A result of a tripartite alliance between University College Cork, the Cork Institute of Technology, and the Irish Naval Service, IMERC aims to harness and integrate diverse research and industry expertise through the development of an innovation cluster.
Launched in March 2010, specific targets for IMERC are for the creation of 70 new research jobs by 2014, five companies incorporated by 2015, and two foreign direct investment clients secured by 2016.
To date IMERC has secured a funding package of €14 million for UCC’s Beaufort Laboratory on the IMERC Campus and has already created 15 new research jobs.
The first FP7 projects have been secured for the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), and the first Foreign Direct Investment client, a US-based naval architecture firm, will be announced shortly.
The IMERC initiative comes at the dawn of a new era for maritime Ireland, stimulated by the growing realisation of the economic opportunities around maritime and energy, and in particular with regard to marine renewables.
See www.IMERC.ie for more details of this fascinating venture which will place Cork Harbour at the heart of maritime research and innovation well into the future.
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