Drive to create renewable energy hub

TWO universities yesterday teamed up with the business and public sector to set up a new energy hub in the mid-west region.

University of Limerick (UL) along with NUI Galway, Shannon Development and Silicon Valley’s Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) announced the launch of the Shannon Energy Valley – a major renewable energy hub.

The Shannon Energy Valley initiative will create a national hub for energy research with a view to attracting international investment and generating high-end employment in the region.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the four partners that commits them to delivering a hub of excellence and innovation to create high quality jobs and having access to research at UL and NUI Galway.

Professor Brian Fitzgerald, vice president of research at UL said the Shannon Energy Valley is the first step on the road towards energy self-sufficiency for Ireland while generating employment opportunities and reducing costs.

He said: “This is a major opportunity for Ireland to become a leader in energy research while also maximising our resources and in turn creating sustainable green collar jobs.”

NUI Galway vice-president, Prof Terry Smith, said: “The Shannon Energy Valley concept seeks to provide a big-picture coherent ecosystem relating to energy. The main research partners, NUI Galway and UL, will combine their research efforts in a coherent way from the outset and will provide a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes right up to PhD.”

John Hartnett, president and founder of ITLG, and president and chief executive of Silicon Valley-based solar energy company, G24 Innovations, said: “This initiative puts Ireland in a optimum position to become a leading innovator and developer of clean technologies.”

* www.shannonenergyvalley.com