Major research investment at UL

The Mid-West’s reputation as a leading technology hub will be enhanced by the inclusion of UL’s Lero research centre in a €245m funding plan up to 2020, according to Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan.

The fund, which is backed by €155m in government investment and €90m from industry sources, is focused on five world class research centres in Limerick, Galway and Dublin.

“I am delighted that Lero will benefit from this funding. The investment will ensure that Lero can continue its cutting edge research in software development. This is good news for UL and good news for Limerick. Our growing reputation as a technology hub will be enhanced as Lero goes from strength to strength.

“I would like to acknowledge the role that staff at the Lero centre have played in securing this major investment. Professor Mike Hinchey and his colleagues at Lero have created a co-ordinated, ambitious programme of research that involves other third level institutions and this is one of the great strengths of the research centre,” she said.

Minister O’Sullivan, who last week allocated €10m for the library project at UL, added, “Having a strong third level sector in Limerick is crucial to our economic recovery and jobs growth. For more than a year now we have seen falling levels of unemployment in Limerick. It is vital that we maintain that momentum and this investment will help in that regard.”