Researchers at Athlone Institute of Technology have been awarded €2 million euro from Enterprise Irelands Capital Fund for highly specialist equipment in the past year.
Building on the success of last year's applications, researchers recently secured an extra €830,000 for cutting-edge research and development equipment.
The money will allow the institute to meet the needs of the country's €2 billion euro plastics industry and give support to companies interested in trying out cutting-edge technologies.
Dr Ian Major from the Materials Research Institute says the new commands being developed can be used in the production of biodegradable packaging and other green products.
AIT is one of ten higher education institutes to have secured funding under the €6 million fund.
