An Taoiseach to Open UCD EGA Panel Discussion on 'Manufacturing Engineering and Job Creation'

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD will open the UCD Engineering Graduates Association (EGA) Autumn Panel Discussion on 'Manufacturing Engineering and Job Creation' on October 22nd 2013. This is in recognition of the importance of the manufacturing sector to our current job creation and export drive.
The Panel Discussion will be addressed by leading national and international engineers in the manufacturing space including some of Ireland's leading entrepreneurs.

The Taoiseach recently opened the 5,250 sq metre NexusUCD Research and Innovation Centre together with the offices of ResMed a leading international company in the sensor technology business. 'By providing innovation in Irish business and education we will make Irish high-value products and services more attractive across the world' the Taoiseach said 'Building closer links between industry and higher education institutions will be essential if Ireland is to be promoted as the 'innovation island.'
 


An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD at the opening of the NexusUCD

 At the launch, UCD Vice President for Innovation Peter Clinch demonstrated the UCD ambition in this area. He said that 'the university is actively supporting the transition to a sustainable Irish economy based on innovation, education, enterprise and exports'.

ResMed is an Irish company formed out of innovative engineering research in UCD. Both itself and its predecessor company Bianca Med were founded by UCD research engineers Dr. Conor Hanley and Professor Conor Heneghan who studied chemical and electronic engineering respectively. Their initial research was to invent sleep monitoring technology which became a world leader in non contact sleep and breathing. You can imagine how this transformed the remote monitoring of sleep and breathing in the home especially for babies and the older generation.

Pictured at the launch Dr. Conor Hanley of ResMed, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and UCD Vice President for Innovation Peter Clinch

Dr. Conor Hanley of ResMed was delighted with the new research facilities in NexusUCD. 'We chose to site our new office in NexusUCD because of the excellent facilities available and its proximity to UCD and affiliated hospitals. Together they deliver an ecosystem that is vital to our innovation and growth' he explained.

The EGA Panel Discussion will further illustrate and explore the engineering innovation that is helping to drive our economic recovery. A further example of this in the agricultural engineering area is Dairymaster in Tralee, Co. Kerry, who manufacture automatic milking machines for the export market in China. Dr. Edmond Harty CEO of Dairymaster is a mechanical engineer who has a PhD from UCD in the area of milking performance in dairy farming. Edmond won the Ernst & Young 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

So please put the date of October 22nd in your diary for the Panel Discussion on 'Manufacturing Engineering and Job Creation' commencing with An Taoiseach at 7pm in the Clinton Auditorium. It will be preceded by the UCD EGA Annual General Meeting at 5.30pm.

UCD Distinguished Graduate Honoured

Yesterday we hosted our annual lunch and Distinguished Graduate Award. This year's lunch was very well attended, driven in part by our new sponsors, including Bord Gais and Nicholas O'Dwyer & Partners. Sincere thanks also to Arup, CRH, Engineers Ireland, ESB and RPS.

In my welcoming address Speech I briefed the audience on the new EGA Strategy 2013 and outlined our success to date in raising our profile for the benefit of engineering graduates and UCD in general.

Photo left to right Professor Gerry Byrne UCD Dean of Engineering, Dr Liam Connellan, PJ Rudden President UCD Engineering Graduates Association and Marie Connellan

Dr Liam Connellan and PJ Rudden President UCD Engineering Graduates Association

The Distinguished Graduate Award went to Dr Liam Connellan, BE in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering UCD, 1957. Dr. Connellan was Director General of the Confederation of Irish Industry from 1972 to 1992. He then became Chairman of the National Roads Authority from 1994 to 2001, President of Royal Dublin Society from 1995 to 1998 and President of Engineers Ireland in 2001-2002. He was also Chairman of the Veolia Environment, an organisation with responsibility for planning, building and operating the Dublin LUAS light rail. Dr. Connellan has also been decorated by both the French and German Governments in the past. Dr. Connellan's CV

In my opening comments, I remarked that we were planning that Manufacturing Engineering would be the focus of our Panel Discussion this Autumn. In his acceptance speech Dr. Connellan took up this theme and outlined the tremendous progress we are making nationally with indigenous manufacturing and mentioned Keenan of Bagenalstown, Mc Hale of Ballinrobe and Dairymaster in Tralee in addition to the tremendous export success of our food and diary industry.

It was a most successful and engaging event, enhanced by the stunning setting of the John Field Room at the National Concert Hall. Sincere thanks to Fionnuala McGowan of UCD Engineering for all the arrangements.

EGA Lunch Sponsors

EGA Distinguished Graduates