Three companies were named as the overall winners of the 2019 US-Ireland Research Innovation Awards at a ceremony in Dublin on Friday.
The awards were jointly presented by the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland and the Royal Irish Academy at the chamber’s annual dinner in the Clayton Burlington Hotel.
Almost 700 people gathered as the awards were presented in front of an audience of senior business leaders of many of the US companies in Ireland, representatives from academia and leaders including former taoiseach Enda Kenny.
The higher educational institute award went to Unesco Chair Institute of Technology Tralee for a programme that provides resources to enable the fitness industry to embrace diversity and provide a quality, accessible service to people with disabilities.
The small medium enterprise award went to Allergy Standards, which developed the world’s first scientific standards for consumer products to determine their capability to improve indoor air quality and achieve asthma and allergy friendly certification.
Finally, the multinational award went to FotoNation, which developed a driver monitoring system aimed at saving lives and creating safer roads all over the world.
At the event, the American Chamber presented a special recognition award to IDA Ireland for their "outstanding contribution to inward investment and creating a global Ireland".
Former taoiseach Mr Kenny said that in spite of the “turbulent global political landscape”, the Republic and the US would “always have a special relationship”.
“We have shown that our doors will remain open to welcome and support US businesses to Ireland,” he said.
“The investment relationship between the two countries is a two-way street. The activities of US companies in Ireland complement and add value to the activities of their parent companies back home.”
The event was sponsored by KPMG, Ulster Bank and media partner The Irish Times.
