The former boss of Intel and a leading physicist from Cork are to share this year's Science Foundation Ireland St Patrick's Day Medal.
Dr Craig Barrett and Professor Séamus Davis are to receive the accolade from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade at a ceremony in Washington DC today.
Originally from San Francisco, Dr Barrett is being recognised for his role in the development of Intel at Leixlip in Co Kildare since 1989 and his work to promote Ireland as a technology hub.
UCC graduate Professor Séamus Davis, is being honoured for his work merging cutting-edge technology with the exploration of the fundamental laws of quantum physics.
This is the third year that the medal, which recognises the extraordinary contributions made by US-based scientists, engineers or technology leaders with Irish connections, has been presented.
It is, however, the first time that two people - one from industry and the other from academia - have been honoured together in the same year.
According to SFI Dr Barrett, a former chairman, chief executive officer and president of Intel, has contributed significantly to the Irish high-tech industry, playing a pivotal role in the establishment of Intel's European manufacturing base in Leixlip.
He has also been responsible for the promotion of Ireland around the world as a high-tech centre, it says.
Originally from Skibereeen and now based between Cornell and St Andrew's Universities and the US Department of Energy, Prof Davis has been leading his field of research in modern physics globally for over three decades.
According to SFI he is most notable for his inventive and wide-ranging contributions to the physics of quantum materials, with work that focuses on the exploration and visualisation of electronic structure and behaviour at the atomic level, and the exotic new forms of quantum matter found in these advanced materials.
"The Science Foundation Ireland St Patrick's Day Science Medal recipients have illustrated the power and impact of international collaboration in science and industry and have proved how Ireland can play at the highest level in this sphere," said Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the government.
"The global reach and influence of the Irish diaspora in supporting Irish scientific research both academic and industrial is vital in developing Ireland's future scientific achievements. "
The medal itself was commissioned by SFI in consultation with the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland and made by jeweller Martina Hamilton, based in Co Sligo.
