Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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95. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the technology readiness level of research funding through agencies under his Department has been examined; and if so, if he will state, for each agency, the technology readiness level of research funding provided for all available years. [17120/15]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Jobs sets out a range of measures to promote innovation, including the ongoing support and development of research in enterprises and in public research organisations across the full spectrum of research sophistication. Innovation is at the heart of building our New Economy and the transformation of the enterprise base, growing exports and to developing a competitive national economy that will secure sustainable full employment over the long term. By encouraging the development of new economic activities, the RD&I policy measures in the Action Plan for Jobs are focused on strengthening Ireland’s competitive advantage and on building potential new areas of economic activity.

My Department through its agencies funds research enterprise and public research activities across the full range of Technology Readiness Levels. Technology Readiness Levels are a measure of the maturity or proximity to market of a technology. Lower TRLs (1-3) include demonstration of basic principles through to proof of concept. Medium TRLs (4-7) span technology validation and prototype demonstration and higher TRLs (8-9) refer to pre-commercial deployment up to market introduction.

My Department currently funds twelve Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centres and fifteen Enterprise Ireland/IDA Ireland (EI/IDA) Technology Centres of scale funded by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. These centres, together with sectoral centres such as Tyndall and the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) comprise the market focused element of the Irish research centre landscape supported by DJEI. Enterprise Ireland and SFI also work closely with Teagasc on jointly funding research for the food and beverage sector.

In relation to SFI supported Research Centres, a large share of their resources are focused on TRLs 1 to 4, supporting medium and short-term problem-oriented research including collaborative research and on oriented basic research. EI/IDA Technology Centres and NIBRT support research that is in higher TRLs, at TRLs 4 to 8. Jointly funded initiatives with Teagasc span the higher TRLs. Based on the substantial number of firms participating in the agency supported programmes and centres, this approach to support is serving enterprise research needs and is of value to Irish-based companies.