Landmark €43m Glassworks hub opens on former Waterford Crystal site with jobs boost

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin officially opened a €43m flagship building on the former Waterford Crystal site on Monday, marking a major milestone for the city.

The new Building One at Glassworks is the first phase of Ireland’s first co-located university enterprise quarter, located on the historic manufacturing site on the outskirts of Waterford.

The development will eventually house 800 employees, almost two decades after the closure of the iconic Waterford Crystal facility.

Glassworks forms part of a 37-acre enterprise and innovation campus beside South East Technological University (SETU), which is expected to have capacity for up to 6,000 employees.

“By bringing together cutting-edge enterprises and SETU side by side at Glassworks, this innovative development will help drive high-quality employment, economic growth, research and education in Waterford and across the south east region,” the Taoiseach said.

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The campus aims to take inspiration from global models such as the University of Nottingham’s Innovation Park and the Cortex innovation district in St Louis, Missouri.

The first commercial building has been developed by a joint venture between the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) and Waterford-based developers Frisby, and is expected to be more than 50pc let by next month.

A partnership with SETU has already attracted clinical eye care provider Veonet Ireland, which will open a day hospital unit in the former Crystal showrooms.

Veonet Ireland CEO Frank Doheny said the location will play a key role in linking education, research and clinical practice.

“Glassworks will be a space that links education, research, industry and clinical practice,” he said.

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SETU is also planning a new course in optometry, as demand grows, with the Department of Health highlighting a need for a 63pc annual increase in student places by 2030.

The 80,000 sq ft Building One is Waterford’s first purpose-built BER A3-rated office building, meeting LEED Gold and WiredScore Gold standards.

Planning permission has also been granted for a 582-bed student accommodation development on adjacent lands.

SETU President Professor Veronica Campbell described the project as a “gamechanger for the South East”.

“Designed to transform collaboration between academia and enterprise, it will significantly elevate the region’s innovation capability,” she said.

Frisby director Noel Frisby Jnr said the development will allow research, creativity and business ambition to thrive, while ISIF said the project will support high-value jobs and long-term regional growth.

Further buildings are expected to be developed on the site in the coming years, creating space for businesses, researchers and students as the campus expands.