The West Campus Knowledge Park
www.wit.ie
WELCOME WELCOME Waterford Institute of Technology is located in the historic city of Waterford, one of the oldest cities in Ireland, founded in 850 A.D. With a wonderful mix of the old and the new, history, culture and innovation, it is a city full of colour and excitement. Waterford Institute of Technology is a vibrant and exciting organisation that recognises the primary importance of its people, being the largest provider of third level education in the South East of the country. The institute currently provides for over 5800 full time students, 4550 part-time students, and 209 postgraduate positions at present. The Institute recognises that the availability of a skilled labour force is vital for economic and industrial success in the South East Region. The motivations for the development of research within the Institute are driven by its unique position as catalyst for regional economic development, third level educational facilities have the ability to attract foreign industry, |and encourage indigenous start up industries through the development of academic and industrial partnerships.
Committed to the generation and transfer of new knowledge, the creation of innovative products and services, and the provision of exceptional education.
RESEARCH “Academic Institutions like the Telecommunications Software and Systems Group, (TSSG), part of Waterford Institute of Technology, stand at the forefront of Ireland’s research enterprise, and plays a crucial underpinning role in enhancing the economic competitiveness of Ireland. Ireland’s future economic development requires investment in world class research that will facilitate the creation of new innovative industries. Application of technology and the exploitation of scientific research is a key driver for Ireland’s economic growth and competitiveness.” Dr. Willie Donnelly Director of TSSG and Head of Research and Innovation Waterford Institute of Technology.
DISCOVERY AT TSSG ACADEMIA
COLLABORATION
INDUSTRY
• • • • • • •
Staff Assets Research Students Employment Facilities Knowledge
GOVERNMENT
Figure 1. Partnership Models
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS GROUP The Telecommunications Software & Systems Group (TSSG), is located at Carriganore West Campus, and is a place where high quality research addresses the transformation of the telecommunications industry. Its core focus is on telecommunication network management, security and mobile services. As one of the largest integrated information communication technology (ICT) research centres in Ireland, and ranked as one of the top ten European institutes at the forefront of ‘Future Internet’ research, it employs over 150 researchers, developers and students. TSSG’s trans-disciplinary view of the communications and networks domain, links academic with industrial research. It has a balanced portfolio of activity in: BASIC RESEARCH, APPLIED RESEARCH, and COMMERCIALISATION activities. The Commercialisation arm of the TSSG is carried out by the Centre for Converged Services (3CS). Commercially, TSSG has successfully created a mobile services cluster of high potential start up companies (HSPU’s) based on its own research activity, creating over 55 jobs. TSSG’s extensive links to over 425
international industrial and academic partners worldwide, provides an unrivalled resource for TSSG start- up companies to potentially exploit. TSSG demonstrates a real engagement with SME’s having successfully fulfilled 52 Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnerships since 2007. The TSSG espouses the innovative models of partnership that bring together education, industry and government to deliver breakthrough innovation to the market. Collaboration is at the centre of all TSSG activity, and enables the generation of new knowledge, and the effective translation of research outputs into products and services that benefits Irish industry, and enhances regional development.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP “ArcLabs is all about encouraging, mentoring and supporting innovative and ambitious early-stage business ventures. The centre has all of the leading-edge facilities that companies need and expect, but much more than that - it is an exciting networking community, driven by entrepreneurial spirit in which businesses can thrive and become successful." Tom Corcoran
GROW STRONGER FASTER
Centre Manager, Arclabs
INNOVATION AT ARCLABS
MAKING IDEAS WORK ArcLabs is based at the West Campus in Carriganore, and leverages the research and innovation expertise of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), to help entrepreneurs and early-stage venture start-up businesses to achieve success in national and international markets. The Innovation Centre is the hub of an exciting networked community of over 170 highly-skilled business and technology professionals, driven by a strong entrepreneurial sprit. Entrepreneurship thrives on the flow of ideas; on making connections and on collaborating. For young businesses with the enthusiasm and the plans to grow, ArcLabs is the perfect place to turn those ideas into successful enterprises.
By helping new ventures to access the broader R&D resources of the Institute, ArcLabs offers a very distinctive service to entrepreneurs. Our internal and external business advisers are all highly experienced in key areas of enterprise growth and make this unique set of skills available to the companies we work with. ArcLabs provides the premium-quality space, the communications infrastructure and the leading-edge facilities to help start-ups build a strong identity . We work as trusted partners with our clients in helping them to achieve their own goals and expectations.
