Friday, May 31, 2013

Minister Sherlock Launches New Research & Innovation Centre at National Maritime College Of Ireland



The Halpin Centre for Research & Innovation at the National Maritime College of Ireland
On Monday, May 27th, Mr Sean Sherlock, Minister of State, Department of Enterprise, Jobs & Innovation and Department of Education & Skills with responsibility for Research & Innovation, officially launched the Halpin Centre for Research & Innovation at the National Maritime College of Ireland.

This exciting new development will further enhance the international reputation of the National Maritime College of Ireland as a centre of maritime excellence. The launch of the Halpin Centre completes the internal development of the NMCI which has three pillars of activity; Maritime Education and Training, Specialised and Bespoke courses for industry delivered through NMCI services, and now, Research and Innovation activity though the Halpin Centre for Research & Innovation.

The Centre is named for Captain Robert Charles Halpin of Wicklow (1836-1894). Robert Halpin is recognised as one of the most important mariners of the 19th Century for his work in successfully overcoming seemingly insurmountable technical, and seafaring challenges, to lay submarine telegraph cables to connect the continents thereby ushering in the communications age.

The Halpin Centre’s work is focussed in three key areas, Maritime Safety & Security, Maritime Education and Training and Shipping, Transport and Logistics. These three key areas are supported by cross-cutting initiatives in IT and communications, Maritime Operations, Human Factors, Policy and Engineering.

The Centre will be an important pillar of the rapidly developing iMERC Campus at Ringaskiddy and as such will facilitate the research inputs of both CIT and The Irish Naval Service to the overall research effort in Maritime and Sustainable energy. It has enjoyed early success in attracting significant European research funding with the Centre today involved in ten EU funded research projects. The Centre is also working with Irish SME’s and multinational companies to assist them in developing new products and services and has international collaborators in Canada and throughout the EU.

The Halpin Centre already employs 9 researchers, and a number of post graduate students, based in the National Maritime College and this number is expected to increase in the coming months.

Related links for this article 

Halpin Centre Website 

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