The Walton Institute, established in 1996, specializes in ICT research and development across sectors such as health, agriculture, and energy, with a strong emphasis on next-generation technologies. With over 750 partners and extensive experience in industry collaboration, they focus on empowering businesses post-COVID and Brexit through strategic innovation and funding opportunities. Their initiatives include supporting startups, advancing machine learning and AI research, and promoting sustainable practices through digital transformation.

1. Strategic Objectives
Walton Institute
October 2021

2. About Walton Applying basic ICT concepts to health, agriculture, transport,
cybersecurity, brain and energy. Pioneers in many fields such as
molecular communications and data science.
Expertise
Formerly known as the Telecommunications Software &
Systems Group (TSSG), Walton Institute has been a cornerstone
of ICT research and development activity in Ireland since 1996.
Internationally recognised as leaders in fundamental and commercial
multidisciplinary research. Partners in 4 Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)
research centres: CONNECT Centre, VistaMilk, Lero and FutureNeuro.
Science
One of Ireland’s leading ICT research bodies in the EU’s R&D programmes;
FP7,Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. Core network of over 750
partners worldwide
Reputation
Technology Gateway funded by Enterprise Ireland is the commercial arm of
Walton Institute. Completed over 250 + direct industry projects in Ireland
over the past 5 years and has spun out a number of leading international
start-ups such as FeedHenry Ltd. (now RedHat, owned by IBM)
Industry
Based in the idyllic setting of WIT’s West Campus at Carriganore, Walton
Institute investigates futuristic next-generation technologies to verify their
capabilities in today’s society and to work in collaboration with industry to
ensure their commercialisation.

3. Walton
• Communications networks and wireless systems
• Machine Learning and AI
• Emerging Communication Technologies
• Pervasive Environments and Computing
Fundamental Expertise
Institute for Information and
Communication Systems Science
• International Research Institute hosted by WIT.
• Founded in 1996.
• Led by (co-directors) Director of Innovation Kevin
Doolin and Director of Research Dr. Sasitharan
Balasubramaniam
• 80+ staff and is 100% self-funded.
80
PEOPLE
OVER
25
PhDS
GRADUATED
OVER
750
PARTNERS &
CUSTOMERS
WORLDWIDE
OVER
750
SUCCESSFULLY
COMPLETED
PROJECTS
OVER
€120m
FUNDING RAISED
OVER
15
NATIONALITIES
150+
PEER REVIEWED
PUBLICATIONS
IN PAST 5 YEARS

4. ENTERPRISE IRELAND

5. Post Covid and Brexit
Empowerment
• Maximise Innovative funding through on going supports through various state
collaborations. Communicating the right avenue for businesses whether its through EI,
SFI, Udáras.
• Adapt and succeed in a post Brexit by enabling clients to identify UK market
opportunities to strengthen their competitive advantage.
• Promote digitisation of industries to the Irish advantage in areas such as Ag tech,
Future health. Campaigns that enable Irish tech. Aiding companies to digitise and
branch out in ag tech space such as Grasstec Mapping technologies whereby farm
management can be controlled in an efficient manner through digital innovations.
• Utilising Walton’s network and expertise to match clients to domestic and EU
projects/Funding for post COVID & Brexit innovative technologies/services. Putting
assets to use such as focus groups arising from H2020/Horizon Europe for Innovation
Partnership program.
• Enabling Chambers across the Island such as Northern Ireland Chamber thus
ensuring collaborative approach in a post Brexit Island and Europe.

6. Post Covid and Brexit Empowerment
Drive transformational change by empowering digital
disruptors to engage in next generation innovation.
Ensuring a smooth transition from legacy platforms into
modern SAAS platforms such as FinTech and Regtech.
Continued support of South East FinTech cluster
Accelerate the pace of innovation and digitisation by
increasing customer awareness & capability in fields of
R&DI. Increasing the number of projects with The
Innovation Voucher Program (22 Projects in 2021 to date)
Leverage both Enterprise Ireland funding and EU funding
such as Horizon Europe and beyond. Incorporate
companies into healthcare project such as FAITH.
Support clients on their green journey in maximising their
contribution to a low carbon high reward economy.
Identifying Green projects such as circular economy .
Enabling R&D on sustainable farming methods such as
carbon emission measurement vs input. Continue to
collaborate on Smart Energy projects such as Edgeflex,
SONGO, REGenergy.

