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UCC’s Environmental Research Institute launches new Strategic Plan 2018-2022
UCC President Pat O’Shea officially launched the ERI’s new Strategic Plan for 2018-2022 on Dec 4th in the Aula Maxima. The plan outlines a re-focusing of the research activities of the flagship Institute to address three core environmental challenges, Climate Action, Circular Economy and Healthy Environment, which align with the major international environment and climate change programmes and initiatives such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement and the 7th EU Environment Action Programme.
Originally established in 2000, the ERI has grown considerably over the past 17 years and currently brings together over 300 researchers drawn from 17 UCC Schools and Departments and affiliated research centres including; the MaREI Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy, the Centre for Research on Atmospheric Chemistry (CRAC), the Aquaculture and Fisheries Development Centre (AFDC), the UN Environment GEMS/ Water CDC (UN GEMS), the Cleaner Production and Promotion Unit (CPPU) and the Centre for Law and the Environment (CLE).
The ERI has a unique and outstanding physical space for conducting research. The Institute has substantial research facilities at its two dedicated buildings on the Lee Road, Cork and the Beaufort Building, Ringaskiddy along with environmental research facilities across UCC campus. The ERI Buildings have over 7000 m2 of offices, laboratories, workshops and incubation suites for industry. The Beaufort Building houses Ireland’s National Ocean Test Facility (LIR-NOTF) which has a suite of state of the art wave tanks and electrical rigs to support the offshore renewable energy sector and the maritime industry.
Across the Institute’s considerable base of knowledge and expertise, the ERI has core competencies in five broad research platforms of Environment, Energy, Marine, Materials, Agriculture & Food. Over the next 4 years the Institute will be drawing on the strengths of this multidisciplinary team to develop comprehensive solutions to the most pressing environmental challenges facing society today.