Pat Dempsey

Pat Dempsey is the Business Development Manager for the Institute for Health Discovery and Innovation (IHDI) at the University of Galway, where he leads the Institute’s strategic engagement with internal and external partners to drive research growth, income generation, and long-term sustainability. In this role, Pat oversees the development and implementation of the Institute’s business development strategy, working closely with Institute leadership, academic members, industry partners, and national and international funding bodies to support the Institute’s mission of accelerating biomedical discovery, advancing translational research, and enabling disruptive solutions for health.

Pat plays a central role in expanding the Institute’s research funding portfolio by identifying and supporting applications to major national and European programmes, including Horizon Europe. He manages and grows the Institute’s member engagement activities, builds strategic partnerships across academia, healthcare, industry, and government, and cultivates collaborative opportunities that lead to contract research, consortium projects, and joint funding applications. Pat also supports the Research Institutes Technology Services Directorate (TSD) by identifying business development opportunities that leverage the University’s state‑of‑the‑art research infrastructure, improving its visibility and utilisation among external stakeholders, particularly industry.

With responsibility for achieving business development targets, Pat oversees a portfolio of research funding applications, provides strategic guidance on funding landscapes and trends, and supports researchers in navigating complex funding schemes. He leads partner engagement programmes, organises networking events and showcases, and acts as a primary point of contact for collaborators and funders. Pat also contributes to commercialisation activities in partnership with the University of Galway Innovation Office, helping move research towards impact through licensing, start‑ups, and innovation funding pathways.

Pat joined the IHDI following a distinguished career in research, digital services, and industry engagement. Before this role, he served as Director of Business Development for the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics, where he drove national and international partnerships across academic and industry sectors. Prior to Insight, Pat held a senior leadership position in Information Solutions and Services (ISS) at the University of Galway as Senior Manager, Academic Services, where he led major enterprise business solution developments and digital transformation initiatives. Earlier in his career, he worked with Nortel Networks and Digital Equipment Corporation, providing senior consultancy across EMEA in telecommunications and multimedia collaboration technologies.

Pat holds first‑class Bachelor (B.Eng.) and Master’s (M.Eng.) degrees in Electronic Engineering and Computer Systems from the University of Limerick, as well as a first‑class MBA from the University of Galway.

Through his extensive experience, strategic vision, and deep understanding of both research and industry ecosystems, Pat plays a pivotal role in advancing the IHDI’s mission, strengthening its partnerships, expanding its funding successes, and positioning the Institute as a leader in health discovery and innovation.