From Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan today gave Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) the green light to begin the process of appointing an Executive Management Team.
This will kick off the process to begin the open recruitment of senior positions to the executive management team within the university.
Speaking today, Minister O’Donovan said:
“I am delighted to announce that Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) can as of today, begin the process of appointing their senior management team.
“The successful applicants will emerge from competitive and open recruitment processes to perform the vital functions of managing and developing this important sector.
“The roles of senior executives will involve working across multiple campuses and will be critical in fulfilling the regional mission of Technological Universities, a mission that the founding TU Presidents have been tirelessly working towards to ensure balanced regional development.
“Balanced development which will directly benefit regional industries and communities is a goal firmly embedded in the new draft Programme for Government and one that we are fully committed to bringing to fruition through support for this innovative sector.
“I would like to thank TUS President Professor Vincent Cunnane for his extensive leadership since his appointment.”
President of TUS Professor Vincent Cunnane said:
“I am delighted with this announcement, which is most welcome as a key enabler for the evolution of TUS and indeed for the entire Technological University sector.
“What this means is that we can now put in place an organisation structure that enables us to deliver for all of our stakeholders and benefits our region. I look forward to building on this announcement to fully realise the potential of TUS.”
Additionally, today Minister O’Donovan has also announced sanction for similar teams for 3 of Ireland’s 5 Technological Universities:
Following the passage of the Technological Universities Act 2018, a network of 5 TUs was established across the country spanning 25 campuses creating the infrastructure and potential to bring the advantages of university-driven applied skills and innovation to communities across the country. In order of establishment, these TUs are:
1. Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) (January 2019);
2. Munster Technological University (MTU) (January 2021);
3. Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS) (October 2021);
4. Atlantic Technological University (ATU) (1 April 2022); and
5. South East Technological University (SETU) (1 May 2022)
Additionally, on 1 November 2023, St. Angela’s College, Sligo was incorporated into ATU, the first such incorporation under an amendment to the TU Act 2018 introduced via the HEA Act 2022.
TUS was officially opened on 1 October 2021, with the formal dissolution of Limerick Institute of Technology and Athlone Institute of Technology and their incorporation into the new technological university. It encompasses six campuses spread across four counties: Limerick (x2), Athlone, Thurles, Clonmel, and Ennis. TUS has approximately 14,000 students spread across its six campuses and nearly 1,800 staff.
The first and current President of TUS is Professor Vincent Cunnane, former President of Limerick Institute of Technology and VP Research at UL where he worked for almost 20 years.
To support the reform of the sector, a number of funds have been made available. Initially, in 2013/2014 – 2019/2020, investment of €31 million was made into the technological sector as part of the HE Landscape Fund. TUS was awarded €2 million under this fund. Dedicated funding for the TUs would follow between 2020/2021 and 2022/2023, when funding of €90 million was dispensed via the Technological Universities Transformation Fund (TUTF). This funding was utilised to provide financial support for the TUs during their establishment phase. Of the funding offered by these two programmes, TUS received €2 million under the HE Landscape Fund and €15.7 million under TUTF.
To support this consolidation and expansion, TUTF was replaced by the Technological Sector Assistance Fund (TSAF). This was launched on 20 July 2023, with applications submitted by 5 TUs and the two IoTs. The TSAF made €50 million available for the technological sector. €29,903,000 was allocated in 2024, and the remaining €17,297,000 to be allocated in 2025. Of this, €7 million in total has been allocated to TUS.
In 2024, the department announced an €83.68 million regional funding programme called the Technological University Research and Innovation Supporting Enterprise scheme (TU RISE). TU RISE is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the Southern, Eastern & Midland and the Northern & Western Regional Programmes, and is supported through the European Regional Development Fund. The funding will enhance central research functions in higher education institutions in the technological university sector to further institutions’ engagements with their regions over a five year period (2023-2027). TUS was allocated €13.6 million in total via the Northern & Western Regional Programme.
This approval has involved an extensive organisational review process and draws on the recommendations and principles of the 2022 OECD report and the TURN report (2019) both of which identified new management structures as necessary to lead the range of strategies required by TUs to pursue their unique missions, values and ambitions.