Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

305. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the role he sees for job creation through innovation, science and technology in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18081/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The importance of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to Ireland is recognised by the Government as being crucial to growth in our indigenous and FDI sectors and plays a key role in job creation. The Government’s overarching aim is to accelerate both the economic and societal return on our public investment in STI. In this context, the implementation of Research Prioritisation, underway since March 2012, is seeing the majority of public research funding aligned with 14 priority areas, where we are most likely to get economic and societal returns, particularly in the form of jobs.

In line with Research Prioritisation, in June 2012 an IP Protocol was published outlining new structures to encourage more businesses to commercialise R&D by ensuring that they can access the results of state-funded R&D with greater clarity and certainty. A key initiative linked to the IP Protocol is the new central Technology Transfer Office (cTTO) located in Enterprise Ireland, which is providing a crucial interface between industry and the research community and is helping to drive a world-class technology transfer system in Ireland, ensuring it is responsive to the needs of both academia and enterprise. Furthermore, the remit of Science Foundation Ireland has recently been expanded to cover applied research, aligned with the 14 priority areas to further support the development of research findings into commercial opportunities, further enhancing our job creation potential.

In 2013, SFI had links to 41% (2,618) of 6,449 jobs (90 company announcements) announced by the IDA in all fields. Indeed, in 2013 of 164 foreign direct investments in Ireland, 27 were in Research, Development and Innovation, activities that are central to productivity and new business development in Ireland’s multinational sector. Moreover, the recently modified R&D Tax Credit scheme continues to encourage businesses to invest in research and development.

We have a well-established reputation in Ireland for having an environment conducive to doing business and to supporting job creation. We have been extremely successful in targeting FDI which has catalysed industrialisation, the expansion of exports and has helped to diversify economic activity. As a Government, we are accelerating the re-balancing of the economy towards internationally competitive, export-oriented sectors that can generate further employment and earnings, and we are striving to remove any remaining barriers to growth and employment creation in those sectors most capable of strong expansion.

Export-led growth is essential for a sustainable economic recovery and measures designed to support industry growth are set out in the most recent Action Plan for Jobs 2014, which includes a dedicated section on ‘Research and Innovation to Drive Job Creation’. Actions include consolidating and building critical mass and international reputation in areas that underpin Ireland’s enterprise base and enhancing fruitful collaborations between enterprises, academia and other public sector bodies to deliver economic and social benefits. With 2014 being designated as the “Year for Jobs”, the Action Plan for Jobs this year continue to focus on competitiveness, winning new markets and new investment overseas and building a strong environment where targeted sectors with potential can grow and create new jobs.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

306. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which smaller indigenous companies can avail of assistance by way of support for research and innovation with consequent improved job retention and creation prospects; the extent to which he sees such smaller companies being in a position to avail of such assistance in the current and following years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18082/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Securing Ireland’s future economic growth and sustainability requires a vibrant and productive indigenous enterprise sector. Improvements in these companies’ innovative capabilities will allow them to grow, increase their exports and substantially improve their levels of employment. Enterprise Ireland’s primary focus is on helping indigenous small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to grow and the agency operates a suite of supports to assist SMEs in their research and innovation efforts.

Assistance is available to support all stages of a company’s development. In-company R&D supports via the Enterprise Ireland R&D fund supported over 100 projects valued at over €100,000 each in 2013. Innovation Vouchers are €5,000 vouchers that mainly support small companies to engage in initial research projects with academic researchers. In this way experienced researchers can perform the R&D on behalf of small companies while these companies receive a useful commercial output and a first step on the innovation ladder. Over 500 such projects are completed every year. Approximately 60 large industry-academic collaborative projects (up to €200,000) known as Innovation Partnerships are supported annually. In addition, Enterprise Ireland fund industry focused Technology Centres with over 300 member companies at present and the Technology Gateways programme which generates over 200 collaborative research projects completed for industry each year to provide interfaces between the academic research community and companies in Ireland. Information on all supports for research and development is available on the Enterprise Ireland website – www.enterprise-Ireland.com.

The Action Plan for Jobs 2014 emphasises the importance of innovation and the use of technology as core drivers of job creation in Ireland’s key sectors during 2014 and into the coming years. Research and development support programmes and initiatives are critical in supporting Irish businesses in order to drive growth, sustainability, exports and job creation. My Department and its enterprise agencies will continue to promote the application of research, development and innovation to gain competitive advantage and to build on the strengths that have emerged from the investment to date in Science, Technology and Innovation.

Improving access to finance is a key pillar of The Action Plan for Jobs. The right mix of available funding solutions is essential in fostering increased investment in research & development and innovation by small companies. The Government’s SME funding initiatives that include the introduction and improvement of the SME Loan Guarantee Scheme, the launch of MicroFinance Ireland, the continued availability of the Innovation Vouchers scheme along with increased investment in the Seed & Venture Capital is having a positive impact on the funding landscape and gives confidence in particular to smaller companies to access funding and take advantage of the range of state supports for research and development.