The Government has announced details of five new world class scientific research centres into which €245m of State and industry funding is to be invested.
The six-year investment will directly support the jobs of 700 existing and new researchers.
The centres were announced under the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres Programme.
They span a variety of areas of science that are considered critical and emerging sectors of the economy.
Adapt's focus will be on connecting people digitally; Connect will research computer and telecom networks; Cúram will be about medical devices of the future; iCrag will aim to discover and harness new raw materials and energy resources; while Lero is a software research centre.
Two of the centres will be led by Trinity College Dublin, with NUI Galway, UCD and University of Limerick all leading one each.
But in total, 14 academic institutions across the country will be involved in running the five centres.
The Exchequer will invest funding of €155m, with the €90m balance coming in cash and in-kind contributions from 165 industry partners, such as Google, Microsoft, Tullow Oil and FBD.
The announcements, made formally by Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton, bring to 12 the number of world class centres established by SFI.
Last year, the Government announced an investment of €300m in seven new centres, which have since been established.
The Government hopes that the size of each of the centres will leave them well placed to win further funding from industry and EU's Horizon 2020 research programme.
