MINISTER FOR Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe is today expected to announce the heads of the eight new research centres aimed at linking academia and industry.
Mr O’Keeffe some weeks ago announced that eight “competence centres” would be opened in a six-year initiative to support the development of market-led products. He provided €37 million for the centres, which raised to €90 million the amount available under the scheme.
He said the funding would allow academics and business people to work together in producing products and services that meet consumer demand and create jobs.
The Government’s Competence Centre programme is a joint initiative between Enterprise Ireland and the IDA. The number of competence centres will rise from six this year to 15 in 2016.
The appointments include:
- Dr Alan Hynes, competence centre for applied nanotechnology, Tyndall National Institute in Cork, co-hosted by TCD CRANN;
- Bart Bonsall, competence centre for biorefining and bioenergy, NUI Galway, co-hosted by UL and UCD;
- Dr Terry McGrail, competence centre for composite materials, University of Limerick, co-hosted by UCD;
- Barry Kennedy (acting director) competence centre for manufacturing research and competence centre for energy efficiency;
- Martin Delaney, competence centre for IT Innovation, NUI Maynooth;
- Mark Barry, competence centre for microelectronics, Tyndall National Institute, co-hosted by UL;
- Jens Bleiel, chief executive, Food for Health Ireland, Cork.