PARTNERSHIP
“AIB was extremely proud to assist in the establishment of the ArcLab Research, Innovation and Enterprise Centre at Waterford Institute of Technology West Campus. This has achieved very significant successes on a number of platforms in its short history. AIB is pleased to continue this strong relationship in its support of the TSSG Group and the emerging technology companies incubating on the West Campus. The WIT is a well established academic institution which fosters collaboration within the real commercial realities of the environment”. Nick Donnelly - Regional Director, AIB
“We see collaboration between industry and academia as an important step towards enabling a smart economy within Ireland and we are delighted to partner with TSSG on the NGN Test Centre project.” John Hennessy - MD, Ericsson Ireland Ltd
“We have long established research partnership with TSSG; For instance collaborating through European Framework Programmes we have jointly addressed challenges including open software service infrastructures and context aware mobile computing. In our experience TSSG bring great expertise and professionalism to how they operate, it’s a pleasure and reward to work with them.” Brian Quinn - Manager Business Operations, Intel labs Europe
“For a start-up enterprise, like Global Business Register, having easy access to specialist expertise within WIT is a fantastic resource. The quality of the work carried out for our company is superb and the process of collaborating is easy and effective. The projects we have carried out with TSSG researchers have helped to bring our product to the next stage of development far quicker than would otherwise have been possible.” Ben Cronin - CEO, Global Business Register
FUTURE THE WEST CAMPUS KNOWLEDGE PARK The vision for creating the ‘Knowledge Park’ is to create a campus for both living and learning which is based on a model that is social, sustainable, environmental and economical. The West Campus grounds represents a valuable asset of 150 acres of amenable land, which will be landscaped to provide a people-centred environment. The Carriganore West Campus is located adjacent to the Industrial Development Agency Technology Park, allowing for development and cooperation between the academia and industrial sectors. The Knowledge Park will be developed on a phased basis. The park will initially provide academic buildings and infrastructure essential to the development of education while also supporting the institute’s wider need to provide student services, residential and essential sporting facilities. Future developments will see the development of research and development, innovation and enterprise facilities, including developing the postgraduate campus, which will also facilitate the development of new WIT campus start up industries and technologies.
All developments to date on the West Campus owe their origin or their improvement to the generosity of both governmental funding agencies and donors. Funding existing and new facilities allows donors to make a long-term impact on the Institute, enabling WIT to keep pace with the ever growing needs of research and academic activities. Plans for further phased development will be implemented when funding is made available.
REALISE THE FUTURE
ALLIANCE WIT FOUNDATION Waterford Institute of Technology Foundation is led by an Advisory Board of concerned business leaders. The foundation is supported in its work by an Alumni network of 29,000 graduates, who are represented on the Alumni Executive Board. Waterford Institute of Technology Foundation seeks to establish strategic partnerships with corporations & philanthropic partners to help create the cutting edge vision for a Research and Development community at Carriganore West Campus known as the “West Campus Knowledge Park”. Strategic partnerships with the WIT will provide Corporations & philanthropic partners with access to world-class knowledge, expertise, assets, staff, students, research technologies, facilities, and other resources that promotes intellectual exchange and fosters long lasting, mutually beneficial and productive relationships.
The WIT continues to meet the challenges innovation demands, and competes with its national peers for both talent and resources. Research is expensive and space-intensive, with requirements that include new buildings with sophisticated facilities, and the ongoing need to renew all facets of existing infrastructure. As a world-class research institute, many innovations are born at WIT. Funding existing and new facilities, or donating equipment helps support this cutting-edge research. There are many ways to support the WIT’s mission to provide students with the best education possible, and the WIT Foundation will work with your company to ensure your giving supports your strategic business goals. The Foundation would be pleased to offer full support to interested parties on this compelling initiative. The Foundation is a limited company with charitable status resulting in generous tax reliefs.
YOUR VISION CORPORATE • Strategic alliance • Access to expertise • Innovation through collaboration • Increased corporate visibility through branding opportunities
WIT OUR EXPERTISE ONE ALLIANCE
• Shared Vision with corporate partners • Engagement with all of WIT research centres • Global Solutions through research, innovation and collaboration
CONTACT US CONTACT US There are many ways to support the WIT’s mission to provide students with the best education possible, and the WIT Foundation will work with your company to insure your giving supports your strategic business goals. The Foundation would be pleased to offer full support to interested parties on this compelling initiative, the Foundation is a limited company, with charitable status, resulting in generous tax reliefs. For further information on how to participate and establish long lasting mutually beneficial relationships with the West Campus Development Board, please contact the numbers opposite.
Barry Kennedy, FCA, MBA Director of Foundation & Alumni WIT West Campus Development Board Ph: +353 51 845577 | Email: bkennedy@wit.ie
Dr Willie Donnelly Director of TSSG and WIT Research Director WIT West Campus Development Board Ph: +353 51 845500 | Email: wdonnelly@wit.ie
Paul Quirke, MSc CPM, FCIOB Head of Physical Planning & Development WIT West Campus Development Board Ph: +353 51 845521 | Email: pquirke@wit.ie
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