A civil engineering firm specialising in enormous public infrastructure projects is expected to confirm a multi-million euro investment in the University of Galway today, Thursday May 28.
The new Ward & Burke Centre for Infrastructure Research and Innovation will advance studies into the impact and innovation of sustainable, intelligent and resilient infrastructure.
A figure for the university’s collaboration with the Kilcolgan-based multinational has not been revealed, but its most recent ‘Signature Partnership,’ with Medtronic, was an investment in the campus valued at €5 million.
The announcement, by engineering giant Ward & Burke, falls on the birthday of Michael O’Shaughnessy, the Galway university-trained engineer credited with modernising San Francisco’s rail and sewer scheme, and proving the feasability of its famous bridges, including the iconic Golden Gate.
As part of this latest Signature Partnership, the new Ward & Burke Centre will be established to build on existing strengths?at the university’s School of Engineering across civil and mechanical engineering, water and wastewater research, geotechnics, construction innovation and data driven engineering technologies.
It will also focus on water systems, underground construction, climate resilience and digital engineering.
A new civil engineering professorship has been created by the investment, with Brian Sheil, an alumnus of University of Galway, appointed as the first to hold this role. The research centre will be led by Professor Sheil, and Professor Eoghan Clifford, Head of Civil Engineering.
President of the University of Galway, Prof David Burn, said the establishment of a new engineering professorship would itself attract new talent, including world-class academics, postdoctoral researchers and PhD students.
“This transformational philanthropic commitment from Ward & Burke marks a major milestone for University of Galway, and for the future of civil and infrastructure engineering in Ireland,” he said.
Ward & Burke employs 1,200 people, across Ireland, Britain, and North America. The firm was founded by two university of Galway graduates Pádraig Burke and Michael Ward, and already has a 25-year research and recruitment relationship with the college, according to Professor Laoise McNamara, the college’s incoming Vice President for Research and Innovation.
Last year, Ward & Burke’s revenues surged 21 per cent to €647 million, generating pre-tax profits of almost €45 million.
Its clients include Uisce Éireann, the OPW, the Department of the Marine, the Port of Cork and a number of county councils. In Britain, it works with Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and United Utilities. It recently completed the €76m Athlone main drainage scheme, has a €135m contract with the City of Calgary in Canada, and is working on a €100m project to update the sewers of Cincinnati, Ohio.
In 2019, Ward & Burke and University of Galway academics shared an Engineers Ireland prize for their work on an international project to reduce sewage overflows into rivers and estuaries. It was implemented in London’s recent major sewer renovations, and is credited with reducing pollution of the River Thames.
