The Cork Constraint Computation Centre (4C) at University College Cork has been gaining accolades from Irish industry recently for its efforts to generate economic value in Ireland through various research projects.
4C, together with Irish software company TreeMetrics, won an it@cork Leaders Award for its work on the use of artificial intelligence and optimisation technology in forestry.
With two areas of expertise combined from both 4C and Treemetrics, a forest is scanned to predict the number, shape and density of trees and how this will affect the outcome of logs as well as what time of year is optimal for cutting.
The second award won by UCC was the Irish Software Association Student Medal 2007, given to postgraduate student Alan Holland on 9 November for his development of “the most innovative and commercially viable software project”.
After receiving assistance from both Enterprise Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland, while working on his project, Holland is now working on obtaining an Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund Technology Development Grant.
The area under development is Robust and Expressive Combinatorial Auctions for Procurement, which, it is hoped, will save Cork City Council millions in procurement costs.
By Marie Boran
