National Digital Research Centre
Encyclopedia
The National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) is a private non-profit company located in Dublin, Ireland, founded in 2006.
The NDRC concentrates on applied digital technology with a commercial focus and an emphasis on industry collaboration. In that respect it is similar to Germany's Fraunhofer Society
although it is far smaller in scale.
The NDRC's funding is mostly from the Irish Government
although a portion is from private sources.
.
and its dissolution in 2005. Although criticised for a slow start, NDRC announced in November 2009 that it had completed its first investment tranche and had 17 project investments completed to a value of €12M.
, National College of Art and Design
, Institute for Art Design and Technology in Dun Laoghaire
, and Dublin City University
.
The Centre collaborates with a significant number of Irish SMEs as well as having ongoing relationships with Microsoft
, Google
, and IBM
, all of whom have European headquarters in Dublin.
The NDRC concentrates on applied digital technology with a commercial focus and an emphasis on industry collaboration. In that respect it is similar to Germany's Fraunhofer Society
Fraunhofer Society
The Fraunhofer Society is a German research organization with 60 institutes spread throughout Germany, each focusing on different fields of applied science . It employs around 18,000, mainly scientists and engineers, with an annual research budget of about €1.65 billion...
although it is far smaller in scale.
The NDRC's funding is mostly from the Irish Government
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
although a portion is from private sources.
Research Focus
The Centre's research is highly applied, and a commercial or socially-sustainable outcome is the specific goals of all NDRC research projects. Less emphasis is placed on traditional measures of academic merit such as publishing papers or supervising graduate education, although these are still important aspects of NDRC's day-to-day activity. According to the Irish Times, NDRC projects "are operated as unincorporated joint ventures. They take technology ideas developed in academia and advance them to a stage where they can be commercialised as a product or service."Size and Location
The Centre employs around 100 research staff. It is unusual for a research institute in that a significant minority of research staff are from business rather than academic backgrounds. The NDRC's main facility is the 18th-century former Guinness Brewery hop store, now part of the Irish Digital Hub and the former location of MIT's Media Lab EuropeMedia Lab Europe
Media Lab Europe was a research institute in Dublin, Ireland based on the MIT Media Lab. It went into voluntary liquidation early in 2005....
.
History
NDRC was founded following failure of Media Lab EuropeMedia Lab Europe
Media Lab Europe was a research institute in Dublin, Ireland based on the MIT Media Lab. It went into voluntary liquidation early in 2005....
and its dissolution in 2005. Although criticised for a slow start, NDRC announced in November 2009 that it had completed its first investment tranche and had 17 project investments completed to a value of €12M.
Collaborations
NDRC is owned by a consortium of five Irish research universities, Trinity College Dublin, University College DublinUniversity College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, National College of Art and Design
National College of Art and Design
The National College of Art and Design is a national art and design school in Dublin, Ireland.-History:Situated on Thomas Street, the NCAD started as a private drawing school and has become a national institution educating over 1,500 day and evening students as artists, designers and art educators...
, Institute for Art Design and Technology in Dun Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
, and Dublin City University
Dublin City University
Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...
.
The Centre collaborates with a significant number of Irish SMEs as well as having ongoing relationships with Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, and IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, all of whom have European headquarters in Dublin.