Visualisation Centre to offer UK's best facilities. Check it out:
(Western Mail Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Building work on a multi-million-pound development at a Welsh university is under way.
It is hoped the development at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, will put Wales at the forefront of the use of 3D technology.
The beginning of work on the project, which is being funded with pounds 6m from the Welsh Assembly Government, including pounds 4.4m from the European was marked by Vice-Chancellor Professor Noel Lloyd.
He said, 'This new centre will provide a world-class virtual-reality environment unequalled in the UK with the capacity to solve complex problems and improve the profitability of the business sector in Wales.'
A total of pounds 10.4m is being invested in the Centre of Excellence for Visualisation at the university's Penglais campus.
The Visualisation Centre is known as See3D and will operate as a department in the University at Aberystwyth, offering its services to commercial and other outside organisations as well as the university's own academic departments.
The centre will provide a 'world-class' virtual reality environment in which to solve complex problems and create products through 3D visualisation.
The university said more than 100 jobs will be created by the development, which will include:
A domed 3D reality theatre and a Fakespace CURV immersive environment - a large curved screen facility;
Fully immersive and interactive projection produced with Fakespace Powerwall displays;
High-powered computing equipment for processing large data;
Computing equipment and workstations for a personal virtual reality experience;
Offices, workshops and workstations for individuals and groups of visualisation users.
The work of building and equipping the new centre is expected to be completed by next September.
Andrew Davies, Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks, said he was pleased to see work under way for such an important project which, he said, would place Wales at the fore- front of the global visualisation sector.
Professor Noel Lloyd, the vice-chancellor of Aberystwyth, said, 'This is a significant new development for the university, which will establish Aberystwyth as a centre of national importance in this field and at the forefront of visualisation technologies.
'It will enhance the university's profile in research and development and contribute to the economic development of Mid and West Wales and of the whole of Wales.
'The university is an important force for economic development in Mid Wales in its role as a large employer, in training a skilled workforce, and in helping local companies enhance and develop their use of technology.'
The Visualisation Centre is the latest in a series of high-profile plans announced by the university.
Earlier this year, Aberystwyth announced a series of joint research ventures - with both universities investing millions of pounds in the developments.
The two universities are getting pounds 10m from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.
The plan includes a joint research management structure, the appointment of a partnership director and the development of a joint research strategy.
Joint research projects will be carried out in environmental science, materials science and the arts and humanities.
Copyright 2006 . Western Mail & Echo Ltd
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