New facilities which cost €15 million were opened at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) yesterday.
The investment includes €10.5 million in a new 3,000 sq m information and communications technology building. The Minister for Education, Ms Hanafin, said this was a particularly significant addition to WIT, and its growing contribution to the area's economic, social and cultural development.
She said WIT, with over 6,000 full-time and 4,500 part-time students, had established itself as a major educational hub for the south-east, with a critical role as a driver of innovation and a magnet for investment.
"The south-eastern region and this gateway city of Waterford needs a vibrant and progressive Waterford Institute of Technology to continue to produce quality graduates at all levels as we seek to respond to the demands of our modern knowledge economy."
The information and communications technology building is named after Co Waterford-born Nobel physics laureate Ernest TS Walton, and will cater for 600 students and staff. It has 18 large computer laboratories.
Ms Hanafin said the development of the Walton Building, along with the construction of a €4.5 million 1,200 sq m gallery restaurant, brings total State investment under the National Development Plan in the WIT campus since 1997 to almost €52 million.
WIT has signed bilateral collaborative agreements with a wide range of partner institutions, including established universities such as Oxford and Trinity College Dublin, as well as newer centres like Nanjing University of Science and Technology.
WIT director Prof Kieran R Byrne said the new facilities were milestones in the institute's development, and were proof of its preparedness for the future.
"They also display our determination to press on with opening up opportunities that are relevant to our students and the society we serve.
"The Walton Building is a key step forward in the institute's evolution as a centre of excellence, with special competencies in the ICT arena."
