Background
An integral element of the Shannon Development Knowledge Network, the National Technology Park is a Science and Technology Park with a difference. Since its inception in 1984 as Ireland's first science and technology park, the National Technology Park has become home to a growing and influential nucleus of high-technology and knowledge-based companies. With over 80 organisations employing over 3,000 skilled people, the Park has a balanced mix of multinational subsidiaries, Irish technology companies, R&D entities and support services, which occupy more than 30 buildings with a total floor area of circa 1.5 million sq.ft.
I.C.T., healthcare and e-Learning are the dominant sectors at the National Technology Park. The philosophy underpinning the National Technology Park is to have a cluster of like-minded, entrepreneurial, creative and growing companies.
Location
Managed by Shannon Development in close partnership with the University of Limerick, the National Technology Park is a 650 acre parkland site, which is situated on the N7 (Limerick Dublin Road), just 5 Km from Limerick City (the capital of Ireland's Shannon Region). Shannon International Airport, which is 30 Km from the Park.
Physical Environment
The University of Limerick is at the heart of the National Technology Park's 650 acres site, which is bounded by the Rivers Mulcair, Shannon and Groody on the Eastern, Northern and Western sides and by the N7 (Limerick Dublin Road) on the Southern side. Rich in natural vegetation, historical and archaeological features, the Park's natural quality has been enhanced through a landscaping and walks development programme to give it a high amenity character. The Park's management company (The National Technological Park Plassey Ltd.), which is a wholly owned subsidiary company of Shannon Development, works with various partners to provide a world-class business environment, which is networked to a modern University Campus. The physical master plan for the Park, combined with strict tenant eligibility criteria and development guidelines, ensures the very finest location for modern, technology companies.
Services
The National Technology Park provides a range of Park services including property planning, marketing, linkages to third level colleges, and I.T. services. The Park's management company is responsible for the overall, physical planning and development of the Park. In addition, the Park provides security services, landscaping and general maintenance of the Park's communal areas. The Park engages in a marketing programme, which is designed to promote and maintain the National Technology Park as Ireland's premier location for technology businesses. There is close cooperation with our IDA colleagues, whose Mid West Region office is based on the Park, in the marketing programme.
Through its membership of Science & Technology Park organisations such as the Association of University Related Research Parks, the International Association of Science Parks. (of which National Technology Park was a founder member) and the United Kingdom Sciecne Parks Association, the Park's management company is constantly bench-marking the Park with developments at overseas parks, so that the Park maintains its world-class, leading-edge position.
The National Technology Park promotes the development of linkages between the Park's client firms and Limerick's third level colleges the University of Limerick and the Limerick Institute of Technology. As a result of the creation of a number of joint ventures between Shannon Development and third parties, broadband connectivity is available to firms operating at the Park.
Lifestyle
In Limerick City - the Sporting Capital of Ireland its residents and visitors are spoiled for choice, when it comes to recreational and sporting pursuits. The athletic and sports facilities of the University of Limerick are available to client firms of the Park. There is also a range of mapped, leisure walks, which have been set-out on the National Technology Park's beautiful, scenic landscape.
For those interested in the performing arts, Limerick City has a number of fine theatres and entertainment venues including the University of Limerick Concert Hall and the Belltable Arts Centre, which host both Irish and internationally-acclaimed acts. Lovers of ballet, opera and classical, traditional and rock music are well-catered for in Limerick. Limerick City, which has a wonderful range of shops, offers a wide choice of accommodation options varying from modern apartments to private houses at prices to suit all budgets. The City's splendid restaurants and hotels, including the Castletroy Park Hotel and Conference Centre and the Kilmurry Lodge Hotel (both located on the National Technology Park), offer excellent food, accommodation and leisure facilities.
Business Accommodation
The National Technology Park has been designed to meet the needs of high-technology and knowledge-based businesses by providing low density development in a high quality parkland environment. The Park provides a range of flexible business accommodation options for eligible activities.
Sites
Fully-serviced, industrial sites of 0.5 acres and upwards (in a quality landscaped environment) may be purchased or leased at the Park on which clients may construct facilities for approved usages. All construction work at the Park is subject to the Design Guidelines prepared by the Park's management company.
InnovationWorks Limerick
InnovationWorks Limerick is a core entity of the National Technology Park. This digitally-networked Incubation Centre provides an integrated system for incubating and growing knowledge-based high potential companies. Business accommodation is an element of this system.
InnovationWorks Limerick is an integrated element of the Shannon Development Knowledge Networks, working to create Ireland’s most dynamic and exciting world-class locations for living and working in the knowledge age. Formerly known as "The Innovation Centre" – Ireland's first digitally-networked business incubation centre – InnovationWorks Limerick was established by Shannon Development in 1980 at the National Technology Park.
InnovationWorks Limerick is a licensed member of the E.B.N. – the European Community's Network of Business Incubation Centres (BIC) and of the N.B.I.A. – the National Business Incubation Association, U.S.A. Shannon Development was a founder member of EBN, and the then Innovation Centre was chosen as the prototype BIC for Europe by the European Commission in the early 1980’s.
It is an ideal location for growing high potential, technology and knowledge-intensive companies, InnovationWorks Limerick also provides its clients with international market and technology access through the network of 110 B.I.C's located throughout Europe.
Finding the right people in the right place is crucial to the success of any enterprise, and each InnovationWorks location enjoys close links with third-level colleges across the Shannon Region. As well as the access to a highly-skilled graduate labour pool that this provides, the culture of synergy between the colleges and the InnovationWorks facilities helps foster the entrepreneurial environment that is vital to today’s fast growing enterprises.
