Taoiseach Opens €30 Million NUI Galway Biomedical Science Building Hosting 300 Scientists
From cell structure to spinal scaffolding collaboration across key disciplines aims to bring together researchers with biomedical insights to enrich society
An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD has opened NUI Galway’s €30 million Biomedical Science building that will bring together 300 scientists and researchers. This collaborative approach aims to build on the University’s role at the heart of Galway’s vibrant medtech sector; one of five global hubs in a market worth €95 billion annually in the EU.
The Biomedical Science Building, funded under the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) and co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund will create a platform for discovery, development and delivery. It will build on the output of NUI Galway’s cluster of world-leading biomedical research groups in areas such as regenerative medicine and stem cell research, cancer biology (particularly breast and prostate cancer) biomechanics and biomaterials.
Speaking at the opening, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD said “I'm delighted to be here for the opening of this new Biomedical Science building at NUIG. This development will help build on Ireland's reputation as a location for the medtech sector. Already 250 medical technology companies based in Ireland export €7.9bn worth of product annually and employ 25,000 people, and the Government sees this sector as a key driver of economic growth.”
“The Action Plan for Jobs has delivered on the aim of establishing a Health Innovation Hub and will continue to work with industry to turn more good ideas into good jobs and commercial returns. By bringing the best and brightest together in such an innovative setting there is also real potential here for ground-breaking research to the benefit of humanity" he added.
NUI Galway President, Dr Jim Browne said “This building will see innovation in action. Located in Galway, close to nine of the world’s ten leading medtech companies, researchers at the Biomedical Science building will work on the science which will address some of today’s most pressing biomedical challenges. It is a tangible expression of this University’s commitment to providing the human and intellectual capital needed by the medtech sector here in Ireland.”
Dr Browne noted the generous support of Bank of Ireland for the project. A spokesperson for Bank of Ireland said “We are pleased to have played a key role in bringing this very important project to fruition given its importance to the ongoing development of NUI Galway’s faculties and capabilities. We are confident that this will in turn play a role in supporting the development of key related sectors in the West.”
NUI Galway Vice-President for Research, Professor Lokesh Joshi said "This new development is the result of excellence and success in biomedical research in NUI Galway for the past decade. It marks the beginning of a new era to find synergies among different groups and will enable us to continue to compete successfully for funding from European and other sources. It will also help researchers focus on translating their research into products for societal benefit."
Since the early 2000s the University has developed a complementary range of interdisciplinary research centres and initiatives including:
- National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science (NCBES) www.ncbes.ie
- Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) www.remedi.ie
- Network of Excellence in Functional Biomaterials (NFB) www.nfb.ie
- Applied Glycosciences Research Cluster (AGRC) /www.agrc.ie/
- Centre for Chromosome Biology (CCB) www.chromosome.ie/
- Apoptosis Research Centre (ARC) www.apoptosis.ie/
- BioInnovate Ireland www.bioinnovate.ie
- MeTRIC www.metricireland.ie/
These initiatives have resulted in a world-class clinical, research and people infrastructure at NUI Galway. For example, in the last 10 years the University has made over 60 permanent appointments - strategically focussed in the area of biomedical engineering science – across the Colleges of Medicine, Science, Engineering and Business. In addition many hundreds of research students and post-doctoral researchers continue to be attracted to Galway, representing very significant human capital for Ireland and the medtech sector.
Through a spirit of discovery and delivery NUI Galway seeks to advance the boundaries of biomedical research and contribute to the international scientific community's quest for knowledge. In so doing, the research outputs will advance clinical trials to improve the quality of life of patients and stimulate enterprise creation, generate high-end sustainable employment and add value to the national economy.
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Osclaíonn an Taoiseach Foirgneamh Eolaíochta Bithleighis €30 milliún in OÉ Gaillimh ina mbeidh 300 Eolaí ag obair ó thús deiridh ar thionscadail
Ó struchtúr ceall go scafall dromlaigh, tá sé mar aidhm ag comhoibriú i measc príomhdhisciplíní taighdeoirí le léargais bhithleighis a thabhairt le chéile chun leasa an tsochaí
D’oscail an Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD foirgneamh Eolaíochta Bithleighis, ar fiú €30 milliún é, in OÉ Gaillimh a thabharfaidh 300 eolaí agus taighdeoir le chéile. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an gcur chuige comhoibríoch seo cur le ról na hOllscoile i gcroílár earnáil bhríomhar leighis-teicneolaíochta na Gaillimhe; ceann de chúig ionad domhanda i margadh ar fiú €95 billiún é go bliantúil san AE.
Cruthóidh an Foirgneamh Bithleighis Eolaíochta, atá maoinithe faoin gClár um Thaighde in Institiúidí Tríú Leibhéal (PRTLI) agus cómhaoinithe faoi Chiste Forbraíochta Réigiúnaí na hEorpa, ardán d’fhionnachtain, forbairt agus seachadadh. Cuirfidh sé leis an aschur ó bhraisle OÉ Gaillimh de ghrúpaí taighde bithleighis ardchaighdeáin i réimsí cosúil le leigheas athghiniúnach agus taighde gascheall, bitheolaíocht ailse (go háirithe ailse bhrollaigh agus phróstataigh), bithmheicnic agus bithábhair.
