Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Cluster (IMERC)

Established in 2010, IMERC is Ireland's Maritime Cluster which has the ambition to become a global maritime and energy hub. The Cluster plans to have a new campus built in Cork harbour by 2025 which will be home to a diverse mix of office, research and development, training, military and visitor activities and has the potential to support up to 3,000 jobs. IMERC developed in the context of the global economic downturn which hit Ireland particularly hard and forced those in the public sector and education to come up with new ways to generate economic growth from the ground up. Together University College Cork (UCC), Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the Irish Naval Service (INS) have a wealth of critical mass in the maritime sector. By working together through IMERC, these organisations can leverage their skills and expertise to drive investment into and grow Ireland's maritime sector. IMERC has a strong commercial aspect with seven companies already incubating on the campus and an industry network of over 200 companies. IMERC will seek to create jobs addressing the key areas of Marine Energy; Maritime Security and Safety; Shipping, Logistics and Transport; and Marine Recreation. The expertise within the cluster provides a unique mix of academic, end-user and professional elements focused on transforming traditional institutional approaches to problem solving.