Taoiseach and Minister Lawless Announce New €10 million Shared Island Digital Creative Industries Innovation Programme

Posted: 16 October, 2026

Call for Proposals for Research and Innovation Projects published today by the Higher Education Authority

Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, today announced the publication by the Higher Education Authority of the call for proposals under the new €10 million Shared Island Digital Creative Industries Innovation Programme.

The programme will support higher education institutions across the island to strengthen their research and innovation capacity in disciplines relevant to the digital creative industries. The funding will enable dynamic cross-border partnerships and networks, bringing together complementary expertise, infrastructure and capabilities in higher education institutions across the island.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said:

‘The Shared Island Digital Creative Industries Innovation Programme will create new opportunities for higher education institutions across the island to combine their expertise and develop ambitious research and innovation partnerships.

Higher education institutions North and South have considerable expertise and research infrastructure in the digital creative industries. By bringing together their complementary capabilities, this programme will support collaboration at a greater scale and strengthen the island’s international position in these rapidly developing sectors.

This €10m Shared Island programme reflects the Government’s commitment to fostering new cooperation that will further economic and societal connections across the island of Ireland.’

Minister Lawless said:

‘Ireland’s digital creative industries offer significant opportunities for economic growth, innovation and high-quality employment. To realise that potential, we need to continue building the research expertise, innovation capacity and industry engagement of our higher education institutions.

This €10 million programme will provide an important opportunity for institutions to develop their capabilities in areas such as digital design, gaming, immersive technologies and digital content creation.

The recently launched Tertiary Education Strategy 2026–2031 sets out our intention to support creative research and greater collaboration across the island. This programme will help deliver that objective by building research capacity and stronger links with the digital creative industries.

It will complement other major investments, including the existing North–South Research Programme and the €750 million INSPIRE Research Infrastructure and Talent Programme. Together with our wider research and innovation initiatives, these programmes are building the expertise, partnerships and infrastructure needed to sustain an ambitious and internationally competitive research system.’

The programme will operate from 2027 to 2030 and will have an overall allocation of €10 million. This comprises €4 million from the Government’s Shared Island Fund and €6 million from the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

The programme will be administered by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) through a competitive funding process, building on the success to date of the North South Research Programme also operated by the HEA.

Dr Vivienne Patterson, Head of Skills, Engagement and Statistics at the Higher Education Authority, said:

‘The programme will support collaborative research and innovation projects that build lasting capacity within higher education and strengthen engagement with the digital creative industries.

‘The call document published today sets out the programme’s objectives, eligibility requirements and assessment criteria. The application portal will open in the coming weeks, the deadline for applications will be 12.00 noon on 15^th December 2026.’

Successful projects are expected to be selected and announced in early 2027.

The call document is available on the HEA website: https://hea.ie/skills-engagement/shared-island-digital-creative-industries-innovation-programme/