Dustec

Construction workers are routinely exposed to hazardous levels of dust, alongside noise and vibration, during on-site activities. While occupational health regulations require employers to monitor and control worker exposure, existing dust monitoring solutions can be prohibitively expensive, particularly for small and medium-sized construction firms.

A recent Enterprise Ireland commercial feasibility study, led by external consultants in collaboration with David and Cillian, included 20 customer discovery interviews with industry stakeholders. The study identified a clear market need for an accurate, low-cost dust monitoring solution tailored to the requirements of SMEs operating in the construction sector.

Building on these findings, this project will develop and validate a working prototype dust monitoring system capable of deployment and evaluation in live construction environments (TRL 7). The project will establish both the technical proof of concept and commercial foundation for a future TU Dublin spin-out company.

The global construction market is valued at approximately €15 trillion and continues to grow at around 5% annually. Within this sector, the estimated Total Addressable Market for our dust monitoring technology is approximately €750 million, with a Serviceable Available Market of €500 million and a Serviceable Obtainable Market of €15–25 million, representing a significant commercial opportunity.