Minister Bruton announces partnership between AMBER SFI Research Centre and Northeastern University

13 March 2019

New partnership between AMBER and Northeastern University Boston to develop joint research, education and strategic opportunities in sectors including climate change.

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton T.D., has announced the signing of a new agreement between Northeastern University, Boston and AMBER, the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Materials and BioEngineering, at Trinity College Dublin.

This initial five-year research and education collaboration agreement aims to foster partnership between the two institutions through the development of research and education programmes promoting academic exchange between Northeastern and AMBER. It marks a significant partnership which will see the development of research and innovation in the field of materials science to address scientific, societal and clinical challenges in the context of the UN Sustainable Development goals and to advance resilience in the face of 21st century risks.

Speaking at a Science Foundation Ireland event in Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, Minister Bruton said: “In the face of growing global challenges, there are huge opportunities for international research collaboration to bring diverse talents together to forge economic and social progress which is compatible with the sustainability of our planet.”

“Breakthroughs in materials technologies underlie many of the advances of modern society,” said David Luzzi, Senior Vice Provost for research at Northeastern University. “Through this cross-Atlantic partnership, AMBER and Northeastern will cooperate to advance materials-science-based technologies and train the next generation of materials innovators. We are delighted to enter into this partnership with AMBER and look forward to a bright future.”

Prof Mick Morris, Director of AMBER and Trinity’s School of Chemistry said “Today represents an important step in building AMBER’s international profile and developing a robust relationship with another world-renowned institution. At AMBER we drive research to impact society and the economy. This partnership will not only foster a research and education collaboration, but will strengthen our impact and amplify academic excellence in important areas of research. By working together across topics such as medical diagnostics, sustainable resource use, as well as more efficient manufacturing and industrial processes, we will be enabling each other to develop and produce cutting edge research in those fields. I look forward to further planning with Northeastern; identifying more of these collaborative research areas and the exciting work our joint teams will produce.”

Commenting on the announcement, Prof Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, said: “Science Foundation Ireland supports world class researchers that are seeking to fully realise their potential without borders. International collaborations are a key mechanism for Institutes to gain access to broad insights and collectively further knowledge for addressing global challenges and I congratulate AMBER and Northeastern on this partnership, which I am sure will produce research opportunities through joint vision, ambition, excellence and impact.”

The Vice President of Global Relations at Trinity College Dublin, Prof Juliette Hussey, welcomed the possibilities for student exchanges that this partnership will bring, saying: “Increasing mobility opportunities for students is a main theme of our recently launched Global Relations Strategy at Trinity College.”