Prof William Scanlon. Image: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision
Prof William Scanlon will use his decades of expertise to lead the team at Tyndall.
The Tyndall National Institute has appointed a new chief executive to lead its 500-strong team of researchers, engineers and support staff. Prof William Scanlon is taking the reins as CEO, having moved from Queen’s University Belfast, where he was most recently head of the school of electronics, electrical engineering and computer science.
He also co-founded a spin-out company, ActivWireless. It focused on real-time location systems and held engineering roles with Siemens, Nortel and Osram.
Decades of experience
Scanlon has more than 30 years’ combined experience in both academia and industry and has a great deal of expertise in research commercialisation.
Connected health, mobile networks, localisation and wireless body area networks have been key areas of Scanlon’s experience and research publications. His internationally leading research expertise spans RF (radio frequency) and microwaves, antennas and propagation, mobile communications, sensors and wearables.
Chair of Tyndall National Institute, Eoin O’Driscoll, noted that Scanlon’s strong commercialisation background is a major win for the organisation. He spoke of his confidence that Scanlon would help to “deliver economic impact through research excellence”.
Extensive facilities
Based in University College Cork (UCC), the centre’s facilities include an extensive laboratory infrastructure incorporating a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) fabrication facility, micro-systems fabrication, compound semiconductor fabrication, e-beam, component packaging, reverse engineering, electron microscopy and an extensive range of other advanced analytical and test facilities.
The university’s president, Pat O’Shea, said: “This appointment will greatly benefit Tyndall and UCC and will help strengthen our significant contribution to the local and national economy.
“We are confident Tyndall will continue to excel under Prof Scanlon, particularly as the institute develops its new strategic plan and undertakes an exciting and ambitious expansion as recently outlined in the Government’s National Development Plan.”
Tyndall as a global innovation forerunner
Scanlon himself said: “Tyndall has an enviable reputation for research excellence and impact around the world, and I am hugely excited and honoured to take up the role of CEO.
“I look forward to working with the team here, collaborating with existing and new partners as well as engaging closely with industry to further enhance and develop Tyndall’s position as a forerunner in global innovation and research commercialisation.”
