IBM sets up water centre in Dublin

IBM is to set up a Centre of Excellence for Water Management in Dublin, in collaboration with the Industrial Development Agency of Ireland. Its main focus will be on  on innovative research and services for monitoring, managing and forecasting environmental challenges such as the movement of pollutants in fresh water, marine and oceanic environments.

One of the first projects  is a collaboration with the Marine Institute, Ireland, on its national research SmartBay project, which is under development at Galway Bay. The project uses a network of sensors to monitor and manage data such as tidal flow, wave height, temperture and phytoplankton.

The Dublin Centre will also foster collaboration across Irish small and medium enterprises , government agencies and key academic collaborators including Dublin City University, University College of Dublin, and the Tyndall Institute at University College, Cork to improve water quality and water system performance.

“The Marine Institute’s aim is to create a mind shift in the way we view our marine sector in terms of economic opportunities through the application of knowledge. Our collaboration with IBM is a good example of increasingly sophisticated technology being applied to marine stewardship and management activities – the research and development of which offers a significant new opportunity for Irish industry,” said Dr Peter Heffernan, CEO Marine Institute Ireland.

“The novel environmental technologies that will emerge from the collaborations around the SmartBay platform will create new business for Irish technology companies as well as enhancing the viability of the seafood, shipping and water monitoring sectors.”