Plans Progress for Future Living Laboratory And Digital Suite at ATU Galway
Plans are progressing for a new building project in Atlantic Technological University (ATU) under the Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund (TSSPF). The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, announced the project during a visit to ATU Galway City yesterday (Monday 12 December 2023), the location for the building project.
The investment will provide for the addition of a living laboratory encompassing cross-disciplinary facilities focused on sustainability and a digital technology suite, including classrooms, to significantly increase ATU’s capacity to design and deliver on-line/blended learning.
The proposed building is to be constructed in the north-western quadrant of the Galway campus near the Ballybane road entrance, on a highly visible site. It is planned to extend to approximately 4,100 square metres in area, over three storeys, and provides an opportunity to design and construct a building to leading aesthetic, sustainability, and usability standards.
Minister Harris said: “The funding will allow ATU Galway enhance the digitalisation capability especially in relation to more flexible offerings such as micro credentials, serving the needs of a dispersed learner population in the region they serve. It is through multi-million euro investments such as this that we will truly change the student experience for the better, by providing the highest quality of infrastructure. ATU is transforming education for its region. It is expanding its presence, growing its student numbers and making a significant impact here and abroad. This project ensures it continues to be a driver of regional and national development.”
“The HEA in advancing these capital proposals, is playing a crucial leading role in rolling out the Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund ensuring a pipeline of key strategic projects that delivers for our learners and our economic and societal needs.”
President of ATU Dr Orla Flynn welcomed the announcement: “We are delighted to hear that we can progress to the next stage of our proposed new Future Living Lab – this cross-disciplinary new facility will build on global themes of sustainability and digitalisation. It will also address significant space constraints on our Galway City campus, in relation to space and quality of infrastructure for teaching and learning.
“We are extremely grateful to the Minister, to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and the Higher Education Authority, for their support in bringing this project to fruition.
“My thanks also to everyone across ATU for their collegial engagement on this project, and we look forward to work commencing as soon as possible.”
Ciarán McCaffrey, Head of Capital Programmes in the HEA added: “We welcome today’s announcement that the Atlantic Technological University Future Living Laboratory will progress to the next stage of development under the HEA’s Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund (TSSPF).
