LIMERICK'S links with South Africa are to be strengthened with a joint university initiative under the wing of one of the world's largest multinationals.
The establishment of a Chair of International Entrepreneurship, involving the University of Limerick and a South African university, was announced yesterday by Dr Hilton Davies, who led South African investment in Shannon 37 years ago. He was in Limerick for a mayoral reception to mark his retirement as executive chairman of the Boart Longyear Group.
"We have put enough money together to get it off the ground and we will be announcing the joint initiative later in the year" said Dr Davies. The international linkup is being supported by the Chairman's Fund at Anglo American Corporation of South Africa, the parent of Boart Longyear Group and De Beers Industrial Diamonds.
"We hope to create new ideas, grow our business and transplant some of your ideas to South Africa", said Dr Davies.
Boart Longyear at Shannon already funds a professorship at the University of Limerick, and the National Technological Park on the Plassey campus was chosen for the technical centre base for research and development for the group.
Dr Davies said he was "staggered" by the changes in Limerick. "When we came here in 1960, Limerick was a grey and drab place, and one wondered what it would take to shake up a city like that and get it into the 20th century.