25 May 2000
FURTHER BOOST FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Eighteen leading edge research and development centres in Northern Ireland are to benefit from a further £250,000 injection to establish collaborative networks with other centres of excellence around the world, Minister of State, Adam Ingram, announced today.
Mr Ingram made the announcement at an awards ceremony in Belfast to formally recognise the achievements of the Northern Ireland Centres of Excellence, following a £40 million investment from the Industrial Research and Technology Unit (IRTU), industry and academia.
The Minister said: "These 18 centres have established internationally recognised leading edge research and development infrastructure in Northern Ireland. That is crucial to the attraction of new inward investment and sustained economic development. Now, with additional EU funding, IRTU will help these centres expand their capabilities further.
"This new funding will allow researchers based in our 18 centres to work for a period at recognised international Centres of Excellence. Similarly, international researchers will be afforded the opportunity to come to Northern Ireland to carry out research in our Centres."
The Minister said he was sure that such shared experiences would be of enormous benefit to existing industry in Northern Ireland, and help promote the research potential of the region and its attractiveness for new inward investment.
"These exchange projects add a global perspective to the Centres of Excellence in the face of intense international competition. The initiative is an exemplar of what can be done when Government, the EU, industry and academia collaborate together," he added.
Welcoming the initiative, Jim Dougal, Head of the European Commission Representation in Northern Ireland, said: "I hope that the work of these Centres is disseminated as examples of good practice for the rest of the EU, so that Northern Ireland can consolidate its position at the heart of European Research and Development."
The Northern Ireland Centres of Excellence were established in 1994 with support from the European Regional Development Fund through the IRTU’s Technology Development Programme.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The Technology Development Programme is funded through the European Regional Development Fund and administered by the Industrial Research and Technology Unit (IRTU). Since its launch in October 1994, the Programme has assisted in significantly raising the research and development base of Northern Ireland’s industry and universities, with an overall investment in the local economy which is in excess of £40 million.
The Centres of Excellence, supported under this Programme, cover a diverse range of technological capabilities including pharmaceuticals, advanced materials, engineering, information technology, food, energy and the environment.
10 University only, 2 joint University/Industry and 6 Industry only Centres have been established across Northern Ireland as follows:-
Industry
Moy Park Technical Centre, Moy Park Ltd, Craigavon
Evron Foods R&D Centre, Evron Foods Ltd, Craigavon
Omagh Meats R&D Centre, Omagh Meats Ltd, Omagh
Biochip Array Technologies Facility, Randox Laboratories Ltd, Crumlin
System Integration & Test Centre, Shorts Missile Systems Ltd, Belfast
RADICEL (packaging for sterile medical/surgical devices), Perfecseal Ltd, Londonderry
Joint Industry and University
SynGal (Custom Synthesis) – QUB/Galen PLC (Craigavon)
Pharmaceutical Formulation Research Centre – QUB/Galen PLC (Craigavon)
The Queen’s University of Belfast
Industrial Process Control Laboratory
The QUESTOR Centre (Environmental R&D)
EMC Testing Service (Electro-magnetic compatibility)
PPRC (Polymer Processing Research Centre)
DSiP Laboratories (Digital Signal Processing)
The University of Ulster (Jordanstown)
KBSIMA (Knowledge Based Systems in Industrial & Medical Applications)
ECRE (Engineering Composites Research Centre)
The University of Ulster (Coleraine)
NICERT (Northern Ireland Centre for Energy Research and Technology)
NICHE (Northern Ireland Centre for Diet & Health)
Joint Queen’s University and University of Ulster
NICAM (Northern Ireland Centre for Advanced Materials)
Further information can be obtained from Deirdre Griffith at IRTU on (028) 9262 3161 or Press Office, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment at (028) 9052 9604.