BUSINESS
New research centre opens in Athlone
14-03-2006
by Ciara O'Brien
US-based research institute Georgia Tech is to open an applied research centre in Athlone, it was announced on Tuesday.
The new centre, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) Ireland, will focus on industry R&D needs, and could enhance the country's appeal to multinational firms.
GTRI is the applied research arm of Georgia Institute of Technology, which is one of the top research universities in science and technology within the US. The centre will be located at the IDA Business and Technology Park in Athlone, Co Westmeath, and is being supported by IDA Ireland.
GTRI Ireland will mainly focus on applied research collaborations with industry, and will develop research strands according to technology priorities for Ireland and GTRI in the IT, biotechnology and energy sectors.
Speaking at the announcement, Dr Stephen E. Cross, vice president of Georgia Tech and GTRI director, described the new centre as "an integral part of GTRI's plan to develop international operations and build long-term relationships with industrial partners by providing innovative solutions through customer-focused R&D."
"This initiative directly supports Georgia Tech's vision to define the technological university of the 21st century," he said. "GTRI is also eager to collaborate with universities across Ireland to develop the breakthrough technologies of the future."
In recent times, much has been made of Ireland's impending failure to keep up with R&D investment, with warnings that we could soon slip down the rankings in the European Innovation Scoreboard and lose out on foreign investment as a result.
Announcing the new centre, the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment, Micheal Martin, claimed the new research institute could help attract multinationals to Irish shores.
"GTRI Ireland will be a significant addition to Ireland's R&D capability and infrastructure and is especially important in that it will enhance the competitiveness of Ireland to attract cutting edge industry research particularly from multinational companies," he said.
The news of the new centre was broadly welcomed, with business lobby group IBEC describing it as "a major boost" to research and development in Ireland.
"This is a great coup and will help establish Ireland as a top location for world class research and development," said Siobhan Masterson, IBEC R&D executive. "Business decisions on the location of global R&D activities are determined by the calibre of researchers and the quality of their work. Georgia Tech will help ensure that Ireland has the required expertise."
Industry investment in R&D in 2004 came to a total of EUR1,150 million, up from EUR988 million in 2002. Under the national strategy, business expenditure should increase 1.7 percent of GNP by 2013, roughly double its current level.
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