A new North-South venture involving the shipbuilders Harland & Wolff and the universities in Cork and Belfast is a landmark for co-operation in Ireland, the Minister for the Marine has announced in Belfast.
The oil exploration initiative (arranged through the Marine Institute of Ireland, Harland & Wolff, University College Cork, and Queen's University Belfast) was formally launched when Dr Woods met the shipbuilders' head, Mr Per Nielsen, to discuss "emerging projects" yesterday.
The bodies will co-operate in a new concept in offshore engineering being developed at the shipbuilders to enable the cost-effective exploitation of oil and gas fields in harsh waters and deep water locations for the benefit of "the island of Ireland".
The project will use the Ocean Wave Testing Basin at UCC to study the effect of waves on the vertical walls of a new generation of off-shore drilling and production platforms know as the FOBOX. Harland & Wolff will fund the work.
Mr Nielsen said the project, and other developing initiatives, were designed to "ensure that the maximum benefits of oil and gas exploration activity taking place both offshore and onshore Ireland flow to the island of Ireland as a whole".
The Minister, whose visit to Harland & Wolff was described by his Department as historic, said: "This initiative brings together Irish innovative technology and engineering expertise and the commercial and industrial strengths of Harland & Wolff to develop the Irish offshore sector for the benefit of the whole island."
Dr Woods said the technology developed would give UCC engineers a highly valuable service product to offer to marine manufacturers in the international market.
"With some 90 per cent of our territory offshore, research and development of innovative products and services offering value for money and focusing on customer needs is vital to the growth of Irish companies in the marine and technology and offshore exploration fields," he added.
"In the process, employment opportunities for 5,000 people can be created in the sector over the next five years," Dr Woods added. The marine sector is currently worth £900 million a year, and employs 32,000 people, according to the Department.
The Minister said Harland & Wolff would also gain a competitive advantage in the design and building of efficient exploration structures with enhanced safety features.
"Research services of this type have in the past been sourced abroad and therefore this project is a landmark for co-operation in Ireland," added Dr Woods.
"It is fitting that ongoing crossborder co-operation in many areas of mutual interest is now moving offshore to exploit the vast potential of our common marine resource," he said.
