An IT industry veteran with over 20 years’ managerial experience with companies like Broadcom and Ericsson has been selected to head up the Government’s €25m National Digital Research Centre (NDRC), which replaces the failed MediaLab Europe.
NDRC chief executive Ben Hurley (pictured) previously held several chief executive and senior roles with companies like Innovada, Broadcom, Sepro and Ericsson.
Trinity graduate Hurley has extensive experience in technology start-ups, having worked in entrepreneurial capacities spanning commercial and technological roles and taking companies from start-up through to exit.
The NDRC is the Government’s replacement to the disastrous MediaLab Europe which cost the exchequer around €50m and collapsed amidst the dotcom downturn in 2002.
It will be run as an independent company and is based on a consortium of third-level institutions that successfully tendered for the job.
The aim of the NDRC is to engage in practical and collaborative research straight through to commercial application “all under one roof”.
“I am very enthusiastic about working with such an experienced and progressive group of key industry and academic players and my role in leading the NDRC to address this important challenge,” Hurley commented.
“It is important for Ireland to have a national focal point to address the gap between research and commercial potential in digital media technologies and I believe the NDRC is positioned to do just that,” Hurley added.
By John Kennedy
