€300m for research centres paves way for ‘quality jobs’

Research into wave energy and how to screen babies for diseases are among the five projects from University College Cork chosen for a funding boost.

The university will lead five out of the seven research projects chosen for the €300m fund for science research over the next six years. Seán Sherlock, the research and innovation minister, said the €200m worth of exchequer funds coupled with €100m of private investment would help the research teams to compete globally.

The funding will deliver “quality jobs of the future for Ireland in a range of areas such as information and communications technology; internet-based services; pharmaceuticals; medical technologies and energy”.

Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton said the seven research centres were chosen after “a tremendously detailed review process” and would help turn “good ideas into good jobs”.

So far, 156 firms are connected to the research centres, including Cisco, Microsoft, GSK, Pfizer, and the Kerry Group.

The exact funding provided to each of the teams will be unveiled over the coming months.

The seven teams are:

* Marine Renewable Energy Ireland (UCC): Developing the science and technology needed to generate energy from wave, tidal, and floating wind devices;

* Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research (UCC): A group of doctors and scientists who develop screening and other diagnostic tests or methods of monitoring pregnancy and newborns;

* Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre (University of Limerick): Researching the production of safe medicines through “molecule to medicine” methods;

* Insight (UCD, UCC, NUIG, DCU): Developing technology for the age of “big data” helping to store and source information to help communities and societies make more informed decisions;

* Irish Photonic Integration research Centre (UCC): Photonics is the generation, manipulation and utilisation of light and, in this case, the science is being used for medical diagnostics and to develop less invasive screening procedures;

* Alimentary Pharmabiotoc Centre (UCC): Examines health-promoting bacteria and how they can be used to treat intestinal disease;

* Advanced Materials and Bio- Engineering Research (TCD): Research into engineered materials and how they apply to different uses including medical regenerative tissue engineering.