UCD Earth Institute to highlight collaborative opportunities with industry at inaugural showcase

The UCD Earth Institute’s inaugural industry and enterprise showcase event takes place today in UCD’s O’Reilly Hall.

The Irish government recently outlined its vision on how Ireland can move to a resource efficient, low-carbon and climate resilient future (Our Sustainable Future, March 2012).

The UCD Earth Instituteis responding to this challenge by holding a showcase event to highlight the scope and extent of research taking place within the Institute and with the aim of identifying and strengthening opportunities for collaboration and partnership with industry and enterprises.

 
Artificial sky in the built environment laboratory at the UCD Earth Institute

Around 200 delegates including UCD researchers, representatives from a variety of industries and businesses, both large and small, along with representatives of state agencies are expected to attend this event.

The UCD Earth Institute’s focus is on energy, resources and environment research on a scale capable of leading Ireland’s response to some of the most significant global challenges facing the country and the wider world including; climate change, the energy crisis and the need to develop pathways to sustainable living.

With a large affiliated structured PhD programme in Earth and Natural Sciences (ENS), the UCD Earth Institute aims to become an innovation hub for the green technology space in Ireland.

Speaking in advance of the showcase, Professor Chris Bean, Director, UCD Earth Institute said, “Our 2012 event is dedicated to introducing the UCD Earth Institute and its research clusters to potential partners across industry, enterprise, agencies and government departments. Throughout the day we will hear from UCD researchers, industry representatives and policy makers about the benefits of cross-sectoral partnerships.”

Professor Peter Clinch, UCD Vice-President for Innovation said, “Our aim is that this inaugural UCD Earth Institute showcase event will become an annual event which will result in the establishment of multiple new collaborative partnerships of mutual benefit between industry, enterprise, and UCD’s research and innovation community.”

The showcase will be opened by Tom Kelly, Manager, Clean Technology, Electronics and Life Sciences Division, Enterprise Ireland. UCD researchers will give a series of short talks on the UCD Earth Institute research clusters; Climate Adaptation, Mitigation and Geohazards, Earth Resources Characterisation, Smart Cities and Infrastructure and Policy and Economics.

During the day Dr Kevin O’Connor, a UCD Earth Institute researcher, will also speak about his own experiences of establishing a UCD spin-out company, Bioplastech Ltd. Bioplastech, a NovaUCD client company, has developed a process which converts waste materials into a value-added biodegradable plastic.

Other speakers include Dr Ciaran Peyton, Tullow Oil and Steve Clarke, Mainstream Renewable Power who will both discuss their experiences of collaborating with academia. Dr Maria Martin, Environmental Protection Agency, will talk about the regulatory environment and how scientific research can influence and benefit this crucial policy area.

In addition to the talks an accompanying exhibition space will allow attendees to view posters and videos on the diverse research areas within the UCD Earth Institute. The exhibition space will also include displays of technologies that support the various research projects. A research ‘helpdesk’ to advise researchers and industry on opportunities for funded collaborations will also be manned during the showcase.

The UCD Earth Institute and the affiliated ENS doctoral programme are in receipt of funding under the HEA administered Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions Cycle 5.

The UCD Earth Institute Industry and Enterprise Showcase takes place today in the UCD O’Reilly Hall, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm.

ENDS

6 November 2012

For further information contact Micéal Whelan, University College Dublin, Communications Manager (Innovation), t: + 353 1 716 3712, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie or Dr Aideen Hartney, General Manager, UCD Earth Institute, t: + 353 1 716 2873, e: aideen.hartney@ucd.ie.

Editors Notes

UCD Earth Institute is a community of researchers with the range and depth of expertise to understand relationships between energy, climate changes and hazards; to relate science to policy; to aid in meeting climate change and energy obligations; to inform public and policy process; and to commit to making Ireland an innovation hub for green technologies. www.ucd.ie/earth

Innovation is the third pillar of UCD’s core mission alongside teaching and learning and research. The mission of UCD Innovation is to enhance the value and quality of UCD’s innovation activities in order to achieve a maximum impact for the University, its partners, and for social and economic life in Ireland in the wider world. At UCD there are four key innovation themes; inspiring creative graduates, putting knowledge to work; partnering with industry and growing and supporting new business. www.ucd.ie/innovation