€10million cross-border ONEHEALTH project launched to address critical public health challenges
ONEHEALTH is a project supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
New €10m collaborative research project ONEHEALTH has been officially launched by science and technology hub Catalyst with its partners at an event in Belfast.
The project, which is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), has received funding of €9,852,752 and will be led by Catalyst, in partnership with Atlantic Technology University (ATU), Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland (HIRANI), Tyndall National Institute Cork and the University of Galway.
Aiming to address some of the most critical public health challenges over the next four years, ONEHEALTH is a cross-border life and health sciences partnership that will use a pioneering artificial intelligence and digital health approaches to tackle pressing health and agrifood challenges by recognising the vital connections between human, animal, and environmental health. This holistic approach to connecting data intelligence, academic expertise and local industries’ know-how, in a concerted joint effort, is an incredibly exciting opportunity that will be unique at this scale.
The launch event was addressed by Dr Rob Grundy, Catalyst’s Director of Innovation Partnerships. It continued with video messages from Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA and the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Niamh Smyth TD, remarks from Gina McIntyre, Chief Executive of the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and a speech from Catalyst CEO Steve Orr.
Attendees then heard from all ONEHEALTH partners through a panel discussion led by Catalyst’s Head of Collaborative Research & Development, Katrina Kilkenny. The panel explored both the exciting opportunities the project has revealed and the common challenges such as fragmented health data, limited collaboration between research bodies and SMEs, and a shortage of scalable solutions for complex health issues were considered and debated.
Through strategic investments in research and innovation, ONEHEALTH’s ultimate vision is to create lasting improvements in public health and economic resilience by significantly enhancing cross-border research collaboration between Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. Key targets for the project’s four-year timeline include:
Delivery of 12 cross-border research and innovation projects.
Assisting 20 SMEs in developing new products or processes.
Providing structured mentorship and support to 20 additional SMEs through dedicated accelerator programmes.
Producing 20 significant joint publications, industry white papers, or patents resulting from cross-border collaborations.
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald said: “I want to congratulate all partners on the launch of ONEHEALTH. This dynamic collaboration is positioning the north as a leader in health and agri-food innovation, delivering cutting-edge digital and AI-driven solutions.
“ONEHEALTH reflects the ambition set out in my Department’s Life and Health Sciences and Agri-Tech Action Plans. Partnering with key research and innovation organisations to support SMEs, this investment will strengthen our cross-border innovation ecosystem, address critical health and agri-food challenges, and enable SMEs to create new products and processes that enhance health outcomes and drive economic growth.”
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD said: “The launch of the ONEHEALTH project represents a significant step forward in fostering cross-border collaboration and innovation. I welcome the project’s close alignment with Ireland’s strategic priorities under the National AI Strategy and our Research and Innovation Strategy.
“By harnessing cutting-edge AI technologies and bringing together expertise from academia, industry, and research bodies, this initiative will help address critical health and agrifood challenges while driving economic growth. The partnership exemplifies how cooperation between Northern Ireland and the border counties can deliver real benefits for our people, our environment and our shared future.”
SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: “Funded through the PEACEPLUS Innovation Challenge Fund, ONEHEALTH reflects the vision we share for a healthier, more resilient, and more prosperous future for the citizens of Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. This innovative cross-border research project sets out to harness the power of innovation and strengthen the ties that bind communities, researchers and enterprises across the island of Ireland.
“This comes at a critical time. We are living in a world that is more connected but also more vulnerable to climate change, emerging diseases, economic shocks and societal divisions. Economic development in any post-conflict region is essential for building and sustaining peace. ONEHEALTH is a demonstration of how targeted investment in this area supporting innovation can deliver tangible benefits for health, the environment and the economy.”
Dr Rob Grundy, Director of Innovation Partnerships, Catalyst said: “We are proud to lead ONEHEALTH, a project that represents a transformative step in how we approach public health challenges. By connecting expertise across borders and harnessing the power of AI, we will create real tangible, lasting improvements which will benefit generations. This collaboration will not only drive innovation but also create real-world impact for communities and businesses, strengthening our shared health and economic resilience.”
Dr Michael McCann, Academic Lead for the Republic of Ireland, ONEHEALTH Programme Project and Director of the JANUS Research Centre from Atlantic Technology University said: “The ONEHEALTH AI Programme Project represents a major step forward for cross border innovation. ATU is proud to lead the Republic of Ireland’s academic contribution, applying advanced AI and digital technologies to address complex challenges in health, agrifood and the environment. This collaboration shows what is possible when universities across the North West and Western corridor work as one research and innovation community to support our critical industry ecosystems.”
Professor Mark Lawler Professor of Digital Health at Queen’s University Belfast and Academic Lead for Northern Ireland ONEHEALTH Project said: 'It is great to see ONEHEALTH move from planning to delivery. It brings together partners who each hold a piece of the wider health and innovation jigsaw, creating a collective momentum that none of us could achieve alone. At Queen’s, through Momentum One Zero, our £70M, business-focussed, Belfast Region Innovation Centre, we will deploy AI, digital and deep tech approaches in this exciting project to support better health outcomes while driving economic benefit. ONEHEALTH provides the perfect framework and ecosystem for us to apply our experience and innovative solutions alongside the expertise of like-minded colleagues across the island. What matters to me is that ONEHEALTH creates the conditions for genuine cooperation and co-creation on health and socio-economic issues that are shared north and south. This is critical to ensuring that practical, evidence-based solutions emerge and reach the communities and businesses that need them, maximising both the health dividend of research and innovation, while also delivering the business dividend of health'
Professor Joann Rhodes, Chief Executive of Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland (HIRANI), said: "It is a privilege to participate in this cross-border programmeproject, to support innovators access diverse expertise to uncover new patterns of disease and develop services which will solve public health challenges and build economic resilience across the ONEHEALTH supply chain. This isn't just about collecting and analysing data – it's about empowering our community to drive the health discoveries that will benefit generations to come.”
Dr Paul Galvin from Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork said: Tyndall welcomes the opportunity provided through the collaborative ONEHEALTH project to leverage our AI expertise for the benefit of SMEs who are creating novel solutions for human and animal, health and wellbeing. The ONEHEALTH project will leverage Tyndall's industry-facing semiconductor-enabled Digital Health tech programmes, to facilitate and promote cross-border collaborations, and deliver economic impacts.”
Professor John Breslin and Dr Priyanka Verma from University of Galway said: ‘ONEHEALTH marks a significant step forward in integrating health initiatives and strengthening collaboration across sectors to achieve better outcomes for all.’
L-R: Dr Rob Grundy – Catalyst, Sean O’Connor – Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland (HIRANI), Dr Priyanka Verma – University of Galway, Dr Michael McCann – Atlantic Technological University, Gina McIntyre – SEUPB Chief Executive, Professor Mark Lawler – Queen’s University Belfast, Ally Armstrong - Catalyst, Dr Paul Galvin - Tyndall Institute