A lecturer in Strategic Management at Waterford IT says the former Waterford Crystal site could have given the institute the space to grow.
Owner Noel Frisby received planning permission this week to refurbish the offices and showrooms in Kilbarry.
He envisages that the building will be used for IT companies with the potential for up to 700 staff.
Dr Ray Griffin had hoped the government would acquire the site for WIT:
"I would have made the argument in the past that it's the cheapest way to develop a broad university that could take 12,000 students; a kind of UL university in the south east, at the kind of price that it would probably be available. It's an opportunity site and it appears the State isn't that interested in pushing on with that type of development for WIT."
But he says the building could form part of an IT hub:
"I can understand the developer has to move and take his opportunities where he can. I suspect he still has an awful lot of ambition for an interaction between WIT and whatever client companies might emerge there."
