Prof Dan Kilper, Connect

Prof Dan Kilper appointed new Director of Connect

Appointment follows centre securing €39m in government funding
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Prof Dan Kilper, Connect

26 February 2021

Prof Dan Kilper has been appointed as Director of Connect, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Future Networks & Communications, hosted by Trinity College Dublin. Prof Kilper will also hold the position of Professor of Future Communication Networks in Trinity’s School of Engineering.

Prof Kilper comes to Connect from the University of Arizona where he held a research professorship in the College of Optical Sciences, and a joint appointment in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He also holds an adjunct faculty position in the Data Science Institute at Columbia University, where he is a co-principal investigator on the Cosmos advanced wireless testbed. He was lead PI on the founding project of SFI’s US-Ireland Research and Development Partnership and has served in leadership positions in multiple international university-industry research centres including participating in Connect’s precursor, CTVR, while at Bell Labs.

Earlier this month Simon Harris, Minister for Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science, announced a six-year €39 million investment in Connect through the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres programme. This investment is expected to be matched by another €60 million in industry partnerships and non-exchequer, non-commercial funding.

Prof Kilper said: “Connect has a strong international reputation for academic excellence and extensive engagement with industry, and I intend to build on this.

“I am also looking forward to furthering the impact of Connect’s research: already the Centre has produced five spinout companies which employ 41 people, with a further 14 people to be hired in 2021. Over €14 million has been invested in the Centre by 44 companies, and Connect’s researchers have won over €25 million in non-exchequer, non-commercial awards mainly from the prestigious Horizon 2020 fund. This is an impressive track record.”

Prof Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, said: “Prof Kilper brings tremendous experience from his research in the fields of optical and wireless networks. We are excited that Connect’s creative research programme will be led by a director with an outstanding international reputation for innovation in this space.

“Prof Kilper has already had an association with Science Foundation Ireland in his capacity as the lead Principal Investigator on the founding project of our successful US-Ireland Research and Development Partnership, and I am delighted to hear that he has plans for further collaborations.”

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