Limerick Institute of Technology’s Director of Industry Engagement Seamus Hoyne has been appointed LIT’s new Dean Flexible and Work Based Learning.
A native of Ballacolla in Laois, Seamus is respected throughout Europe for his work in renewable energy and energy management.
In 1998, Seamus was appointed the Managing Director of the Tipperary Energy Agency (TEA) and grew the organisation from its initial concept to one of the leading Energy Agencies in Ireland and Europe.
He was received the Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Energy from SEAI in November 2020.
He began his career as a Mechanical Engineer with Masters in Renewable Energy and Energy Management, and now comes to the position of Dean Flexible and Work Based Learning at LIT, as a highly experienced manager with 25 years’ experience in energy, education and flexible learning environments.
He has developed extensive networks regionally, nationally and internationally in the sustainable energy and higher education fields, and has acquired a thorough knowledge and experience of European and national funding schemes, with experience of coordinating large scale multi-national projects.
Seamus has coordinated or partnered more than 30 EU funded Research and Development projects in his career.
From 2017 to 2021 he was Development and Public Engagement Manager in LIT and has grown the LIT Development Unit to include a team of 20 staff working across projects in Sustainable Energy, Climate Action, Social Enterprise and Technology.
Last year this Development Unit worked on over 28 projects, with a total combined value of €33 million.
Seamus Hoyne has also worked across Horizon 2020, Interreg, Erasmus+ and other programmes providing strategic and project management, technical input and leadership.
He is joint Principle Investigator for the Centre for Energy Efficiency and Deep Decarbonisation (CEEDD) which focuses on supporting individuals, communities, businesses and industry to achieve energy transition goals.
He continues to be Chair of the Board of Directors of the Tipperary Energy Agency and Secretary General of FEDARENE, European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and the Environment.
Speaking about his new role as LIT Dean Flexible and Work Based Learning, Mr Hoyne said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to lead a dynamic team who are enabling the growth and development of flexible and work-based learning in LIT.
“The Department of Flexible Learning, working closely with academic departments across the Institute, engages with industry, enterprise, agencies and the public sector to deliver on-line, blended and flexible learning programmes designed to respond to the needs of the region.
“The Careers and Employability Service at Limerick Institute of Technology works directly with companies and organisations that wish to recruit LIT graduates or to arrange valuable work placements.
“Both outward facing teams are a key part of LIT’s commitment to ensuring our academic programmes are aligned with sectoral needs and support the socio-economic development of the region.”
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