TU Dublin Innovation Celebrates First Enterprise Ireland Proof of Concept Award
TU Dublin Innovation is delighted to announce that Dr Joseph Mohan, Senior Research Fellow at CREST Technology Gateway, has been awarded the first Enterprise Ireland Proof of Concept (POC) fund granted in TU Dublin. The award comes with support from Dr Paul Maguire, Head of Innovation and Knowledge Transfer, and Dr Shawna Johnston, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer Manager.
The funding will support Dr. Mohan’s VISTA project, which focuses on a novel corrosion protection technology. Corrosion currently costs the global economy approximately USD $2.5 trillion annually. Existing steel protection solutions rely on mechanical abrasion techniques such as grit-blasting, which leave oxide layers that are not optimized for further treatment. The VISTA team has developed a novel dry chemical surface modification, incorporating a pre-treatment material into the blast media, allowing simultaneous oxide removal and coating deposition. This method has been successfully tested across multiple metals, including structural steel, stainless steel, titanium, and aluminium alloys.
The project will use the €99,000 Enterprise Ireland funding to achieve two key objectives: validating the market need for the pre-treatment solution and confirming the technical performance of the Exodize pre-treatment against competitors.
In a Q&A session with Dr Paul Maguire and Dr Shawna Johnston, Dr Mohan shared insights into the journey toward securing this funding:
What was the motivation for seeking this funding? Why now?
Dr Joseph Mohan: The VISTA project team, including John O’Donoghue, Dr Michael Corbert and myself, had explored several funding avenues but were caught in a ‘chicken and egg’ scenario. Investors wanted more market and technical data before committing, but we were at an intermediate stage, not quite ready for a full Commercialisation Fund and too advanced for a feasibility study. The POC funding mechanism appeared at just the right moment in early 2025.
At what stage was the technology and market research?
Dr Joseph Mohan: For corrosion protection, the core technology was at TRL 5, component validation in a relevant environment. Its performance had already attracted letters of support from several companies, though we still needed to identify the right market entry point and demonstrate scalability.
What was the feedback from Enterprise Ireland?
Dr Joseph Mohan: Very supportive and constructive. Dr. Barry Fennell, EI’s Senior Commercialisation Specialist, guided us during the application and project kick-off. Since POC funding is relatively new, his feedback was particularly valuable in highlighting differences from a full Commercialisation Fund application.
What was the application process like?
Dr Joseph Mohan: From start to finish, it took around two months. EI has a streamlined process for POC applications, which was faster than expected. Shawna’s guidance helped us avoid pitfalls, making the process straightforward compared to other funding mechanisms.
What are the anticipated outputs and next steps?
Dr Joseph Mohan: We aim to secure clear market validation that the solution is needed and that customers are willing to pay. After that, we plan to apply for a full Commercialisation Fund to build an industry-ready prototype while seeking venture capital to support a potential TU Dublin spin-out.
Any advice for researchers new to this funding stream?
Dr Joseph Mohan: Engage early and often with TU Dublin’s Innovation Office. Even if it’s your first time, the experience in R&I for navigating funding applications is invaluable.
Dr Mohan and the VISTA team’s achievement mark a milestone for TU Dublin Innovation, highlighting the university’s growing impact in bridging cutting-edge research with industry-ready solutions.
If you are interested in the Enterprise Ireland Proof of Concept fund or any other innovation or IP supports, please contact TU Dublin Innovation at innovation@tudublin.ie or see: www.tudublin.ie/innovation.
TU Dublin Innovation is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-27
