Irish universities have dismissed new claims that some of their research projects are closely linked to the arms trade and military industry.
The study is published today by Afri, a non-governmental organisation, which campaigns for peace and human rights. It said links have been uncovered in EU-funded research in aerospace and other high-tech areas. The report said a Galway-based material testing facility, established by the Government, NUI Galway and other industrial partners, had "institutionalised" the link between universities and BAe Systems Airbus, which is linked to the military industry.
However, the three universities named in the report, the University of Limerick, NUI Galway and UCC, rejected the allegations. The report said two aerospace projects at the University of Limerick were linked to firms involved in the arms trade, while the university's department of electronic and computer engineering was listed as a member of the Aerospace Control Research Network.
This body, the report said, is made up of many industrial members principally concerned with weapons development, such as BAe Systems Military Aircraft Division, Qinetiq, the British ministry of defence's military research company, and GKN-Westland, helicopter manufacturers. However, Prof Mark Davies, head of the University of Limerick's aeronautical engin-eering department, refuted suggestions that its research would in any way benefit military products.
He said all EU research was barred from funding military research and that the university's relationship with such companies was to do with civil aviation programmes. "Such programmes are vital for the improvement of the safety and efficiency of civil aircraft and are therefore, in my view, beyond criticism," Prof Davies said.
Afri's report, Death from a Distance: the ongoing militarisation of Ireland, also says UCC's National Micro-electronics Research Centre (NMRC) was involved in research projects which included firms linked to the military industry.
The report said the centre's involvement in a research project, launched in January 2001, linked it to a number of firms involved in military aircraft or helicopter manufacturing.
The NMRC has previously denied that any of its testing or research for leading multi-nationals constituted a military link, although a spokesperson was unavailable to comment yesterday.
The Composite Testing Laboratory, established in NUI Galway in 1997, provides testing of materials for the aerospace industry, was also named in the Afri report. A spokesman for the laboratory said that, to the best of its knowledge, it was not involved in testing which contributed to the development of specific military products.
"CTL Ltd is an independent accredited facility which carries out mechanical testing of composite materials.
"These are carried out to various international standards," a spokesman said. "It is usual that we would not be informed as to the application of a particular set of materials tests."
Mr Joe Murray of Afri said the report showed a "largely hidden dimension" to the country's educational activity.
"Irish universities have a clean reputation in terms of their research and a very good reputation generally, but this is being contaminated by involvement with the arms industry," he said.
He added that it was not too late for universities to disengage from companies in the arms trade.
