A cornerstone of this future is building our research capability in our universities, institutes and enterprises. This is the research infrastructure which will make it possible. The Government has been committed to getting the environment for business right and, I am confident, will continue with that commitment. There is a strong trend towards the movement of manufacturing to lower cost economies. This reflects the fact that Ireland is no longer a low wage economy and must make the transition to higher added value products and services that allow us to sustain and grow incomes. A key part of this process is to recognise the importance of innovation in helping enterprise to move up the value chain and to create a flow of technology based firms capable of competing on export markets.