Ag labhairt dó ag an oscailt, dúirt an Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, “Táim thar a bheith sásta a bheith anseo d’oscailt an Fhoirgnimh nua Bithleighis Eolaíochta seo in OÉ Gaillimh. Cuirfidh an fhorbairt seo le cáil na hÉireann mar shuíomh don earnáil leighis-teicneolaíochta. Tá 250 cuideachta leighis-teicneolaíochta lonnaithe in Éirinn cheana féin agus iad ag easpórtáil luach €7.9bn de tháirgí gach bliain agus cuireann siad fostaíocht ar fáil do 25,000 duine, agus tuigeann an Rialtas go bhfuil an earnáil seo ina príomhacmhainn d’fhás eacnamaíoch.”
“Mar thoradh ar an bPlean Gníomhaíochta do Phoist tá Gorlann Nuálaíochta Sláinte bunaithe agus leanfar den obair leis an tionscal ionas go mbeidh poist agus torthaí tráchtála againn mar thoradh ar smaointe maithe eile. Trí na daoine is fearr agus is éirimiúla a thabhairt le chéile i suíomh chomh nuálach, tá féidearthachtaí dáiríre ann do thaighde ar thús cadhnaíochta ar mhaithe leis an gcine daonna”, a dúirt sé.
Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag an Dr Jim Browne, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, “Beidh an nuálaíocht ag feidhmiú san fhoirgneamh seo. Lonnaithe i nGaillimh, in aice le naoi gcinn de na deich gcuideachta leighis-teicneolaíochta is fearr sa domhan, beidh taighdeoirí san fhoirgneamh Bithleighis Eolaíochta ag obair ar an eolaíocht a thabharfaidh aghaidh ar chuid de na dúshláin bhithleighis is mó atá faoi chaibidil sa lá atá inniu ann. Is léiriú inláimhsithe é ar thiomantas na hOllscoile seo ar an gcaipiteal/riachtanas daonna agus intleachtúil a chur ar fáil a theastaíonn ó earnáil an bhithleighis anseo in Éirinn.”
Dúirt an Leas-Uachtarán um Thaighde in OÉ Gaillimh, an tOllamh Lokesh Joshi “Tá an fhorbairt nua seo mar thoradh ar shárchaighdeán agus rath an taighde bithleighis in OÉ Gaillimh le deich mbliana anuas. Cuireann sé tús le ré nua chun sinéirgíochtaí a aimsiú i measc grúpaí éagsúla agus cuirfidh sé ar ár gcumas maoiniú a fháil ó fhoinsí Eorpacha agus ó fhoinsí eile. Cuideoidh sé freisin le taighdeoirí díriú ar a gcuid taighde a aistriú isteach i dtáirgí ar mhaithe leis an bpobal.”
Ó thús an chéid seo tá réimse comhlántach ionad agus tionscnamh taighde idirdhisciplíneach forbartha ag an Ollscoil lena n-áirítear:
- An tIonad Náisiúnta um Eolaíocht Innealtóireachta Bithmhíochaine (NCBES) www.ncbes.ie
- Institiúid an Leighis Athghiniúnaigh (REMEDI) www.remedi.ie
- Gréasáin Feabhais do Bhithábhair Fheidhmeacha (NFB) www.nfb.ie
- Braisle Taighde Gliceolaíochtaí Feidhmeacha (AGRC) /www.agrc.ie/
- An tIonad do Bhitheolaíocht Chrómasóim (CCB) www.chromosome.ie/
- An tIonad Taighde Apaptóise (ARC) www.apoptosis.ie/
- BioInnovate Ireland www.bioinnovate.ie
- MeTRIC www.metricireland.ie/
Mar gheall ar na tionscnaimh seo tá infreastruchtúr cliniciúil, taighde agus daonna ar ardchaighdeán in OÉ Gaillimh. Mar shampla, le deich mbliana anuas tá breis is 60 ceapachán buan déanta ag an Ollscoil - dírithe go straitéiseach ar réimse na heolaíochta innealtóireachta bithleighis - i gColáistí an Leighis, na hEolaíochta, na hInnealtóireachta agus an Ghnó. Chomh maith leis sin mealltar na céadta mac léinn taighde agus taighdeoirí iardhochtúireachta go Gaillimh, rud a chiallaíonn go bhfuil líon suntasach daoine ar fáil anseo don earnáil bhithleighis.
Trí spiorad fionnachtana agus seachadta déanann OÉ Gaillimh iarracht teorainneacha an taighde bithleighis a leathnú agus cur le hiarracht an phobail eolaíochta idirnáisiúnta eolas a chuardach. Mar thoradh air seo, cuirfidh na haschuir thaighde le trialacha cliniciúla chun caighdeán saoil a fheabhsú d’othair agus chun fiontar a chruthú, fostaíocht inmharthana ardleibhéil a chur ar fáil agus luach a chur leis an ngeilleagar náisiúnta.
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