Taoiseach Micheál Martin visited Maynooth University for a celebration to mark its 25th anniversary as an independent institution.
The Taoiseach also officially opened the new Technology, Society and Innovation (TSI) Building, Maynooth’s landmark infrastructural development designed to enhance the University’s excellence in research, education and skills development for future generations.
The Taoiseach officially opened the new 10,500 square metre Technology, Society Innovation building, which will house living labs and break out rooms for interactive research, three large theatres of 500, 300 and 250-seat capacity, and research spaces for students, academics and innovations with industry partners. It also includes a spacious outdoor plaza alongside for gatherings, cultural activities, events and performances.
This latest capital development on the University’s North Campus will help to meet the capacity needs of a rapidly growing student population, rising to 15,000 this year, from 4,000 in 1997 when Maynooth was established as an independent institution.
Congratulating Maynooth University on its 25th anniversary and on its latest TSI building, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, TD, stated: “I’m delighted to be here to celebrate Maynooth’s 25th anniversary and to open the new Technology, Society and Innovation Building. Maynooth has always played a pivotal role in Ireland’s education system, and its influence has grown nationally and globally, making a significant and distinctive impact on Irish society. This is a fantastic resource and innovation space for future generations to study, explore and contribute to Ireland’s workforce and innovation needs, as we move towards a digitally advanced and sustainability-focused society. Maynooth University offers important strengths in those areas and I look forward to the contributions of its graduates and its academics over the next 25 years and beyond.”
Welcoming the Taoiseach and guests, Maynooth University President, Professor Eeva Leinonen, said: “A key strength of Maynooth University is exploring the interaction between technology and humans to the benefit of society, everything from drone technology to data privacy, and climate change. So, it is incredibly fitting today, as we celebrate a quarter of a century as an independent university, that we open the Technology, Society and Innovation Building, showcasing those strengths and signifying our embrace of the future.”
In line with Maynooth University’s green campus and sustainability approach, the TSI Building is heated by air source heat pumps, and includes green roofs, a solar PV array, and rainwater harvesting. Designed as a ‘Nearly Zero Energy Building’ (NZEB), the TSI Building is expected to achieve Excellence in Energy Efficiency Design (EXEED) and Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) “very good” certification.
Main image: Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Maynooth University President, Professor Eeva Leinonen
Photo: Maxwells
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