A new €86 million science and engineering research institute has been officially opened by the Taoiseach at the University of Limerick.
The Bernal Institute will be home to UL's Materials and Surface Sciences Institute, the Stokes Research Institute and the Bernal Project.
260 researchers will work in the 20,000 square metre building, including seven world-leading scientists recruited as Bernal Professors.
Three more of these specialist professorial chairs remain to be filled.
Among the areas of research being carried out in the building are advanced materials, processing engineering, fluid dynamics and manufacturing.
New materials for rechargeable batteries, pharmaceutical manufacturing research and a new metallic alloy for medical devices are some of the projects being worked on.
The Institute has been awarded substantial infrastructural funding by the Higher Education Authority's Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions.
A major focus of the centre will be partnerships with industry that lead to useful real-world applications, and the Institute has research partnerships with over 70 companies.
