Bell Labs Plans New R&D in Ireland

DUBLIN -- Ireland is set to become a world-leading location for research into engineering, manufacturing and value-chain technologies in the telecommunications sector as a result of a €69 million investment programme agreed between Lucent Technologies' Bell Labs, IDA Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney T.D. announced today, Wednesday 30th June 2004 that the Government has agreed the proposal subject to EU approval.

Key to the project will be the establishment of a Bell Labs centre in Ireland. The centre will be a global headquarters for research into telecommunications and supply chain technologies and will be located at Lucent's facility in Blanchardstown, Dublin.

The investment will also include the establishment of the Centre for Telecommunications Value-Chain-Driven Research (CTVR) to be headquartered at Trinity College, Dublin.

Opportunities for up to 120 researchers will be created between the two centres.

The research to be undertaken in CTVR will focus on advancements in product engineering, manufacturing and value/supply chain techniques, tools and technologies. The expertise and know-how developed in the centre will facilitate, stimulate and encourage design and innovation and allow for new products to be brought to the market more quickly and more efficiently. That expertise and know-how will be directly applicable to both multinational and indigenous companies engaged in the design, manufacture and operation of highly refined electronics products, including in the next generation of fixed and wireless communications networks.

The CTVR will involve eight other leading Irish Universities and Institutes of Technology, including the University of Limerick; NUI Maynooth; Dublin Institute of Technology; Institute of Technology Sligo; University College Dublin; Dublin City University and University College Cork and NMRC.

Researchers from both new centres will work together in tightly knit teams. The knowledge and expertise of some of Bell Lab's top talent will be available to the research teams and the global reach of Lucent Technologies will be important in bringing the research to fruition. The Bell Labs facility in Ireland will exploit the effective utilisation and commercialisation of innovations that will emerge from the CTVR.

Making the announcement, the Tánaiste said: "This project is one of the most significant direct investments by the State in a joint corporate and academic research project. The investment is a perfect fit with the Government's policy for the expansion of R&D and the attraction of high-calibre, knowledge-led activities into Ireland. The investment moves us a step closer to becoming a globally acknowledged world leader in next-generation engineering, manufacturing, telecommunications and related information technologies.

Bell Labs