EUR9 million photonics lab opens in Cork

25-04-2006

by Maxim Kelly

Telecommunications research in Ireland received a boost on Tuesday with the opening of new state-of-the-art laboratory in Cork.

The new Photonics Systems Research and Development Centre was opened by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheal Martin, at the Tyndall National Institute in University College Cork (UCC).

Photonics is a growing field concerned with using light to transmit data through hair-thin fibres of very thin glass. A single fibre optic glass cable is able to carry the equivalent of 300,000,000 simultaneous phone calls. Advances in photonics should make way for transmission mediums capable of instantly delivering fully interactive multimedia internet services.

The new EUR9 million centre in Cork will allow Irish scientists to undertake major research projects and collaborate with some of the world's leading Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) companies.

The Department of Enterprise estimates that the global market for photonics is worth around EUR150 billion and this is projected to grow to EUR500 billion by 2013.

Ireland already hosts several global players in communications hardware including Intel Ireland, Lucent Technologies, EMC and Xilinx. Smaller Irish-based businesses specialising in the applications of photonics include Firecomms, Intune Technologies, Eblana Photonics, and SensL.

Based in the recently restored Lee Maltings complex of UCC, the Tyndall National Institute has a worldwide reputation for research into ICT hardware. The institute has over 300 research scientists, engineers and research students.

The Tyndall Institute's Photonic Systems Group (PSG) has research and design relationships with global leaders in the sector such as Ericsson, Siemens, Alcatel, BT, France Telecom, Lucent, Intel, Xilinx, Corning, and Sumitomo.

The new labs were built with "substantial" assistance from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI).

At the opening, Minister Martin said his department's Office of Science and Technology had provided EUR16 million in infrastructural funding and EUR5 million worth of equipment for Tyndall. The minister announced he had recently provided a further EUR7 million to SFI to assist the continued expansion of the Tyndall Institute's base in Cork.

"This development is a significant first step in the evolution of Tyndall to being a truly national institute," he said.

"We want Ireland to become the investment location of choice for collaborative research among public research organisations and major industry players in the ICT sector. Ireland offers great potential to enterprise for innovation and wealth creation. There has recently been a significant level of government investment in research, directed towards building excellence in the public research sector. This means that companies large and small can use knowledge, expertise and facilities of public research organisations such as the Tyndall National Institute to help build their technological capability and create new technologies that will underpin future products and services," Minister Martin said.