iCRAG

What iCRAG does

iCRAG (the Research Ireland Centre for Applied Geosciences) is a multi-institutional research center hosted by University College Dublin, established in 2015. It comprises 150+ researchers distributed across ten Irish universities and institutions (UCD, TCD, UCC, NUIG, Maynooth, DCU, DIAS, UL, TU Dublin, Teagasc) and is led by Director Prof. Sarah A. Gleeson (appointed 2025) with Prof. Murray W. Hitzman serving as Co-Principal Investigator after his tenure as Director (2018–2024). Its research is organised around four challenge areas — Earth System Change, Earth Resources, Earth Science in Society, and Platform Technologies — addressing sustainable discovery of energy resources and raw materials for decarbonisation, groundwater and marine resource protection, and geohazard mitigation (flooding, landslides, sinkholes).

The center operates four core research platforms: the 3D Ireland Model (subsurface geological modelling for mineral exploration and groundwater), the National Centre for Isotope Geochemistry (NCIG, a world-class analytical facility at UCD and TCD), the Geophysics Research Platform (seismic sensing and imaging), and the Geodata Analytics Platform (Big Data and Deep Learning for pattern recognition in geological datasets). A new €1.56M Quantum Sensing Laboratory at University College Cork (2026) extends the portfolio into quantum geotechnical sensing. iCRAG has produced 2,700+ peer-reviewed publications, secured 6 European Research Council awards, trained 59 PhDs and 154 postdoctoral researchers, and engaged 99 industry partners over its first decade.

Its revenue model is grant-based and non-commercial: primary funding flows from Research Ireland (formerly Science Foundation Ireland) and Geological Survey Ireland, with cost-share and collaborative contributions from 20+ industry partners (mining, energy, environmental, and government segments). Research outputs are delivered through academic publication, industry partnership agreements, government policy briefings, and public engagement programs (e.g., Get into Geoscience, GreenDealz). Cumulative research funding since inception stands at €187M. The organization is privately structured as a research center hosted by UCD, with no parent company, subsidiaries, or equity ownership — governance rests with the Director and Executive Management Committee.

Name

iCRAG

Legal name

iCRAG Research Ireland Centre for Applied Geosciences

Website

https://icrag-centre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

iCRAG (Research Ireland Centre for Applied Geosciences) is a Dublin-based multi-institutional research center hosted by University College Dublin, applying geoscience across 10 Irish universities to support mineral exploration, groundwater and marine protection, and geohazard mitigation for industry, government, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Applied Geosciences Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Mineral Exploration & Geoscience Services (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Resource Modeling) (IMAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM), Geotechnical Design, Engineering & Consulting (Analysis, Design, Peer Review) (IMAFAOAK), Environmental Data Management Platforms (EHS/EMS, LIMS, ELN, Compliance Data Hubs) (EUAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Applied geosciences research
• Geological mapping services
• Geophysical imaging research
• Isotope geochemistry analysis
• Geohazard risk assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Ireland (formerly SFI) Core Funding: Primary government funding from Research Ireland to support the Centre for Applied Geosciences operations and research programs
2. Geological Survey Ireland Support: State agency funding for applied geoscience research and national geological mapping initiatives
3. Industry Partner Contributions: Industry partners provide cost-share contributions and collaborative research funding

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

iCRAG is the Research Ireland Centre for Applied Geosciences, a multi-institutional research center hosted at University College Dublin that delivers applied geoscience research across four challenge areas: Earth System Change, Earth Resources, Earth Science in Society, and Platform Technologies. The center operates research platforms including the 3D Ireland geological model, the National Centre for Isotope Geochemistry (NCIG), a Geophysics Research Platform, and a Geodata Analytics Platform, providing research outputs, analytical services, and collaborative research to industry, government, and academic partners.

