€35m energy research initiative will create 87 jobs

US GROUP United Technologies announced yesterday that it will establish a research centre in Cork in a €15 million investment that will create 37 jobs.

It will also become the founding member of the International Energy Research Centre (IERC) – a new €20 million Government-funded initiative – based initially at Cork’s Tyndall National Institute.

The IERC will focus on energy and security research nationally across a range of centres in other universities, according to a spokeswoman. It will also bring in private partners who will participate directly in research projects.

“There are contracts on the table but not yet signed,” the spokeswoman said yesterday after the announcement.

The Government funding will create 50 research jobs over the next four years. Unusually, the money will come directly from the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and of Communications rather than through an existing research funding body.

Ministers Batt O’Keeffe and Eamon Ryan were on hand to launch the initiative.

United Technologies, which is the 17th largest manufacturer in the US, is a global provider of high-technology products and services to the building systems and aerospace industries. Its principal operating units include Otis, Carrier, UTC Fire and Security, Pratt Whitney, Hamilton Sundstrand, Sikorsky and UTC Power. The company employs more than 200,000 people and operates in more than 70 countries.

“Establishing a hub for European collaboration in Ireland will help accelerate technologies addressing renewable energy, energy efficiency and integrated building systems,” said Dr David Parekh, director of the United Technologies Research Centre, which employs more than 500 people in the US and Shanghai.

“Taking advantage of Ireland’s agility, as well as Europe’s commitment to ‘clean’ technology, we intend to demonstrate emerging technologies on a scale ranging from individual buildings to district-wide applications,” he said.