In 1989, excited at the prospect of technological progress, I chose to study computer science. I spent years in machine rooms and labs in the 'Science End' and eventually built a reading machine to allow blind people to access printed material.

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Many friends and fellow students have gone on to work all over the world in technology and to create their own successful businesses based on the start they got here in TCD.

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More recently as Minister of State for Cybersecurity and Communications in the last government, I've been invited frequently to College to see what's been going on and to hear about the constant need for guaranteed research funding from the Irish Government to cement Trinity's status as a premiere research institution but also to unlock partnerships and funding opportunities at home and abroad.

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To infinity & beyond:

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Quantum Communications Infrastructure (QCI) came to me seeking matching funding from the government for their project and I have been instrumental in co-funding them with €10m shared between my department- The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the European Commission, 

 

This project is working to create an innovative quantum technology ecosystem, future-proofing Ireland’s communications infrastructure against cyber-attacks.

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The QCI project is a classic example of how Trinity operates in the research space: outward-looking, creative and collaborative.  Partners include the Walton Institute at SETU, UCC’s Tyndall National Institute, UCD, Maynooth University and the Irish Centre for High End Computing at University of Galway, and industry partners HEAnet and ESB Telecoms. 

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These academic and industry specialists are pooling their expertise and resources to achieve success in adding an extra security layer to Ireland’s communications infrastructure and the data it transmits. Trinity is the 'magic ingredient' in bringing these organisations together and giving them the status needed to attract major research funding.

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