Product overview

iCRAG is the Research Ireland Centre for Applied Geosciences, a multi-institutional research center hosted by University College Dublin. Rather than a commercial product company, iCRAG operates as a research consortium comprising multiple platforms and programs including the 3D Ireland geological modelling platform, National Centre for Isotope Geochemistry (NCIG), Geophysics Research Platform, and Geodata Analytics Platform. The center organizes its research around four challenge areas: Earth System Change, Earth Resources, Earth Science in Society, and Platform Technologies. It also delivers public engagement through the Get into Geoscience Programme and GreenDealz toolkit. Research capabilities include advanced geochemical analysis, geophysical imaging, machine learning for geological data, and 3D subsurface modelling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 3D Ireland Model A 3D geological modelling platform developing refined models of the Irish subsurface to support mineral exploration and groundwater resource management.
• National Centre for Isotope Geochemistry (NCIG) World-class analytical facility co-located at University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin, providing geochemical analysis services for ore research, sediment provenance, and groundwater studies.
• Geophysics Research Platform Seismic sensing and imaging infrastructure providing subsurface characterization for ore deposit discovery, sub-sea marine geoscience, and geohazard estimation.
• Geodata Analytics Platform Big Data analytics platform using Deep Learning and machine learning approaches to extract patterns from geological and geophysical datasets.
• Get into Geoscience Programme Public engagement programme bringing geoscience education to secondary school students, teachers, and the general public, including Girls into Geoscience Ireland.
• GreenDealz Community engagement toolkit developed for public engagement with climate and environmental topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• €187M in research funding secured since 2015
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Geological Survey IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner supporting applied geoscience research and national geological programmes including the Tellus ground and airborne data acquisition programme.
• Industry Partners (20+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMining, energy, and environmental companies engaged in collaborative research, providing industry cost-share contributions and real-world research challenges.
• University College DublincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for iCRAG headquarters. Provides infrastructure, research support, and administrative services for the Centre.
• Trinity College DublincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution hosting the National Centre for Isotope Geochemistry (NCIG) and contributing researchers across multiple research challenges.
• Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution contributing geophysics research expertise and hosting researchers in seismology and volcanic processes.
• University College CorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution contributing expertise in paleontology, environmental science, and marine geology.
• National University of Ireland GalwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution contributing oceanography, climate research, and hydrogeology expertise.
• Maynooth UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution contributing climate research and ocean observation expertise through ICARUS research unit.
• Dublin City UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution contributing biogeochemistry, astrobiology, and science communication research expertise.
• TeagasccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgriculture and Food Development Authority contributing research on soils, land-use, and environmental sustainability in agriculture.
• National Centre for Isotope Geochemistry (NCIG)coreTechnology or IntegrationWorld-class analytical facility co-located at UCD and TCD facilitating interdisciplinary research with industrial partners and government agencies.
• DecahydronminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovative Irish SME collaborating on Next Generation Tools project for hydrogen production and carbon storage in ophiolites.
• Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (CBBG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSF-funded US research center collaborating on bio-based mineral precipitation research through US-Ireland Research and Development Partnership programme.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières): France's national geological survey providing applied geoscience research, mineral resource assessment, groundwater, and geohazard expertise. Comparable as a multi-thematic national geoscience institution serving both public-policy and industry research needs.
• USGS (U.S. Geological Survey): U.S. national geological and earth-science agency covering mineral resources, water resources, hazards, and environmental geoscience. Comparable in scope and customer base to iCRAG, but at substantially greater scale and budget.
• Geoscience Australia: Australia's national geoscience agency providing mineral exploration, groundwater, hazard, and marine geoscience research. Directly comparable as a publicly funded national geoscience institution with strong mineral-resource and geohazard remits.
• CSIRO Mineral Resources: Australia's national science agency mineral-resources division covering mineral exploration, processing, and downstream innovation. Overlaps iCRAG's Earth Resources challenge and industry-collaboration model.
• British Geological Survey: UK national geological survey delivering geoscience research, 3D modelling, and applied services for government and industry. Operates a similar model to iCRAG as a publicly funded national geoscience institution with research, data, and applied programme streams.
• GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences: Germany's national geoscience research centre covering Earth system science, geophysics, geochemistry, and geohazards. Directly comparable as a large-scale applied geoscience research centre with similar thematic pillars; Prof. Gleeson was previously at GFZ, making the linkage explicit.
• Geological Survey of Canada / NRCan: Canada's national geological survey delivering bedrock mapping, mineral exploration research, and geoscience data services. Highly comparable to iCRAG in mission (national subsurface knowledge generation) and customer base (government + mining industry).

Emerging players

• Fugro: Dutch geo-data specialist providing offshore site characterisation, geotechnical, and seabed-survey services for offshore wind and infrastructure. Comparable to iCRAG on offshore-wind de-risking, marine geoscience, and geotechnical site characterization, though Fugro is a commercial operator versus iCRAG's research model.
• CGG (Compagnie Générale de Géophysique): France-based geophysical services and Earth-data company offering seismic imaging and subsurface characterisation. Comparable on the geophysics/sensing platform side; CGG is a more commercial peer operating in the same subsurface-imaging domain iCRAG's Geophysics Research Platform serves.

Regional players

• NGU (Geological Survey of Norway): Norway's national geological survey with strong mineral-resource, marine-geology, and geohazard research. Regional peer to iCRAG serving similar European markets with comparable applied-geoscience remit and Nordic energy-transition priorities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iCRAGcentre
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/myucd
• Facebookfacebook.com/icrag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icrag
• Instagraminstagram.com/universitycollegedublin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about iCRAG