Written answers

Wednesday, 20 January 2016

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Departmental Strategies

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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18. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which this country can capitalise on the collaboration between industry and academia with a view to maximising the availability of scales and job opportunities throughout the manufacturing and service sectors while maintaining its attraction as an investment centre for indigenous and foreign direct investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2075/16]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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A robust enterprise sector is a prerequisite for a strong, advanced economy. In order for our enterprise base – including both the manufacturing and services sectors - to thrive, it must be both resilient and internationally competitive. A key goal in Innovation 2020 – Ireland’s strategy for Research and Development, Science and Technology, is to stimulate greater collaboration between the enterprise sector and the public research system. To this end, in Innovation 2020 we commit to a concerted effort by the enterprise development agencies and Knowledge Transfer Ireland to increase the breadth and depth of collaboration, including through tailored supports for SMEs that, by virtue of their size, lack the in-house resources to initiate and manage collaborative arrangements.

The connectedness of the research landscape in Ireland – the strong linkages between enterprise, research institutions and State agencies – is a major incentive for companies to invest here. IDA will continue to actively encourage companies who have not yet established an R&D function in Ireland to do so through grant support for in-house R&D projects and promoting linkages to relevant research organisations with whom companies may collaborate.

The priority areas of Manufacturing Competitiveness and Innovation in Services and Business Processes are particularly important for the Irish economy. In Innovation 2020, we commit to increasing capacity in the higher education sector by appointing a number of ‘star’ researchers with proven track records of solutions-driven research in Services and Business Processes and Manufacturing Competitiveness, in collaboration with global leaders in enterprise.

Market-focused research and technology centres are a vital part of the system of public support for enhancing the competitiveness of enterprise through innovation and the commercialisation of research. These centres provide a mechanism through which enterprise can access expertise and technology beyond what they have available in-house to enhance their products and services. They also provide a path to commercialisation for IP emerging from the public research system. In Innovation 2020 we commit to:

- strengthening the network of Technology Centres by increasing their critical mass and affording them greater operational flexibility so that they can provide a broader range of research functions;

- strengthening the network of Technology Gateways to ensure good geographical and technological coverage and to maximise enterprise engagement;

- developing the network of SFI Research Centres to provide world-leading capacity in strategically important areas for the economy;

- addressing the identified enterprise need for Research Technology Organisations, particularly in the areas of Advanced Manufacturing and Services & Business Processes, building on the existing network of centres .

Over the course of the strategy, we will further enhance State support for commercialising research and for transferring knowledge from the public research system into enterprise. This will result in more licensing of technologies and the creation of more spinout companies and ultimately jobs.

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