RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has joined as a partner institution in the newly launched ARC Hub for Therapeutics, a national research initiative dedicated to fast-tracking biomedical innovation into next-generation therapies and spin-out companies.

Hosted by Trinity College Dublin, with RCSI and University College Dublin (UCD) as partner institutions, the ARC Hub for Therapeutics is part of Research Ireland’s flagship Accelerating Research to Commercialisation (ARC) Programme. The initiative aims to drive commercialisation and impact by transforming breakthrough academic research into real-world health solutions.

The programme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027.

Welcoming the launch, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, said: “The ARC Hub for Therapeutics represents a transformative model of collaboration, regional innovation and entrepreneurial training in a sector that is critically important to our individual and collective well-being, socially and economically. Inclusively harnessing the commercial potential of cutting-edge biomedical research being carried out in Ireland’s higher education institutions will, in turn, produce tangible outcomes such as new treatments, licences and spin-outs.”

Culture of innovation

The ARC Hub brings together leading academics and scientists with industry partners, investors and the wider innovation ecosystem. Its core mission is to fast-track the commercialisation of next-generation therapeutics, including biologics, small molecules, immunotherapies, and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs).

“Ireland’s universities are the engine of our innovation economy,” said Professor Vincent Kelly, the Hub’s Academic Director. “The ARC Hub brings together the experience and talent of industry, investors, and academia to nurture young researchers and foster a sustainable culture of innovation, enterprise and spin-out formation in therapeutics and medicine.”

A powerful impact

RCSI will play a key role in driving the clinical and translational dimensions of the Hub’s work. Professor Fergal O’Brien, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at RCSI, commented: “RCSI is proud to co-lead the ARC Hub for Therapeutics in partnership with our colleagues in Trinity and UCD. As a university focused exclusively on health sciences, we bring a strong translational and clinical research perspective to this national initiative.

“Our focus has always been on research that makes a real difference to patients, and the Hub creates a powerful pathway from laboratory discovery to real-world impact. We look forward to advancing Ireland’s therapeutic innovation pipeline and supporting researchers to lead at the interface of science, medicine and enterprise.”

Building on an initial portfolio of 22 active research projects in some of the most critical areas of modern biomedical science, the ARC Hub will soon open a new competitive funding opportunity for researchers. The Hub is also committed to developing the next generation of entrepreneurial scientists through training and industry engagement.