piCES launch

WIT TSSG nets €1.8m to develop smart energy network

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Pictured: Senator Paudie Coffey; Tim James MHPA; Marie Harnett, Southern Regional Assembly; Tomas Cooper, BIM; Sean Lyons, WIT; and Dr Monjur Mourshed, Cardiff University

6 July 2017

Waterford Institute of Technology’s Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (TSSG) is to lead a €1.8m EU-funded project, piSCES, which will support the investigation of climate change on both sides of the Irish Sea.

The funding will also be used to develop and test a smart grid electricity network to help reduce energy costs for the fisheries industry in Ireland and Wales. TSSG are lead investigators on the piSCES project which will have a significant impact on the overall fisheries industry in Ireland.

The project followed the operations first Steering Group meeting held in Dublin. Senator Paudie Coffey formally launched the piSCES Project, which involves innovative collaboration in the smart energy sector between WIT, Cardiff University, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Port of Milford Haven. It is funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Cooperation programme.

Sean Lyons, Tech Lead at TSSG, opened the launch proceedings by saying, “I would like to acknowledge the support of the Interreg programme which has a strong track record in supporting regional development initiatives in the past and is now supporting new technologies and knowledge transfer to help meet our climate change obligations”.

As a former Minister of State in the Department of Environment, Senator Coffey helped steer the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act through the Oireachtas in 2015.

He discussed how piSCES relates to government policy in relation to skills, the environment and the low carbon economy as he officially launched the project.

Senator Coffey said “Ireland faces huge challenges in achieving their climate change obligations to reduce our carbon emissions – innovative projects like piSCES can help us achieve carbon reductions in specific industries like the fishing sector, by delivering smart energy management systems that benefits the industry itself and delivers on tangible carbon reduction in our economy.”

David Kelly, assistant director, EU Programmes Division of the Southern Regional Assembly, said: “This project is a great example of how organisations collaborating across the Irish sea, with the support of EU Funds, can innovate together to assist SMEs address common challenges of reducing energy costs whilst also reducing their carbon footprint.”

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