Spotlighted for strategic research partnership last year, the Irish Energy Research Council was shortlisted for Best Collaboration Project at The Association and Institutes Awards 2025, acknowledged for its comprehensive collaboration with Cork City Council addressing digital urban planning, renewable heat storage, energy communities, and residential retrofit programmes. The partnership's multi-project framework addressed critical knowledge gaps constraining Ireland's decarbonisation progress, bridging academic research capability with municipal implementation requirements whilst creating replicable models for how local authorities can leverage research infrastructure to accelerate climate action and energy transition at community scale.