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The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, TD, together with the Minister for Research and Innovation, Seán Sherlock TD, today (Thursday) welcomed the announcement of Dr. Alison Campbell as the Director of Technology Transfer. Dr. Campbell has been appointed to head up the soon to be established central Technology Transfer Office, which will be located in Enterprise Ireland.

Today’s announcement represents the early delivery of a key commitment in the Action Plan for Jobs 2013, and is a significant step in making it easier to commercialise and ultimately create jobs from ideas developed through publicly-funded research, which currently receives total funding of over €800million per year.

Minister Bruton said: “Ireland has built up a substantial infrastructure, expertise and international reputation for scientific research and innovation. In 2013, we are ranked 10th out of 142 countries for innovation and 13th for university/industry research collaboration. The quality of our research and innovation contributes significantly to the success of our enterprise base – but we must do more to build on this success.

“I believe strongly that effective industry-academic collaboration is essential for the successful translation of the best new ideas from the lab into innovative new products and services – and ultimately, the delivery of good quality sustainable jobs for our people. Delivering major improvements in this area is a key part of our Action Plan for Jobs.

“The appointment of Dr Campbell and her team will establish a one-stop shop for businesses seeking to use ideas deriving from publicly-funded research. This will make it easier for companies to access and use ideas developed through publicly-funded research to develop new products and services and ultimately turn good ideas into good jobs.

“I wish Dr Campbell and her team every success”.

Minister Sherlock said: “I am delighted that Ireland has secured someone of the proven calibre of Dr. Campbell to build on our success in generating ‘engines of innovation’ within our third level campuses. Dr. Campbell has a wealth of experience in both industry and research, making her particularly well placed to lead this new office and work together with Research Performing Organisations to accelerate the translation of Ireland’s public research investments into economic impact and commercialisation opportunities.

“I am delighted also to see the close collaboration between Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Universities Association in working on this new office and in the appointment of the new Director. This collaborative approach reflects the shared ambition, across enterprise and research agencies, to encourage collaboration and accelerate the delivery of specific economic outcomes from our investment in research, through complementary initiatives such as the establishment of this office, the implementation of research prioritisation and the extension of the remit of Science Foundation Ireland into the applied research arena.

“I now look forward to working closely with Dr. Campbell, the Irish Universities Association, Enterprise Ireland and the existing Technology Transfer Offices, to further this agenda.”

The central Technology Transfer Office is currently being established and is expected to be up and running by October 2013.

For further information contact: Roisin McCann, Press Officer, Dept. of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Tel. 631 2222, Mobile 087-2594144.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

The National Technology Transfer System

The National Technology Transfer system enables the transfer of commercially valuable research outputs into industry. With funding from various sources including Enterprise Ireland, the Higher Education Authority, Science Foundation Ireland and others, researchers in higher education institutes are inventing new technologies and developing solutions to challenges in areas like healthcare, transport, energy, engineering, food, software and telecommunications.

Many of these solutions and inventions have commercial potential and could become the basis for new companies, or could be used by existing companies to develop new products and services and open up new markets. The technology transfer system plays a vital role in ensuring that these discoveries become commercial realities.

Technology Transfer office staff help researchers to explore the commercial potential of their technology. They will then help to plot the best route to the marketplace for the technology. This could involve helping to file a patent, locating appropriate companies and directing the negotiation of a licence deal or working with Enterprise Ireland to create a spin-out company.

Technology Transfer Offices

Ten Technology Transfer Offices in Universities and Colleges receive direct support from Enterprise Ireland to work with researchers in commercialisation of their technologies. These Enterprise Ireland supported Technology Transfer Offices are listed below:

· NUI Galway

· University College Dublin (UCD)

· Dublin City University (DCU)

· University College Cork (UCC)

· NUI Maynooth

· Trinity College Dublin

· Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI)

· Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT)

· University of Limerick (UL)

· Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT)

Other Higher Education Institutions are also supported indirectly by Enterprise Ireland and they use Enterprise Ireland’s commercialisation specialists to help them assess the commercial potential of technologies as they arise.

In December 2011, Minister Sherlock opened a call for applications from Irish research performing organisations under Phase 2 of the Technology Transfer Strengthening Initiative. This is a €22 million initiative (€5.5m per annum from 2013-2016), which will significantly boost interaction between industry and higher education institutions. This work represents a key part of the process of unlocking the creative potential of Ireland’s researchers to support innovation in industry, leading to jobs and economic growth.

Central Technology Transfer Office

A key action in the Action Plan for Jobs 2013 centres on the establishment of a new central Technology Transfer Office, based in Enterprise Ireland. The appointment of the Director is listed in the Action Plan for Jobs for delivery in Quarter 3 this year, while the establishment of the new office is scheduled for delivery in Quarter 4.

Dr. Campbell and her team in the new office will work closely with existing Technology Transfer Offices, sharing good practice and ensuring a consistent adoption and interpretation of national IP Policy by all stakeholders.

The establishment of this office was a key recommendation of the national IP Protocol, ‘Putting Public Research to Work for Ireland’, which was launched last summer.

National IP Protocol

The aim of the Intellectual Property Protocol, published in June 2012, is to encourage the commercialisation of all forms of intellectual property arising from research in the publicly funded research sector, with a view to maximising the economic and societal benefits, in particular the creation of sustainable jobs.

It aims to encourage industry – both indigenous and FDI companies – and across all sectors, to collaborate with Ireland’s universities, institutes of technology and other publicly funded research institutions; to use and commercialise the IP generated from such research and turn it into products and services for the global marketplace.

A key aspect of the IP Protocol centres around the development of a ‘one stop shop’ for businesses seeking to use IP deriving from publicly funded research. This will be achieved through the establishment, later this year, of the new ‘central Technology Transfer Office’, which will provide an effective interface between industry and the research community and drive a world class technology transfer system in Ireland, ensuring it is responsive to the needs of both industry and academia. This will place Ireland in a competitive position internationally and is part of a series of Government measures aimed at realising the vision for Ireland to become the best small country in the world in which to do business.

The IP Protocol is part of a suite of actions being taken which will improve the potential for economic return by encouraging the commercialisation of all forms of intellectual property arising from research in the publicly funded research sector. It will complement Research Prioritisation, which places the focus of research investment in areas that offer the greatest economic impact for the country, the extension of the remit of Science Foundation Ireland into the applied research arena and the continued development of venture capital supports to support companies taking new opportunities to market.

The IP Protocol was developed by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, working with other Government Departments and informed by a dedicated group of experts from industry, the VC community, Technology Transfer Offices, Research Performing Organisations, the IUA and the State research funders.