In a recent article by Karlin Lillington in the Irish Times on 2nd April 2010, the now retired from a 36- year career with IBM, Pat Toole was still central to IBM’s decision, announced last week, to create a €66 million 200- job Dublin Smarter Cities Technology Centre that will look at how to build and manage core systems for transport, water, energy and communication.

Fifteen years ago, as a senior vice-president in the company, Toole was pivotal in the decision in 1996 to expand vastly IBM’s Irish presence from a sales organisation to a 2,000-plus manufacturing and, eventually, research campus.

When he retired, he worked on the Irish government’s Foresight committee and, five years later, was involved in the establishment of Science Foundation Ireland. He has advised IDA Ireland, Forfás and the Taoiseach.

“I’m interested in nano science and I follow [nano science research centres] Crann [at Trinity College] and Tyndall [at UCC]. And I was asked to Farmleigh.”

Read the full Irish Times article.