Ireland’s largest green technology research and development and training facility was officially opened in Enniskillen yesterday (Wednesday).

The £1.5 million Centre for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies (CREST) is situated at the South West College’s Skills Centre site and provides specialist education, training and R&D support to help small and medium-sized firms compete in the multi-billion pound renewable energy and sustainable technologies sector.

Led by South West College, CREST operates across a network of educational institutions including Cavan Innovation and Technology Centre, Sligo Institute of Technology and Dumfries and Galloway College in Scotland. These partners have a strong track record of engaging with businesses to support innovation in the field of sustainability. Collectively, they will aim to draw upon significant academic resources and facilities to ensure that a high quality service is available to SMEs.

Director of SWC Malachy McAleer hopes that the project will herald new phase of collaboration between SWC and Queen’s University and Ulster University “that will deliver quality higher education directly to the people in this region.” CREST Programme Manager Tim Stokes believes it will help support job opportunities in the fast-growing renewable energy and sustainable technologies sector.

Staffed by a multi-disciplinary team of sustainability and innovation professionals, the cross-border facility is supported by the EU INTERREG IVA programme managed by the Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB) with match funding from the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in the Republic of Ireland. The centre was officially opened yesterday (Wednesday) by Chris Hines, who was formerly the Sustainability Director at the Eden Project in Cornwall. CREST provides industry R&D, demonstration and testing facilities for new renewable energy products and sustainable technologies. The facilities include laboratory space, testing equipment, demonstration technologies and the assistance of technical staff to help bring ideas and concepts to the next stage of development.