HORSE CHESTNUTS, seaweed and even fish waste may provide a source for valuable products to be studied by one of three new scientific research centres in Cork and Shannon.
The Government has announced €5 million for the centres, which will specialise in providing research support for companies located near them.
Minister of State Jimmy Devins announced the investment earlier this week. Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) will host the Medical Engineering Design and Innovation Centre and the Centre for Advanced Photonics and Process Analysis. The third centre is the Shannon Applied Biotechnology Cluster, a joint effort between the institutes of technology in Tralee and Limerick.
CIT's medical centre has begun collaborative research with medical devices company Alcon and photonics work with start-up company Epi-Light.
The Shannon unit will seek to mine low-cost natural materials for possible use as medicinal products, food flavours and immune-system boosters.
