Co. Cavan-headquartered building materials group Kingspan has entered a multi-year €3 million collaboration with Innovate for Ireland, a national doctoral scholarship programme, to fund PhD research focused on climate action, sustainability, green materials, and the future of the built environment, as reported by RTÉ.

The investment will support multiple PhD iScholars across Irish universities over the next decade, backing research that connects academic institutions with real-world industry challenges in areas including the circular economy, sustainable aviation, and decarbonisation of the built environment.

Innovate for Ireland is a public-private initiative established to position Ireland as a hub for doctoral research and innovation talent, attracting researchers from around the world to work on projects with direct industry application. Kingspan's revenues reached €2.1 billion in the first quarter of this year, and the group operates across more than 80 countries.

Sandra Del Bove, group head of innovation at Kingspan, said the collaboration was a long-term investment in people, ideas, and solutions, adding: "As we continue to develop advanced solutions to support the decarbonisation of the built environment, access to world-class research talent will be critical. Through programmes like Innovate for Ireland, we can combine outstanding research talent, academic expertise and industry insight to strengthen our innovation pipeline and turn promising ideas into practical solutions."

Dr Simon Boucher, chief executive of Global Innovators Ireland, which works with Innovate for Ireland, described Kingspan's pledge as an important partnership for the programme, saying: "By combining world-class industry expertise with a strong focus on sustainability, this collaboration will help develop the next generation of research leaders while strengthening Ireland's innovation ecosystem for the years ahead."

Kingspan's research focus under the programme aligns directly with its Planet Passionate sustainability strategy. The group reported a 2.8 million tonne reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain since 2020, with growth in renewable energy use and an expanded range of lower embodied carbon products cited as key drivers of that progress.

The partnership places Kingspan among a cohort of major Irish and multinational companies participating in Innovate for Ireland, as Irish policymakers seek to anchor high-value research activity in domestic universities.