Trinity College Dublin has begun construction a set of new buildings on campus as part of plans to increase capacity in STEM courses by 1,600.

The 7,300 square metre Martin Naughton E3 Learning Foundry will house education and research activities across the Schools of Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Computer Science & Statistics.

The new facility is named after philanthropist Dr Martin Naughton of Glen Dimplex and the Naughton Foundation, while E3 stands for Engineering, Environment and Emerging Technologies.

The project was funded through a mix of donations from the Naughton Foundation and other philanthropists as well as €15 million from Higher Education Authority.

Based on detailed research, the college expects strong demand at undergraduate and postgraduate level for STEM courses from prospective students both here and overseas.

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The facility is being built by JJ Rhatigan and will be one of the most sustainable large buildings in Ireland, according to the college.

Provost Dr Patrick Prendergast commented: “I believe that technology, developed and applied by humans who respect the natural world, can and will create many of the solutions to today’s environmental and societal problems.

“The Martin Naughton E3 Learning Foundry is a very tangible step to produce excellent graduates with the necessary tools to solve the challenges that have become all too obvious. We’ve adopted the expression ‘balanced solutions for a better world’, and I’m happy, but not surprised, to see how many of our young people have already shown an interest in studying courses in these areas to find and develop those solutions.”

Photo (l-r): Patrick Prendergast, Dr Martin Naughton and Trinity Provost-elect, Dr Linda Doyle. (Pic: Fennells)