Mr. Aidan Gough:

We published a report last week that exactly endorses Senator White's last point. A key criterion for us in working with companies is that the attributes and ambition of the key decision-maker within a small business are absolutely critical to how far that company wants to go. We recognise through our work that there are many small and medium sized businesses across the island where the key decision-makers do have that ambition and we are giving them supports to take that ambition and the potential of their companies as far as it can go. The first step is exporting across the island. We fully agree with Senator White.

There are still barriers to cross-Border trade. There are regulatory differences but by and large, when businesses are aware of them, they can navigate the differences. We see opportunities through much more enhanced co-operation. That is what we are working on. We are trying to create an open system of innovation across the island with the business at the centre. A business in Ballymena may have an idea but it may need research expertise that resides in Cork, or venture capital investment, or some other technical or marketing expertise, to bring that idea to the market. We are trying to put in place the schemes and the facilities to support that business, no matter where it resides on the island so that it can get access to whatever it needs to become more innovative or competitive. We see that through the demand for our programmes. We also see it through the FP7 that was mentioned.

We set up an all-island steering group approximately two years ago that brings together the key agencies across the island to co-operate on enhancing North-South participation in FP7. Approximately €80 million has been drawn down for North-South participant programmes under FP7. As a result of that co-operation that draw-down rate has increased substantially over the past two years. We believe that there is a very strong structure in place across the island to improve the North-South participation in Horizon 2020. It is a key objective of our organisation.

We talk about opportunities rather than barriers. The committee will see, in the paper that we presented, reference to the US-Ireland research and development partnership. This concept was talked about and developed 10 or 11 years ago. Now we see the fruits of that, as it has funded over 15 projects. That brands the island and research on the island as world-class.