Welcome announcement on Munster Technological University

Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, has welcomed the announcement that Cork Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Tralee have submitted a formal application to seek designation as the Munster Technological University. This will create a new type of higher education institution to meet enterprise needs and drive regional development.

However, Ibec has warned that the MTU will require significant public investment if it is to reach the scale needed to attract top academic talent and compete in the challenging international research environment.

Ibec Senior Regional Policy Executive, Helen Leahy, stated: “The MTU should drive improved performance while stimulating the development of a new type of institution with a distinct mission and character that differentiates it from existing institutions. These include a strong regional and enterprise focus.

“It offers considerable scope to improve how business and education institutions work together on a range of issues including the development of more ‘work-ready’ graduates, employee upskilling, more effective knowledge transfer and an emphasis on close-to-market research.”