Technology giant Fujitsu to help fund digital research programme

Technology firm Fujitsu has announced a major investment in a research programme with the Digital Enterprise Research Institute at NUI Galway.

The investment will go towards the development of networked knowledge, focusing on creating new models and commercial opportunities for online data.

The research, which is set to begin later this month, will be led by the director of the institute, Stefan Decker, who says the investment will bring research jobs to the country.

“This programme will create high-end research jobs in Ireland, adding to our team of scientists here. With a strong focus on innovation and research, we expect that more job opportunities will arise as the research progresses.”

Jobs and Innovation Minister Richard Bruton welcomed yesterday’s announcement, saying it is important that the State gets more from government-aided research.

“Key to the Government’s plan to get growth and jobs back into the economy again is a determination to ensure that we get a better commercial return from state-funded research,” he said.

“I commend IDA and Science Foundation Ireland on their work, which has enabled [the] announcement. I am determined that, through continued implementation of the action plan for jobs, industry-led research in the priority areas will see more commercialisation and ultimately more jobs for Ireland.”

Tatsuo Tomita, president of Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd, said that this investment was a step towards the creation of a society with greater links between people and new knowledge.