Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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21. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which industry will benefit from innovation and technology in the future, with particular reference to the maximisation of economic opportunities through these media; if the availability of extra employment opportunities will arise therefrom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2076/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Innovation 2020, Ireland's new strategy for Research and Development, Science and Technology was launched by An Taoiseach in December. This strategy is based on a shared vision of Ireland becoming a Global Innovation Leader, driving a strong, sustainable, high employment economy and a better society enjoying a good quality of life.

Innovation plays a central role in driving productivity growth and fostering competitiveness in a global world where knowledge and innovation are critical factors for advanced economies. Innovation contributes significantly to employment, export and investment growth; the competitiveness of indigenous enterprise; embedding the Foreign Direct Investment base in Ireland; and the creation and application of new knowledge and technology spillovers.

Innovation is key to ensuring that our enterprise base remains resilient and internationally competitive. We are putting in place the supports to encourage greater engagement in R&D by both Irish and foreign owned enterprises and by both SMEs and large scale enterprises. We will continue to target our investment at strategically important areas of commercial opportunity for enterprise and achieve innovation leadership in key sectors where we can sustain a competitive edge.

The transfer of knowledge from our public research system to enterprise continues to be central to our strategy. That means a keen focus on delivering research outputs with commercial potential through licenses and spinouts and delivering talent.

Achieving the vision outlined in Innovation 2020 will mean that there will be:

- More enterprises engaged in RDI, including enterprises in the locally traded sectors, to drive productivity performance;

- More enterprises progressing from early engagement with RDI to embedding innovation as a key part of their business model in a self-sustaining way;

- Businesses across the enterprise base embracing new technologies to build successful business models;

- Achieving innovation leadership in key sectors where we can sustain a competitive edge;

- Greater utilisation by enterprises of the research assets of our Higher Education Institutes, by engaging with Research Centres and Technology Centres;

- Greater success in translating intellectual property or new thinking into commercial products and services – by providing better supports for knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship, infrastructure for test-bedding, and access to funding.