will be spearheaded by three experts from the Bishopstown campus in Cork: 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. The Cork team will focus their expertise on developing secure and adaptable digital infrastructure, working alongside colleagues from UL, QUB, and University College Cork.

Dr Susan Rea, Director of the Nimbus Research Centre, stated:

"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."

The timing of this initiative is particularly significant as critical infrastructure faces mounting cyber threats globally. With Gas Networks Ireland as an industry partner, the research will have direct applications in protecting essential services that communities across Cork and Ireland depend upon daily.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin, announcing the funding, 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."

The Taoiseach added:

"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 James Lawless emphasised the broader impact of the investment:

"Since my appointment, I have actively engaged in strengthening North-South collaborations between higher-education and research institutions. Today's announcement is a clear demonstration of the potential we unlock when we work together at scale."

The Minister noted that the four projects span cybersecurity, language and identity, Parkinson's disease research, and inclusive design, demonstrating the breadth of collaborative ambition.

"They will foster innovation, inform policy, and enhance the quality of life across communities. Crucially, they set the stage for deeper collaboration in the years ahead," he said.

The funding comes through the second call of the North-South Research Programme, administered by the Higher Education Authority. This programme forms a cornerstone of the Government's Shared Island strategy, promoting an all-island research plan designed to deliver lasting benefits to communities across Ireland.

For Cork, the involvement of MTU in this prestigious initiative reinforces the region's growing reputation as a centre for cybersecurity expertise and innovation. The Nimbus Research Centre at MTU has already established itself as a leader in digital infrastructure research, and this new funding will further strengthen Cork's position in the critical field of cybersecurity.

The CyberUnite project is expected to run for several years, with outcomes that will directly contribute to protecting Ireland's critical infrastructure from cyber threats whilst also developing expertise and creating opportunities for researchers and students at MTU's Cork campus.

Further information about MTU's Nimbus Research Centre and its work in cybersecurity and digital infrastructure is available at https://nimbuscentre.ie/.