LIT and AIT Confirm Move to Form Technological University Consortium

New Technological University: Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of Limerick Institute of Technology. Picture Sean Curtin True Media.

LIT and AIT Confirm Move to Form Technological University Consortium

Limerick Institute of Technology(LIT) has confirmed that it is forming a consortium with Athlone Institute of Technology(AIT) to develop a new Technological University (TU) for the Midwest and Midlands.

The governing bodies of both institutions met last week and formally confirmed the formation of a new TU consortium. This is the key governance step opening the pathway to commence work on the new university. It follows the announcement by Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, that the government is to make funding of €90 million available for the development of technological universities over the next three years.

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Both institutions made a joint application for funding earlier this year to commence work on the TU consortium. An announcement on this application is expected to be made by the government shortly.

Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of LIT welcomed the move as ‘generationally significant for the Mid-West’.
Commenting on the announcement, Professor Cunnane said, “LIT and AIT are now set on a trajectory towards achieving Technological University designation. This approach allows us to develop a unique new Technological University that will have a clear regional focus with a national and international outlook.

“LIT and AIT’s application is aimed at developing a new unique university with a strengthened regional focus that will benefit our staff, our students and the communities we serve,” he added.

“Our intention is to build a new type of networked university with the River Shannon forming its spine. We will enhance our regional focus and our collaboration with partners here in the Mid-West.

“This puts us in a position to provide accessible Higher Education to a large portion of the country’s population while strengthening our commitment to our regions. This is an approach that has increasingly been taken in the formation of new universities in Europe, and we see a major benefit for our stakeholders by adopting it in Ireland,” he continued.

“Collaboration is at the heart of this networked university – a collaboration with our partners in Higher Education, in industry, our communities and government,” Professor Vincent added.

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