Focus and vision inspire support for GT Ireland

Dan Treadaway
Communications
& Marketing

As the global economy has dramatically expanded over the past two decades, Georgia Tech has been a highly visible leader among American universities in taking full advantage of that unprecedented growth.

Through the creation of Georgia Tech-Lorraine in Metz, France—and the subsequent opening of Georgia Tech-Singapore—the Institute began offering unique opportunities for groundbreaking research, high-tech economic development, and student learning.

Tech’s global outreach took a bold new step in 2006 when the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) opened Georgia Tech-Ireland in the city of Athlone. GTRI, originally known as the Engineering Experiment Station, now employs more than 1,200 and tackles some of the world’s toughest problems for government and industry. GTRI’s first applied research facility outside the United States, GT Ireland is focusing on digital media, radio frequency identification (RFID), biotechnology, and energy. GTRI was recruited by IDA Ireland, the economic development agency of the Irish government, to help bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization.

GT Ireland is a start-up venture that will require visionary donors who see the value of investing in a new research model while providing opportunities to learn from and to help shape one of the great economic success stories in the modern era. Ireland has transformed itself from a very poor country to a worldwide leader in one generation.

Tech alum H. Allen Ecker executive vice president of Scientific-Atlanta, is a former GTRI employee who was attracted to GT Ireland because of its potential to transform the evolving marketplace for Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).

“I believe IPTV is going to be a major force in the telecommunications industry in the way in which television will be delivered to consumers,” Ecker said. “GT Ireland is providing a very good foundation for this important new technology for the future delivery of television. In addition to the value of this specific project, the Irish government has done an
excellent job in promoting new technology and making it very attractive to establish development programs jointly with them. Many companies such as Cisco, Microsoft, and Intel are now partnering with the Irish government and have facilities in Ireland.”

Ecker has committed to support early-stage IPTV research at GTRI and GT Ireland for the next five years. Another early GT Ireland donor, Loraine Williams, is the widow of Thomas R. Williams, former chairman of Wachovia, president of The Wales Group and a board member of American Software Inc. until his death in 2002. Williams was initially motivated to support GT Ireland in large part because of her deep family ties to the country.

“My late husband was a Tech alumnus, and our son-in-law is Irish,” said Williams. “My husband was the honorary Irish consul and was involved with helping several companies move their European headquarters to Ireland.”

Williams’ gift to GT Ireland provides support for a Tech student intern working in Ireland. The first Williams intern worked in Ireland last summer.

“If we want to get the Georgia Tech name out there as a world-class institution, it’s important to give to initiatives like GT Ireland,” said Williams. “Ireland is becoming a major center for international investment and research, and Georgia Tech needs to take advantage of that.”