WirelessLAB, the first all-island innovation network for Ireland’s wireless technology community, has been formally launched at an event held at NovaUCD. The launch brought together leading Irish companies and institutions who are looking forward to an exciting future in the wireless technology sector. The guest speaker was Dr David Cleevely, Chairman of Cambridge Wireless, the renowned wireless cluster located at St John’s Innovation Centre, Cambridge.

WirelessLAB has been established to foster and stimulate the development of an innovation environment for Ireland’s wireless technology community. Objectives include the promotion of Ireland as a centre of excellence for wireless technology, doubling employment in the sector over the next 5 years and the establishment of extensive international links.

Joe Moore, Chairman, WirelessLAB and Dr David Cleevely, Chairman, Cambridge Wireless

Network members already include Alcatel-Lucent, BiancaMed, DecaWave, Ericsson, FMG Electronics, Socowave, Taoglas, The Institute for Micro and Wireless Systems at NUI Maynooth and The Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) at Queen’s University Belfast.

On the signing of an alliance agreement with WirelessLAB, Dr David Cleevely, Chairman, Cambridge Wireless, said, “We are delighted to form an alliance with a like-minded technology community in Ireland. It opens up opportunities to promote an open-innovation environment in Britain and Ireland, strengthening our ability to compete in a global market.”

Joe Moore, founder of the technology start-up Socowave, is the driving force behind WirelessLAB and is the network’s first chairman. WirelessLAB will be initially located at NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at UCD where Socowave is headquartered.

The other members of WirelessLAB’s founding board are Professor Tony Fagan, UCD School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Dr Conor Hanley, co-founder and CEO, BiancaMed, Dr Sam Samuel, Executive Director of Bell Labs Ireland and UK, Alcatel Lucent and Professor William Scanlon, ECIT, Queen’s University Belfast.

At the launch Joe Moore, Chairman, WirelessLAB said, “Underpinning Ireland’s ability to compete in the expanding global wireless market is its range of existing technology companies and the quality of the designers and engineers graduating from Irish universities. However we need to expand this talent pool to support the establishment of a centre of excellence that competes globally.” He concluded, “I am excited about our formal links with the highly successful wireless cluster, Cambridge Wireless which offers WirelessLAB an instant international dimension.”

A key collaborative activity for WirelessLAB is the establishment of special interest groups (SIG), or industry-led technical forums. SIG topics are selected to be leading-edge and address significant technology challenges facing the industry. SIG events are designed to be engaging, to keep members up-to-date with the latest developments in key areas and to assist them in exploring new business opportunities.

At the launch the first two WirlessLAB SIG topics, Green Wireless Networks and Body Centric Communications were announced. The Green Wireless Networks SIG will address the need for major improvements in wireless network architectures, protocols and hardware that will be needed to stabilise and reduce the power consumed per user. The Green Wireless Networks SIG is being championed by Bell Labs Ireland and will explore the opportunities opened up by the international GreenTouch Initiative.

The Body Centric Communications SIG will focus on all aspects of systems and applications where the user is a key component of the wireless network. This will include bringing together both wireless and software companies and researchers working on advanced, highly interactive applications such as augmented reality and man-machine interfacing. The Body Centric Communications SIG is being championed by ECIT, Queen’s University Belfast.

In addition to access to WirelessLAB’s SIGs and networking events, members will also be able to participate in Cambridge Wireless’ networking and SIG events in areas such as wireless healthcare, games development and wireless sensing. WirelessLAB members will also participate in networking events designed to share information and encourage co-operation between members.

Membership of WirelessLAB is offered at full, start-up and associate levels with differing benefits available at each level. Membership fees have been set on a sliding scale depending on company headcount.

ENDS

2 February 2010

For further information contact Micéal Whelan, NovaUCD, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie, t: +353 1 716 3712.

Editor’s Notes
WirelessLAB has been set up to foster and encourage the development of an innovation environment for Ireland’s wireless technology community. It aims to develop a collaborative network which encourages interaction between members and drives the development of a wireless centre of excellence in Ireland. Joe Moore, founder and CEO, Socowave, is WirelessLAB’s chairman.

NovaUCD is University College Dublin’s Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre.  NovaUCD is responsible for the commercialisation of intellectual property arising from UCD research and for the development of co-operation with the industry and business communities. NovaUCD has been funded through a unique public-private partnership that includes AIB Bank, Arthur Cox, Deloitte, Enterprise Ireland, Ericsson, Goodbody Stockbrokers, UCD and Xilinx.