Quality Offices, Facilities & Services
• InnovationWorks Limerick offers a range of flexible office units that incorporate leading-edge facilities management and telecommunications services.
Office Infrastructure
• Structured CAT6 UTP cabling.
• Self-contained, fully-networked business units.
• Each office linked to central communications unit.
• Multiple offices can be interconnected using VLANs.
Business Support Services
• BW/colour photocopier.
• Shredding, scanning, faxing and mail franking.
• On-site parking and security.
• 24hr, 7day access.
Telephony
• Direct Dial Inwards (DDI).
• Voice Mail and Caller Display.
• Audio-conferencing.
Network Facilities
• Connected to Limerick Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). Each unit supplied with 24 port 10/100 ethernet switch.
Audio/Video Facilities
• Conference room for up to 100 people.
• Meeting room for up to 12 people.
• Corporate presentation facilities.
• Video conferencing over ISDN and IP.
• TV, Video and DVD.
• Conference catering facilities.
Occupancy Terms:
Client occupation of InnovationWorks is governed by a licence agreement, renewable annually. The maximum period of occupancy is 3 years. All lettings will be governed by the Tenant Eligibility Criteria. As their needs evolve, occupiers may migrate from business starter units to business expansion units.
Property Brokerage
The Park's Management Company provides a brokerage service with private sector developers by arranging for customised business accommodation to be constructed to individual client specifications.
Telecoms
The National Technology Park was Ireland's first, digitally-networked, technology park. In the mid 1990’s, a joint-venture between Shannon Development and Esat Business resulted in a broadband fibre-optic ring being installed at the Park, which gives the Park's firms access to a range of integrated broadband services including: business voice, managed bandwidth, broadband L.A.N. interconnect, A.T.M. and frame relay, and Esat Net (e-mail, internet access and web hosting services, I.S.D.N. and dial-up connections).
The availability of this digital network facilitates the Park's firms in exploiting the immense opportunities, which exist to develop and expand their firms by embracing the potentials of e-business.
Networks
The Park networks with a number of third level colleges and organisations in Limerick including:
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick (UL) was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and classified as the University of Limerick in 1989. The University which is at the heart of the National Technology Park. From the outset, there were close relationships between the University and Shannon Development. It was the relationship between these two institutions, together with IDA provided the dynamic for the establishment of the Park. A central activity for the Park's Management Company is to ensure the optimum usage of University resources and services by client companies.
The University of Limerick is an independent, internationally focussed university with over 11,300 students and 1,300 staff. It is a young, energetic and enterprising university with a proud record of innovation in education and excellence in research and scholarship. Its mission is to promote and advance learning and knowledge through teaching, research and scholarship in an environment which encourages innovation and upholds the principles of free enquiry and expression. The University of Limerick offers a range of programmes up to doctoral and postdoctoral levels in the disciplines of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business, Education and Health Sciences, Science and Engineering.
The University is situated on a superb riverside campus of over 133 hectares with the River Shannon as a unifying focal point. Outstanding recreational, cultural and sporting facilities further enhance this exceptional learning and working environment.
The University offers a range of programmes to doctorate and post-doctorate levels in the disciplines of Business, Education, Engineering, Informatics & Electronics, Humanities and Science. University of Limerick undergraduates participate in a Co-Operative Education Programme of placement in industry, commerce and the professions. Almost 2,000 undergraduate placements are made annually among a network of over 1,000 employers (in Ireland and abroad) in one of the largest Co-Operative Education Programmes in Europe.
Research activity is central to the University's mission, combining excellence with application to real-world issues. In this context, industrial and social needs can be met by the broad range of fundamental and applied research activities provided through the University's Research Centres. The broad strategic research areas of the University are: Complex Computer Systems, Entrepreneurship, European Studies, Materials and Surface Science, Music & Dance and Teacher Education.
The existence of this strategic research base enables industry to access these technologies more easily, both for innovation in existing products and developments into higher value-added areas.
The extensive information resources of the University can be accessed via the Business & Technical Information Services Unit (BTiS). This service is widely used by companies in accessing patent information, technical standards data and published corporate information.
The University's Department of Adult and Continuing Education aims to offer lifelong learning opportunities through the provision of award-bearing courses for individuals, who wish to upgrade their skills, and a range of self-development, leisure-learning courses. This Department also acts as a one-stop shop for companies and organisations that wish to source education and training with the University.
The University's 18th Century Plassey House, which accommodates the University's administrative centre, is at the heart of the fine country estate on which the Park has been developed. Today, Plassey House is also home to the University Club, which gives representatives of Park organisations, the academic community and visitors a place to meet, dine and interact.
Limerick Institute of Technology
The Limerick Institute of Technology has campuses at Moylish Park and Clare Street in Limerick. The Institute offers a range of courses to Diploma and Degree level in Science and Information Technology, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Communications, Mechanical and Automobile Engineering, Management Studies, the Built Environment, and Art and Design.
Contact Details
The National Technology Park, Limerick is the ideal location in which to work, live and recreate. Your firm can also benefit by being located at the National Technology Park.
Take your next step, contact:
Joan Corcoran,
Marketing Executive,
Shannon Development,
National Technology Park,
Limerick, Ireland.
Tel.: +353 061 503000
Fax: +353 61 338065
Email: Click Here