7. Growing our start ups
• Continued support of
program through panel
interaction.
• Consultation with leaders of
program and development of
relationship
• Identifying early stage
entrepreneurships in house
through the bootcamps.
• Interaction with PHD
employees and grow number
of researchers.
• Ensure smooth transition
with academic partnership
from IT to Technological
university
• Engage with companies
identified in as HPSU
• Grow start up base by
enabling research on market
focused ideas in line with
strategic goals
• Enabling smooth relationship
on Innovation Program with
target to

8. Next Gen R&D Innovation
Machine Learning, Data Mining & AI
Data Mining and Predictive
Analytics, Deep Learning /
Neutral Networks.
• Applying latest AI and Big Data Analytics techniques to better model and
predict disease/trajectory of cancer patients through the FAITH project.
• Adapting Data Analytics across the sporting spectrum with specialised
statistical measurements and supporting start ups such as Player Stat Data.
• Data Analytics goes hand in hand with sports science and performance data,
and the market is looking to the latest and greatest. By aiding start up
companies in this space, The Walton pioneers tomorrows sports science
through innovative edge Research.
• Utilising smart grid sites and how they can Model the energy usage of a
cluster of industrial clients through the Interreg North West.

9. Focus Next Gen R&D Innovation
Mobile & IoT
• Heavily engaged in DEMETER which is a large-scale deployment of farmer
centric interoperable smart farming-IoT based platforms
• Empower the farmer, as a prosumer, to gain control in the data-food-chain
by identifying and demonstrating a series of new IoT-based, data-driven,
business models for profit, collaboration and co-production for farmers and
across the value chain, leading to disruptive new value creation models.
• Enabling and partnering with Agri centred projects such as NIVA and
agROBO.
• Utilising local established companies who are engaged in tech gateways such
as Walton to work on projects that enable sustainable farming and
accountable carbon emissions.
• Collaborating with SME’s to enhance workflow within healthcare through
Feasibility studies and onwards towards Innovation Partnership Program.
Cloud Platforms (PaaS) and
advanced mobile / IoT
applications

10. Next Gen R&D Innovation
• Utilising onsite Mixed Reality lab with equipment secured under Enterprise
Ireland capital call. The €160k new facility allows clients see how mixed reality
can transform education, training and awareness and monitor movement,
immersion and interaction through a variety of technologies, including
wireless headsets, a VR treadmill, 360-degree video capture, live performance
and acoustic capture, physiological sensing and eye tracking equipment and so
much more.
• Immersive VR technology in education for use in areas such as sign language
using Oculus Quest.
• Collaborating with SME’s to leverage VR and AR skills in a post COVID 19 era
with a live browse landing space in retail shops, such as Murphy Larkin.
• Grow with clusters such as the engineering cluster born out of IT Carlow to
enable engineering and manufacturing companies to avail of training through
Hololens.
• The new photogrammy unit in Walton would enable rapid 3D modelling for
clients and this equipment has huge potential for such verticals as Virtual and
Augmented Reality, healthcare, telepresence and Industry 4.0 applications.
Virtual & Augmented Reality
VR/AR Communications,
3D User Interfaces,
Education, Simulation and
Enabling hardware.

12. 1) Ambition to create 220,000 direct jobs.
• Integrating high level researchers through the career fit program.
• Strengthen Research Division numbers with market focused projects like STTeMM
(Student Stress Training e-mobile Management)
• Continue to grow industry partnerships by guiding those through digital
transformation & grow their offering.
• Working closely with emerging technologies such as AR/VR that contribute to big
pharma/education/healthcare/manufacturing & gaming.
• Increased engagement with start ups from commercialisation fund and HPSU
(High potential start ups) such as; BeHealthy, Kids speech lab and club spot app.

13. 2) Exports of €25.6 billion-
Eurozone of €5.8 billion
Near Form
smart energy

14. 3) R&D Spend of €1.25 Billion
• Collaboration of projects from small start ups into High Potential Start ups
right through to established companies and corporates
• Developing road maps for adaptive industries such as financial services
into FinTech and their needs such as Know Your Customer platforms
(KYC)/Regtech and further digitization.
• Establishing and grow relationships with companies through the Innovation
Voucher program right through to Innovation Partnership Program.
• Transitioning from TSSG to Walton Institute to allow for more collective
and focused research enabling further research co encoding with academic
partnership with WIT.

15. 4) Spend in the Economy
Sure Sitter

16. Thank you
for your time.
Any questions?
Jim Prendergast
Jim.Prendergast@waltoninstitute.ie