€11.7m for car safety software initiative

A new research initiative at the University of Limerick has received State funding worth €11.7 million

A new research initiative at the University of Limerick has received State funding worth €11.7 million. The Irish Software Engineering Research Centre (ISERC) will focus initially on automotive software systems that help make modern cars safer.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin, announced the project yesterday in Government Buildings in Dublin. The centre will involve the work of 40 researchers in Limerick and 15 to 20 more based in partner universities - Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and Dublin City University. Fourteen companies are also involved.

The centre will provide a "very strong synergy" between researchers and the firms, Mr Martin said yesterday.

Science Foundation Ireland provided €11.7 million for ISERC, but the entire project is valued at almost €28 million, according to Prof Vincent Cunnane of the University of Limerick. This figure includes €9 million provided by the industrial partners.

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The object of the initiative is to support the work of software engineers in the partner companies, explained the centre's director, Prof Kevin Ryan.

Dick Ahlstrom

Dick Ahlstrom

Dick Ahlstrom, a contributor to The Irish Times, is the newspaper's former Science Editor.