Mary Harney, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment today (Monday, 25th January 1999) officially opened the Resource and Training Centre for Automation at the University of Limerick. The Centre is a joint initiative between Festo and Limerick University.

Speaking at the opening the Tánaiste said "I am pleased to be with you today to open this Centre. The promotion of close collaboration between industry and the third level sector is a vital ingredient of our national innovation programme. The growing linkage between business and third level colleges is most encouraging; the linkage between the University of Limerick and Festo reinforces this very desirable co-operation."

The Tánaiste continued "The Government has made major commitments to investments in education and training in recent years. The upgrading of skills, through education and training, are key priorities for productivity and competitive advantage. Availability of the requisite skills is a key factor in enabling companies to meet the ever increasing demands of the marketplace. Festo's commitment to training is to be commended."

Festo is a family owned multinational company based in Germany and employing over 7,000 world-wide. The company have long been recognised as leading manufacturers of pneumatic products; they are to the forefront of technological developments, especially in the automation area, and are market leaders in the innovative combination of pneumatic and electronic technology. Festo provide an extensive range of industrial automation training courses and many Irish crafts people and engineers have received City and Guilds accreditation through Festo Ireland's training courses.

The University of Limerick, like other new European universities, has sought to be relevant to the times and to the nation's needs, and to provide its students with education to the highest levels in the application as well as the acquisition of knowledge. Today, education and related research continue to be the University's central purpose, with relevance to the practical world as a guiding principle.

Concluding the Tánaiste said "Finally, I would like to commend Festo on their generosity in presenting the University with leading edge training equipment for the Centre and I wish everyone involved in the Centre every success in the years ahead."