Local research is the cornerstone to building a strong economy - Empey

14 June 2007

Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, today visited Queen’s University’s Institute for Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT).

ECIT brings together world-renowned experts in electronics and computer science in a purpose-built flagship centre at the 25-acre Science Park in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. Its four research clusters cover areas such as broadband wireless communications, electronic data security, image and speech processing, telecommunications software and antenna design for mobile communications.

One of ECIT’s strategic priorities is to develop collaborative relationships with other stakeholders including universities, research institutes and local and international businesses, which it facilitates through joint research and development programmes and through technology transfer.

The Minister praised the work of ECIT and added: “The future of our economy depends on commercially focused innovation, a strong knowledge base and effective business education partnerships. By supporting Centres of Excellence such as ECIT, we can enhance the market-driven technological capability of Northern Ireland businesses and universities, whilst exploiting the potential of new technologies and scientific advancements.”

ECIT is one of 18 Research Technology and Development Centres of Excellence which have been established in Northern Ireland with support from Invest Northern Ireland and funded by the European Union Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland (PEACE II).

The Minister continued: “Investment in quality research is essential if we are to fully realise our goal of transforming the economy of Northern Ireland. In an international field, we must continue to support quality where it exists and fund it at a level which enables those areas to both compete and collaborate with other similarly highly-rated research teams.”

Welcoming the Minister to Queen's, Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson said: "As a member of the Russell Group of leading UK universities,Queen's is a major civic university with a significant role in the future of Northern Ireland. Queen's has an outstanding reputation for education and research and its contribution to today's knowledge-based economy. Queen's is working closely with the Minister and with academic and business leaders to ensure we provide graduates with the talents and skills to underpin the further development of society in Northern Ireland.”

Following the visit, the Minister met with Yu Huai Zhang, from Shen Zhen in South China, who was selected as International Student of the Year in The British Council’s annual Shine International Student Awards. The Queen’s University Belfast student, known as Neo, was one of 12 regional finalists from across the UK to compete for the prestigious title which highlights the unique contributions of international students to life in the United Kingdom.

Sir Reg said: “The Shine Awards are an excellent way of recognising the contribution international students make in enhancing our local communities and Neo’s success sends a clear message that we have a lot to offer these students. He has played an important role in promoting multi-cultural diversity within both the student and the wider Northern Ireland community."

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

1. The Institute’s 14,000m² headquarters building houses state-of-the-art laboratories, offices and one of the largest RF (microwave and millimetre wave) anechoic chambers in Ireland. It is staffed by 120 academics, senior research staff, post-doctoral fellows, research students and administrators. Among them are 40 highly qualified industrial and academic researchers recruited from around the globe. In addition, TDK, the Japanese electronics company, has located a six person Research and Development unit in the new building.

2. THE ECIT building is located in the Northern Ireland Science Park, Belfast

3. The International Student Awards is an annual event run by The British Council- www.britishcouncil.org .

Neo was selected from more than 2000 students to win the title and the £2,000 prize. To enter each student was asked to write a personal “letter home” in English, detailing the out-of-class achievements that helped make their time in the UK so rewarding. In a letter to his father Neo describes how he contributed to the international community within Queen’s University, the wider community in Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland economy,

* He was voted Chairman of the international committee of the Students’ Union.

* Neo served an internship with Invest Northern Ireland and was voted Best Newcomer 2006 by his colleagues.

* He also organised a multicultural awareness-training event and helped translate a prisoners’ handbook into Mandarin and Cantonese.

4. Media enquiries to the Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on 028 9025 7872