Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation when the competition process for the new technology research centres that will determine the timing and location of the centres will open; the way this competition process will be conducted; the timescale attached to this competition process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10019/11]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 24: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation when he will establish a network of technology research centres focused on applied technological research and linked to appropriate higher level institutions. [9941/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 24 together.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to establish a network of Technology Research Centres that will accelerate the exploitation of new technologies and will bridge the gap between research and technology commercialisation.

The development of a network of Technology Research Centres is an important strand in the strategy to develop a collaborative relationship between industry and research, ensuring that the research community can adapt its work more closely to the needs of industry in Ireland.

An existing infrastructure of Centres for Science Engineering and Technology (the CSETs), Strategic Research Centres, and Competence Centres, currently in place, are creating vital synergies between industry and the research function within third level institutions.

The intention of the Programme for Government is to build upon this infrastructure, to expand in a planned way on the facilities already in place, to develop a response to unmet needs and establish centres that will increase the collaboration between enterprise and our third level sector. In this way we will improve the innovative capability of the companies involved and maximise the exploitation and the commercialisation of the research being undertaken.

This is an opportunity to ensure real coordination and coherence in the effort to build a knowledge-based society focused on building new business opportunities and commercial relationships.

The establishment of a network of technology research centres will be delivered by means of a competitive process which will allow ideas and proposals from various industry groups to come forward and third level institutes to compete based on their research strengths in response to calls for proposals. These will be assessed and developed to ensure available resources are applied to the most promising proposals.