December 6, 1999
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MIT Chooses Dublin to Host Counterpart of Its Media Lab
By a WALL STREET JOURNAL Staff Reporter
DUBLIN -- Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Ireland agreed to
base MediaLab Europe, a counterpart to the MIT Media Laboratory, in
Dublin.
The center will receive about $35 million in seed money from the
Irish government; $10.8 million of that will be paid to MIT.
Recruitment of faculty and students is planned for the spring.
Founded in 1985, the MIT Media Lab has attracted attention for its
research into advanced technologies. To date, most funding has come
from private industry. MIT said the collaboration marks the first
time the Media Lab has agreed to help reproduce its research culture
abroad.
An MIT spokeswoman said the university was in talks earlier with
officials in Sweden and Germany, but it settled on Ireland for its
European partnership. She said MIT also may establish similar
agreements in Asia and Latin America.
MIT Media Lab Director Nicholas Negroponte will serve as chairman and
acting executive director of the European cousin, and the
laboratories will share access to research they conduct during the
first 10 years of collaboration.
MediaLab Europe will focus on Internet technologies and interactive
and multimedia applications. Costs of running the lab for 10 years
are expected to total about $166 million, most of which will come
from research contracts and sponsorships.