NUI Galway’s new Engineering Building was the venue today for the official launch of the University’s Engineering Innovation (Electronic) degree. The four-year course will deliver graduates with business and innovation skills alongside traditional engineering capabilities.

The programme was officially launched by Mike Conroy, General Manager of Cisco’s Global Product Research and Development in Galway. Cisco is a $40 billon global leader in internet, corporate and consumer information technologies.

Speaking at the event, Mike Conroy said: “An innovation culture is imperative for building new start-ups and attracting FDI inward investment into Ireland. Innovation is driven by the intersection of talented engineers and visibility to key business problems and opportunities. Cross-disciplinary education in technology and innovation, like in this NUI Galway programme, is a great example of this as innovation needs to be at the heart of everything we do at all levels of education. I expect all graduates from this programme to have excellent prospects.”

The multi-disciplinary Engineering Innovation (Electronic) degree came on stream at NUI Galway in 2009, and its students are being educated and trained in core Electronic Engineering areas in parallel with modules in Business & Finance, and Design & Innovation. Graduates from this new programme may choose to go the entrepreneurial route and set up their own innovative electronic businesses, or to leverage their business skills in an existing engineering SME or multinational company.

Electronic engineering solutions are integral to a wide range of devices including laptops and internet tablets, media players and mobiles, pacemakers and life-support systems, automotive electronics and environment monitoring solutions. The NUI Galway programme will ensure that in designing new electronic systems and devices for worldwide markets, engineers will be equipped to consider both the technical and financial considerations associated with successful product design.

NUI Galway’s Dr John Breslin, course director said, “Industry feedback has told us that a multi-disciplinary approach to engineering education can provide a massive boost to job prospects. The Higher Education Authority also says that there is a need for greater emphasis on critical thinking, capacity for analysis and entrepreneurial perspectives in Irish engineering courses.”

He added: “The figures regarding employment in the technology sector are very encouraging for current and future students. 5000 jobs have been created in this sector since 2010, according to the Director General of Engineers Ireland, and the Director of ICT Ireland recently stated that there are about 3500 open jobs within the information and communications technology sector at present.”

For admission to the BE in Engineering Innovation (Electronic), applicants must satisfy the Matriculation requirements of NUI Galway in six subjects including Irish, English, Mathematics and a Laboratory Science subject. The minimum requirements are the same as for the other Engineering Degree programmes at NUI Galway and include at least a C3 in Higher Level Mathematics, or a pass in the NUI Galway Special Entrance Examination in Mathematics. There is also the option of a fifth year of study to achieve a Masters qualification.

An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny will officially open NUI Galway’s state-of-the-art Engineering Building in July.