29 December 2022
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
MTU making its mark on the South-West Region with major new campus developments
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, TD, recently announced the commencement of construction of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Building at MTU’s Kerry North Campus and of the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) Building at MTU’s Bishopstown Campus. These projects are part of the first bundle of six buildings in the Government’s Higher Education PPP programme.
MTU’s new STEM Building will consist of a split-level building of three storeys, comprising of lecture theatres, classrooms, machinery workshops, halls and laboratory space. The 8,913m2 development will also include an engineering and agri-tech yard to the rear of the building, with a dedicated access road, entrance plaza and office space, as well as student and staff circulation and recreation spaces. This new facility will further enhance the University, building on its national and international reputation. The construction of a STEM building on the campus will play a vital role in achieving the vision of MTU, significantly enhancing the number of STEM graduates for the region.
The new 6,660m2 LRC Building will provide capacity to expand MTU’s portfolio of programmes and services in business and STEM disciplines, as well as providing enhanced options for student support, industry engagement, entrepreneurship, and research and innovation. It will also provide new options for hosting events and conferences, and its central location on the Bishopstown campus will ensure that it will be fully integrated with existing facilities and services.
Both buildings will be developed in line with the goals and objectives of the recently launched MTU Strategic Plan 2022-2027, entitled “Our Shared Vision”. They will be highly efficient from an energy management perspective and will meet or exceed all relevant standards in this regard. The development of both buildings will contribute significantly to MTU’s capacity to support the strategic needs of the South-West.
Minister Harris said: “This is a really important development in higher education.
“The construction of these buildings on multiple campuses across the country will improve the educational experience for current and future generations of students”
“We look forward to the construction progression of each of these six buildings over the coming years and look forward to welcoming the first students to the new buildings.”
“The future is bright,” said Prof Maggie Cusack, President of MTU. She continued:
“I am delighted to welcome the launch of the new STEM Building and Learning Resource Centre. The delivery of these facilities will ensure that the campuses and physical facilities of MTU continue to develop, adapt and improve to facilitate the provision of a truly great, globally competitive university. This, in turn, will benefit the entire South-West region in terms of its economic growth, future sustainability, and research, learning and employment opportunities for generations of students and staff.”
Chair of MTU’s Governing Body, Jimmy Deenihan, commented: “Following recent announcements of support for MTU, this is another significant vote of confidence in our university. [This] announcement will ensure that MTU will make a huge contribution not just locally and regionally but also nationally and internationally in line with our ambition to make MTU one of the leading technological universities in Ireland with a global reach.”
The construction cost of the six buildings in the bundle is approximately €250M ex vat. The PPP contract has been awarded to the Enbarr Partnership, comprising Macquarie Capital Group Ltd. (equity provider), JJ Rhatigan & Company (construction contractor) and Sodexo Ireland Limited (facilities management).
