Minister O’Keeffe has set aside €37 million in extra funding over the next six years for investment in the new research - or ‘competence’ - centres.

The extra funding will boost investment in the programme to over €90 million over the next six years.

The appointments are:
Dr Alan Hynes, Competence Centre for Applied Nanotechnology, Tyndall
National Institute in Cork, co-hosted by TCD CRANN;
Bart Bonsall, Competence Centre for Biorefining and Bioenergy, NUI Galway,
co-hosted by UL and UCD;
Dr Terry McGrail, Competence Centre for Composite Materials, University of
Limerick, co-hosted by UCD;
Barry Kennedy , Competence Centre for Manufacturing
Research and Competence Centre for Energy Efficiency;
Martin Delaney, Competence Centre for IT Innovation, NUI Maynooth;
Mark  Barry,  Competence  Centre  for  Microelectronics,  Tyndall  National
Institute, co-hosted by UL;
Jens Bleiel, chief executive, Food for Health Ireland, Cork.

Minister O’Keeffe said: "These appointments mark a significant step in the development of Ireland’s first competence centres - industry-led platforms for market-focused strategic research and development which can be translated into high-tech products.

"If we want to produce next generation high-tech products and services, we must get academic researchers working more closely with industry so that their expertise can be pooled and tailored for the market."

‘The €37 million six-year investment boost I announced last month will underpin the development of an environment that allows academics and business people to work together in producing products, services and efficiencies that meet consumer demand and create high-quality jobs.’  The number of competence centres will rise from six this year to 15 in 2016 with two more planned for this year.