News Release -
Bre Ireland launches a New Era of Sustainable Development
BRE, the University of Limerick (UL) and Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) today (21 February 2007) launched BRE Ireland as the new independent, authoritative Irish body that will set the standard for sustainability, innovation and enterprise for Irish construction.
BRE Ireland will operate as a centre of excellence, providing certification for new building innovations, products and training and ensuring standards of service within the industry are maintained and developed. The organisation will work with the Government and regulators, building contractors and clients, designers and products manufacturers, to provide solutions through a mixture of advice and consultancy, research and development, testing and certification. The profits from BRE Ireland’s trading activity will be split between the BRE Ireland Trust and the BRE Trust and the two charities will collaborate in supporting research and education within the industry in Ireland.
Kevin Thompstone, Chief Executive, Shannon Development, welcoming the setting up of BRE Ireland said “Shannon Development has always sought to use its property portfolio as an infrastructural catalyst for economic growth, from the creation of the Shannon Free Zone in the 1960’s up to our current property driven projects, such as our Knowledge Network of large scale technology parks, and in smaller scale infrastructural projects such as our E-Towns projects in villages and towns in our region. The quality of our built environment, and how we manage it, will be of vital importance in the development of this Region. The establishment of BRE Ireland, together with the involvement of LIT and UL in teaching and research in the built environment sector, bodes well for the future development of the built environment in this Region”
“The establishment of this organisation is vital in Ireland today given the rapid growth in the level of activity in the construction sector. BRE Ireland will work towards sustainable environment innovations within the building industry, which are particularly important with the dawn of the energy rated house. We at UL are very happy to be partnering LIT and BRE in this much needed initiative,” said Professor Don Barry, President-Designate, University of Limerick.
Dr Maria Hinfelaar, Director of the Limerick Institute of Technology, in welcoming the formation of BRE Ireland, stated that the initiative has the potential to promote Limerick and the LIT and UL to the forefront in training, education and research in the Built Environment and by building on existing research strengths in partnership with BRE will develop a centre of Built Environment expertise and technology in Ireland.
Guy Hammersley, Chairman of BRE Ireland added “BREs mission is to build a better world – we plan, along with our Irish partners, to provide a range of services to the hugely prolific Irish construction industry that have become so important as the industry strives to build and refurbish in a more sustainable way – we are very excited about this venture.”
The objectives of BRE Ireland are to:
- Develop and deliver a range of consultancy services specifically in regard to sustainability to meet the current and future needs of all stakeholders in the Irish Construction Industry.
- Encourage and facilitate all types of innovative practice throughout the Irish Construction Industry.
- Promote enterprising activities and facilitate the commercialisation of such practice by means of testing, and appropriate third party approval and certification.
- Undertake a range of activities including education and training that promotes a proper awareness of all aspects of sustainability.
- Seek to play a key role in relevant Government led initiatives on sustainable development or innovation in the built environment.
- Participate in strategic research to underpin the Construction Industry
- Seek to collaborate with partners from across industry and academia throughout Ireland.
Further information on BRE Ireland can be obtained by telephoning +353 (0)61 208 821, e-mailing info@bre.ie or from the website www.bre.ie
Pictured at the launch of BRE Ireland were (l-r) Dr Maria Hinfelaar, Director of the Limerick Institute of Technology, Mr Willie O’Dea TD, Minister for Defence, Professor Don Barry, President-Designate, University of Limerick, Guy Hammersley, Chairman of BRE Ireland, and Kevin Thompstone, Chief Executive, Shannon Development.
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