DCU and Dublin City Council

DCU and Dublin City Council have a longstanding partnership focused on research-driven collaboration in areas like economic development, climate action, and smart city innovation.

Since the early 1990s, DCU and Dublin City Council have collaborated on a wide variety of projects and initiatives.

DCU academics provide evidence-based expertise and advice through membership of a number of the Council’s committees, including the Social Enterprise Committee and the Local Community Development Committee.

Researchers at DCU provide input to Dublin City Council’s Local Economic Community Plan. Staff members work closely with the Council’s Economic Development Office on social economy initiatives, as well as the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor and other projects. In recent years, DCU has had an Irish Research Council PhD scholarship partnership with the Economic Development Office.

DCU students taking the MSc in Climate Change engage with Dublin City Council on the formulation of their capstone projects. The students work on ‘real-world’ topics or challenges chosen by the Council, compiling reports on these specific issues.

DCU researchers are part of the Smart Dublin initiative, which brings together technology providers, academia and citizens “to transform public services and enhance quality of life”. As part of this project, DCU has partnered with Bentley Systems to create DCU Campus Explorer, a ‘digital twin’ of the University’s campuses.