Dublin, Ireland, 16 June 2026: The launch of Rinn Advanced Therapies and Rinn Pharma and Biopharma forms part of seven new Research Ireland Rinn Centres announced on 11 June by James Lawless TD, Ireland’s Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The total investment is €460 million in Rinn Centres across 17 of Ireland’s research-performing organisations.
Rinn Advanced Therapies
Rinn Advanced Therapies stands out as a landmark commitment to the development and manufacture of personalised advanced cellular immune therapeutics. Awarded over €51 million in Research Ireland funding and targeting a similar level of additional investment from industry and other funding sources, Rinn Advanced Therapies will focus on the development and manufacture of personalised advanced cellular immune therapeutics, with significant potential across cancer treatment and a range of autoimmune conditions.
These therapies have significant potential across cancer treatment and a range of non-cancer conditions, including autoimmune diseases. Delivering them successfully requires the seamless integration of discovery research, therapy design, biomanufacturing, regulation and clinical translation, while also addressing the challenges associated with patient-to-patient variability.
Rinn Advanced Therapies will address these challenges through a personalised quality-by-design approach, helping to deliver the right therapy, at the right dose, to the right patient, at the right time.
Prof. Sakis Mantalaris, Principal Investigator at the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) and Trinity College Dublin, will lead the centre.
Ireland has a globally renowned pharmaceutical manufacturing industry and a significant opportunity to lead internationally in the development and delivery of advanced cellular immune therapies. Rinn Advanced Therapies will establish a vein-to-vein innovation ecosystem that connects discovery, manufacturing and implementation, while ensuring that patient access, affordability and availability are embedded from the very beginning. Together, we have an opportunity to build a new era of healthcare innovation in Ireland and deliver the country’s first cellular immune therapy.
Prof. Sakis Mantalaris, Principal Investigator, NIBRT
Rinn Pharma and Biopharma
While broadly focused on the manufacture of next-generation pharmaceuticals, Rinn Pharma and Biopharma carries relevance for the advanced therapies field through its work on mRNA and other gene therapies. Led by Prof. Damien Thompson at the University of Limerick and backed by over €60 million in Research Ireland funding, the centre brings together 73 Principal Investigators from 12 partner institutions.
Ireland’s Broader Research Ambition
The seven Rinn Centres collectively reflect Ireland’s ambition to position itself at the forefront of global research and innovation. Making the announcement Minister Lawless said the investment builds on 13 years of Research Ireland centre activity, strengthening industry partnerships, supporting talent development and reinforcing Ireland’s international competitiveness.
Today’s announcement represents a significant vote of confidence in Ireland’s ability to lead globally in the development and manufacture of the next generation of healthcare solutions. These centres position Ireland to tackle some of the most complex challenges in healthcare while strengthening our ability to attract talent, investment and industrial collaboration. Most importantly, they create opportunities to accelerate the delivery of innovative therapies and technologies to the patients who need them most.
Dr Fiona Killard-Lynch, Chief Scientific Officer and Director of Research and Innovation, NIBRT
About Advanced Therapeutics Ireland
Advanced Therapeutics Ireland is an umbrella brand representing the Cell and Gene Therapy Forum (CGT Forum), which is dedicated to positioning Ireland as a global leader in the development, manufacture, supply and adoption of advanced therapies. The CGT Forum brings together a diverse and growing community of over 200 members from multinational biopharma companies and indigenous biotechs to academic researchers, clinicians, government agencies, the investor community and patient advocacy groups, all united by a shared ambition to drive this exciting sector forward.
