[citation needed] The presence of the institute was a consideration in the decision of UNUM (strategic software services centre, 2008) and Merck Sharp & Dohme (human vaccines and biologics, 2007) to locate in Carlow.

[citation needed] IT Carlow has a portfolio of almost 100 Masters, Honours & Ordinary Degree and Higher Certificate courses delivered by 9 different departments and campuses.

In 2015, IT Carlow launched its €5.5million Centre for Aerospace Engineering, comprising an avionics workshop and fleet of aircraft inside its own hangar.

It Carlow offers degree courses in aerospace engineering and pilot studies, while its BEng in Aircraft Systems is the only one of its kind in Ireland.

[citation needed] The institute has been planning a joint application with Waterford IT for the formation of a technological university for the south east region since the mid-2010s.

[9][10] A vision document, "Technological University for the South East" (TUSE) was published in 2015, and a memorandum of understanding was signed in 2017.

[11] At the launch of TU Dublin in July 2018, the Taoiseach expressed regret that this TUSE bid had not progressed sufficiently following the "Technological Universities Act 2018".