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DCU opens EUR45.5m research centre
Thursday, September 26 2002
by Andrew McLindon


DCU has opened a EUR45.5m research and engineering centre that will look to
develop commercial applications in areas such as semiconductors and networking.

The facility, officially opened on Wednesday, will house three national research
centres, as well as the faculty of engineering and design. Over 300 researchers
will be employed there and a spokesperson for the university told
ElectricNews.Net that it was looking to bring additional researchers on board. 

 

According to the President of DCU, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, the
university will work closely with companies interested in commercialising ideas
generated in the centres. He added that such businesses would also hopefully
employ graduates from the facility. 

 

"The most effective way to ensure technology is transferred from the university
laboratory to the marketplace is through the provision of research opportunities
for graduates who are then employed by industry," von Prondzynski said. 

 

The DCU centre will be home to the National Centre for Plasma Science and
Technology (NCPST), the National Centre for Sensor Research (NCSR), and the
Research Institute for Networks and Communications Engineering (RINCE). 

 

The National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology will undertake advanced
research in plasma science and technology. The NCPST currently conducts applied
research in areas relevant to plasma processing of semiconductors, diamond coated
films and sterilisation of medical products. Among the companies using such
processes are Intel Ireland, Analog Devices, Lam Research Corporation, Boston
Scientific, and HP.

 

The National Centre for Sensor Research focuses its research in biomedical and
chemical sensors, environmental monitoring, industrial process and food safety
areas. The NCSR deals mainly with problems of societal concern such as medical
diagnostics, food quality assurance and pollution monitoring.

 

The Research Institute for Networks and Communications Engineering examines four
main areas -- high-speed networking, mobility of users and applications, the user
interface, and bioinformatics.  From these, it undertakes research into areas
such as network modelling, distribution network management, user quality of
service guarantees, and radio over fibre and video/audio analysis for
telecommunications and multimedia applications.

 

DCU said that RINCE works closely with businesses such as Esat BT, Ericsson,
Lucent, and Intel Ireland. RINCE also plans to have a substantial role in
technology transfer, training and the development of spin-off companies, such as
video management company Aliope, which will be located on campus.

 

According to DCU, the school of electronic engineering at the centre is the
largest in Ireland with 350 undergraduates, 145 taught postgraduates and 70
research postgraduates. A unique feature of the school, said DCU, is that its
Masters programmes in electronic systems and telecommunications combine on-campus
and Web-based teaching.

 

Finance for the research centres was won under Cycle I of the Higher Education
Authority's PRTLI (programme for research at third level institutions) 1999 and
DCU said that 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.