25/05/2005
Queen's launches £40m Titanic quarter research institute
Queen's University will open a major £40 million international centre today to act as a hub for high-technology research and enterprise in Belfast's former dockland.
Supported by Invest NI, the Department of Employment and Learning and the EU Peace and Reconciliation Programme, the Institute for Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) brings together world-renowned experts in electronics and computer science in a purpose-built flagship centre at the 25-acre Science Park in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.
Professor John McCanny FRS, who will lead the Institute as director, said: "ECIT's mission is to stimulate major opportunities for economic growth by pioneering future directions and innovations in key areas of advanced technology, through the integration of complementary research expertise.
"ECIT will combine advanced high technology research with mechanisms to create and nurture related high technology companies in their early phases. These fledging companies will then subsequently move out to other facilities in the Science Park such as the Innovation Centre," he said.
ECIT’s three-storey building houses state-of-the-art laboratories, offices and one of the largest RF (microwave and millimetre wave) anechoic chambers in Europe.
Currently, 120 people are based there including 40 highly qualified industrial and academic researchers who have been recruited from around the globe. In addition, TDK - the Japanese electronics company - has recently located a six person R&D unit in the new building.
ECIT will provide the university with a leading-edge international research facility and a focus for extending the links Queen’s has already developed with major universities, high technology companies and research centres throughout the world.
(MB/SP)
Supported by Invest NI, the Department of Employment and Learning and the EU Peace and Reconciliation Programme, the Institute for Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) brings together world-renowned experts in electronics and computer science in a purpose-built flagship centre at the 25-acre Science Park in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.
Professor John McCanny FRS, who will lead the Institute as director, said: "ECIT's mission is to stimulate major opportunities for economic growth by pioneering future directions and innovations in key areas of advanced technology, through the integration of complementary research expertise.
"ECIT will combine advanced high technology research with mechanisms to create and nurture related high technology companies in their early phases. These fledging companies will then subsequently move out to other facilities in the Science Park such as the Innovation Centre," he said.
ECIT’s three-storey building houses state-of-the-art laboratories, offices and one of the largest RF (microwave and millimetre wave) anechoic chambers in Europe.
Currently, 120 people are based there including 40 highly qualified industrial and academic researchers who have been recruited from around the globe. In addition, TDK - the Japanese electronics company - has recently located a six person R&D unit in the new building.
ECIT will provide the university with a leading-edge international research facility and a focus for extending the links Queen’s has already developed with major universities, high technology companies and research centres throughout the world.
(MB/SP)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.