Project Overview
Project Consortium
Objectives
Partners
How the partnership was formed
Project Consortium
Primarily the EpiCentre aims to assist the development and
deployment of technology within the existing industrial base
within the region. This industrial base addresses those sectors
which inherently uses technology; ranging from the mass production
of low cost products (e.g. the textile sector) to the development
of low volume high cost products such as in the software
tools development domain. The EpiCentre also aims to act
as a focal point for technology in the region and this additionally
afforded to existing companies may also serve as an attractor
for new industry to further bolster the economic vibrancy
of the region.
Objectives
The EpiCentre aims to build infrastructure for an innovation
and technology transfer capability through the creation of
an environment that will assist in developing a diverse and
robust industrial base in the Northwest region. This centre
will focus upon the development of a strong industrial research
base through the integration of existing capabilities in UUM,
NWRC and LYIT with local incubation and established industries.
The centre will be distributed across the three sites yet
will have one Centre Manager to ensure integration and maintain
consistent service across the region and queries will be directed
to the appropriate expertise at each location.
More specifically the Centre will provide:
• a technology centre where practical industrial problems
can be solved in partnership with academics and researchers
demonstrating best practice in technology transfer.
• a managed workspace with industrial access to ICT
equipment for the development of innovative new products (eg
cognitive assistants and computer games)
• a managed project that exploits the needs of local
industry that extend to world markets
• access to specialised equipment and facilities to
extend local industry beyond their core areas of business.
• a networking centre where substantive projects common
across sectors can be identified and submitted for external
funding
• a digital technology development cluster with UU,
NWRC and LYIT as a central point and supplier of skilled
recruits for this new industry sector.
• a sector foresight unit to monitor worldwide trends
in the industry and develop a strategy for the future development
in the North West.
• an environment to help stimulate creativity and development
of new ideas.
• a reskilling and training opportunity for employees
in local industry and graduates from non-ICT disciplines.
Partners
This Centre will focus upon the development of a strong industrial
research base through the integration of existing capabilities
in the three tertiary level education providers in the region:
the University of Ulster at Magee (UUM), the North-West Regional
College (NWRC) and finally the Letterkenny
Institute of Technology (LYIT) with local incubation and established
industries.
How the partnership was formed
In the last 10-15 years, there has been a substantial decline
in the traditional industrial base within the North-west of
Ireland. The region has suffered substantially from this,
as evidenced by a constant haemorrhage of jobs in the textiles,
clothing and agricultural sectors. Recent job losses in the
clothing sector have simply served to underline the gravity
of the situation. In contrast, on a world wide basis, an increasing
concentration of high technology, knowledge-based industries
has occurred in the ICT, engineering, and life and health
sciences sectors. These three sectors are expected to generate
very significant economic growth in the next 20 to 30 years.
It is quite evident that economic prosperity and sustainable
employment will be built largely upon investment in these
areas. This demands that the regional further and higher education
sector establishes an international reputation for excellence
in specific sectors. Such excellence will serve as a magnet
for inward investment and as lynchpins for indigenous spin-outs
from the educational providers. In addition this should also
provide technical support for both existing and incubation
companies in the area. In selecting such topics, it is important
that they are firmly based on an extension of existing capabilities
and that they seize upon impending, as opposed to current
opportunities. This EpiCentre aims to begin the process
of creating a leadership role in one such sector namely: digital
technology encompassing electronics, production and innovative
(creative) technologies. These areas are characterized by
three notable factors; they are closely aligned to existing
ICT and electronics domains; they address the manufacturing
processes inherent in the realisation of an economical product,
and finally they accommodate innovation as required to extend
beyond the existing capacity in the region.
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