DCU opens €45.5 million research and engineering centre
25th September 2002

The US Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency Richard J Egan, today opened a new €45.5 million facility at DCU (Dublin City University), which will house three national research centres and the faculty of engineering and design. The construction of the building cost €30 million (€19 million for engineering and €11 million for research) with a further €15.5 million for capital research equipment.

Finance for the research centres was won competitively under Cycle I of the Higher Education Authority's PRTLI (programme for research at third level institutions) 1999 and it is the first facility of its kind to be completed in Ireland.

The funding for the engineering faculty came from the Department of Education and Science through the HEA as a result of the skills initiative to encourage students into the sector.

Speaking at the opening of the building the president of the university, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski drew attention to the employment potential in the research area. "Within these three centres and the faculty of engineering we employ over 300 highly qualified experts who are carrying out research which can and does change the world in which we live. In addition, we work closely with companies who are interested in commercialising some of our ideas and they too employ many highly paid graduates." Universities and institutes of technology should be seen as important employers who offer the additional benefit of providing excellent lecturers and supervisors to the next generation." The most effective way to ensure technology is transferred from the university laboratory to the market place is through the provision of research opportunities for graduates who are then employed by industry. "DCU has a strong tradition of fostering links with industry and Government support through initiatives such as PRTLI and Science Foundation Ireland are crucial for the creation of high-level jobs and economic prosperity." He added.

National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology

The NCPST undertakes advanced research in plasma science and technology. It operates on a cross disciplinary and inter-institutional level involving physicists, chemists, engineers and mathematicians at DCU in partnership with IT Tallaght and has strong collaborations with many leading international institutions.

In addition, the NCPST fosters education in plasma science and vacuum technology at all levels.

Plasma is often referred to as the 'fourth state of matter' in comparison with ordinary gases, liquids and solids. Plasma is a gas of electrically charged electrons and ions, which occurs naturally when ordinary matter is heated to temperatures of above 10,000º. Plasma is pervasive in the universe and is used for an ever-widening range of industrial applications. The application of plasma and vacuum technology is fundamental in the information and electronic industries.

The Centre conducts a large amount of applied research in areas relevant to plasma processing of semiconductors, diamond coated films and sterilisation of medical products that can and are exploited by industries such as Intel Ireland, Analog Devices, Lam Research Corporation, de Beers, Boston Scientific, Hewlett Packard, Bausch and Lomb, Scientific Systems and many more. (examples are in the notes)

The Centre has currently 70 researchers.

National Centre for Sensor Research

The NCSR is a multidisciplinary research centre drawing on biotechnology, physical and chemical sciences and engineering. The Centre focuses its research in biomedical and chemical sensors, environmental monitoring, industrial process and food safety areas. The NCSR deals mainly with problems of significant societal concern, such as medical diagnostics, food quality assurance and pollution monitoring.

A sensor is a miniature device, or system, that responds to a physical or chemical quantity to produce an output that is a measure of that quality. In other words it senses elements such as oxygen in food packaging or colour and turbidity in water reservoirs and gives a measure of the freshness of the food or the cleanliness of the water. These chemical sensors and biosensors provide basic information that leads to a better quality of life through more accurate medical diagnoses, more efficient energy use, more effective industrial processes, safer food, and a cleaner environment.

The Centre develops sensor products which can be commercialised such as the 'ClearCense' colour and turbidity sensor which was commercialised in co-operation with Siemens Environmental Systems Ltd UK and Yorkshire Water to measure water quality in drinking water.

The Centre currently has 156 research staff at DCU with additional partner staff at IT Tallaght. (See notes for examples of research projects)

RINCE - Research Institute for Networks and Communications Engineering

Institute draws on electronic engineering and computer science in an integrated programme of research in the field of information and communications technologies to tackle the global problems created by the emergence of the Information Age. Its research challenges revolve around the complexity and integration of the new global communication networks and the Institute focuses on four themes: high-speed networking, mobility of users and applications, the user interface and bioinformatics. From these it undertakes research into network modelling, telecommunications network planning and design, distribution network management, user quality of service guarantees, radio over fibre and video/audio analysis for telecommunications and multimedia applications, medical image visualisation and advance materials for nanotechnology.

The Institute works closely with industrial organisations, many of which are located in Ireland. Examples of these include Esat Fusion, Ericsson, Lucent, and Intel Ireland. It also plans a substantial role in technology transfer, training and the development of spin-off companies such as Aliope Ltd, located on campus.

RINCE has twenty academic staff and 65 postgraduate researchers.

Faculty of Engineering and Design
School of Electronic Engineering

The school of electronic engineering is the largest in Ireland with 350 undergraduates, 145 taught postgraduates and 70 research postgraduates. At 40%, the school has the highest ratio of postgraduate students of any Irish university. The masters programmes in electronic systems and telecommunications are unique in that they combine on-campus and web-based teaching.

The school concentrates on innovative teaching programmes in electronics such as the degree in electronic systems where students study in Ireland and France and receive an M.Eng as well as a Diplôme d'Ingénieur from a French Grande Ecole.

School of Mechanical Engineering

The school of mechanical engineering specialises in computer-aided mechanical and manufacturing engineering, medical mechanical engineering and mechatronic engineering. As with electronic engineering it has a strong research focus and students even at undergraduate level are encouraged to publish research papers.

The school has 320 undergraduate students and 30 taught postgraduate students and 55 research postgraduates. Over 50% of the postgraduate students are supported by overseas agencies.

ENDS

For further information

Eilis O'Brien: 7005217 or 087 2057125
Eileen Colgan: 7005656