University project will facilitate world-class research

CORK Chamber is disappointed that the Irish Examiner of October 10 focussed on ‘reported’ funding issues for the new ICT building planned for UCC.

The real issues here are the delays in getting Government support for the project initially, as well as the immediate need for and use of the building.

The site was bought in the late 1990s for approximately €3 million and now has a value in multiples of that. Full planning permission was obtained about five years ago for this major project, which will provide teaching and research facilities not just for information technology, but also mathematical sciences and biomedicine.

The building gives substance to Government policy in the Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation report and will provide state-of-the-art facilities for world-class research teams and contribute to the doubling of PhD students in the college.

The Irish Examiner missed the real point. You should be asking why the delay in financing this project when funding was announced in 2005 by Finance Minister Brian Cowen and Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister Micheál Martin. Comparisons should have been made with the €60m for investment in education and research and the €50m wasted on e-voting machines still in warehouses.

Cork Chamber recognises the significant role UCC plays in attracting world-class companies to the region through the quality of graduates, postgraduates and research activity.

The Cork region needs more investment that links university research with modern industry, be it pharmaceutical, biopharma or ICT.

We in Cork Chamber welcome the initiative of UCC to get on with their new building on the Western Road despite the bureaucratic delays. It is this type of initiative and development which had UCC as leading Irish university in a Sunday Times poll in 2005, noting also that it had the highest research income of any Irish university.

Roger Flack

President

Cork Chamber

Fitzgerald House

Summerhill North

Cork