Atlantic Futures

Atlantic Futures is a €4million four year cross-border research project funded by The North-South Research Programme. The NSRP is a collaborative scheme funded through the Government’s Shared Island Fund. It is being administered by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

The Partnership

CREATES a research team organised in three co-located hubs Derry/Londonderry, Galway, Limerick.

UNITES both strategic and basic research strategies and deploys a variety of methodologies, including GEM, science studies, behavioural science, action research, critical feminist studies, citizen research, patient participant enquiry, and a variety of methodologies from economics and management.

DEVELOPS a national resource on the scale and with similar ambition to the Edinburgh Futures Institute.

Partners & Funder

The Focus

The project focusses on the North West Atlantic Innovation Corridor region.

The project launched on January 13th 2023 and, over the upcoming 4 years, the aim of the collaboration is to become self-sustaining and established as an internationally recognised centre of excellence for impactful research.

Outcomes and Purpose

Atlantic Futures takes an outcomes based approach to research that is made possible by the partnership of scale. There is a focus on 4 outcomes that are delivered via 6 research streams

Alignment

Alignment of the research capacity of the leading research institutions in the west of Northern Ireland and Ireland around the problems of transition and transformation in our shared region. Included in this outcome is the development of capacity to capture the insights generated by aligned research projects (hydrogen technology, creative economy, childhood studies) to create integrated data sets and outputs.

Research

Development of a body of research co-created with relevant stakeholders addressing specific salient issues affecting the three city region. Outcomes here will include relevant policy advice for national and regional development agencies, businesses, and civil society groups.

Insights

Achieving robust, scientifically novel insights into the developmental pathways for multi-city non-metropolitan regional transformation. This outcome is particularly orientated toward challenge areas of the Horizon Europe programme and responses to the green, digital, and energy transitions.

Understanding

Understand the role inter-cultural understanding and misunderstanding plays in cross-border collaboration and co-ordination. This activity is locally focused but aims to develop insights that can applied across other border regions in Europe. The project will create a research team organised in three co-located hubs Derry/Londonderry

Themes & research projects

The endogenous features of innovation in regional context (RS 1, 2)
Empowering women and young people (RS 3,4)
The technological and infrastructural opportunities and challenges faced by innovation (RS 5,6)

Latest news

29 March 24

Understanding the importance of entrepreneurial ecosystems in the west of Ireland

Research Stream 1's project is about figuring out how to kickstart, manage and boost local entrepreneurial ecosystems along the Atlantic corridor.

13 February 24

Unlocking Research Excellence

Atlantic Futures team meet at University of Limerick for two-day impact session.

02 February 24

Memorandum of understanding between Ulster University and ATU

Agreement officially launched by Minister Simon Harris TD at ATU Donegal, Letterkenny.

20 October 23

Four Leading Irish Universities Connecting For Impact In The West

Researchers from Atlantic Futures meet discuss how their research could help unlock the full potential of the region.

10 October 23

Exploring Digital Mental Health Support for Young People: cross border research on World Mental Health Day

The theme of World Mental Health Day 2023 is ‘Mental health is a universal human right”

05 September 23

Ulster University's Personalised Medicine Centre celebrates a decade of Pioneering Healthcare Research

Ulster University's Personalised Medicine Center celebrates a decade of research

19 July 23

World-leading international digital mental health and wellbeing conference hosted at Ulster University

This conference was world leading in terms of discussing the emerging digital mental health inventions available.

20 June 23

Taoiseach announces €44.5 million Shared Island cross-border funding to expand Ulster University's Derry~Londonderry campus

The Irish Government has awarded €44.5 million from the Shared Island Fund for a major investment at Ulster University’s campus in Derry to expand higher education on both sides of the border.

31 January 23

Ulster University researchers pioneer drug-gene testing to alleviate healthcare waiting times

Testing could improve the safety and effectiveness of nearly one million prescriptions in NI.

13 January 23

Launch of major cross-border research project to address slow economic growth, connectivity and mental health issues in west of island of Ireland

NI Mental Health Champion, Derry Mayor and others spoke to an audience at the Atlantic Futures launch in the Guildhall, Derry~Londonderry

The Atlantic Futures Project Partners