The Minister for Research, Innovation and Skills Damien English TD,
together with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Jobs, today published
Innovation 2020, Ireland’s 5-year strategy for research and development,
science and technology.
This innovation plan is a key element of the Government’s overall jobs
strategy, aimed at building a new economy based on exports and enterprise,
and delivering full employment on a sustainable basis.
The strategy is aimed at building on the significant successes delivered by
the Government’s science strategy over the past decade, which has seen
Ireland dramatically improve its performance globally in this area. The
next phase of the strategy is aimed at building on existing infrastructures
and achieving ambitious private-public collaborations.
A key ambition of the Strategy is to increase total investment in R&D in
Ireland, led by the private sector, to 2.5% of GNP. On current official
projections, this would mean that over €5billion will be invested per year
in R&D by the private and public sectors by 2020. This will represent
almost doubling current levels of investment (€2.9billion in 2014).
Among the other ambitious targets to be delivered by the strategy are:
· the number of research personnel in enterprise will be increased by
60% to 40,000
· research masters and PhD enrolments will be increased by 30% to
2,250;
· private investment of R&D performed in the public research system
will be doubled
· 40% increase in the share of PhD researchers transferring from SFI
research teams to industry
· Ireland's participation in International Research Organisations will
be expanded – we will apply for full membership of ELIXIR, and we
will explore membership options for CERN and ESO
· the network of Centres will be further developed, building critical
mass and addressing enterprise needs;
· a successor to the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions
will be rolled out to include investment in the creation of new, and
the maintenance and upgrading of existing, facilities and equipment
and ensure full utilisation;
· €1.25bn funding under the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020 will be
drawn down;
· a new Programme of Funding for Frontier Research will be introduced,
providing resilience and responsiveness to meet new challenges or
opportunities as they emerge;
· challenge-centric research will be initiated to stimulate
solutions-driven collaborations bringing together enterprise, higher
education institutions and public sector to identify and address
national challenges
· horizon-scanning – in the coming years a formal horizon-scanning
exercise will be undertaken to identify areas of strategic commercial
opportunity for Irish-based enterprises. This process will feed into
the next research prioritisation exercise in 2018
· international benchmarking – a series of structures will be put in
place to benchmark Ireland’s performance in these areas against other
comparable economies, and develop steps to improve our comparative
performance
Launching the report, Minister for Research Innovation and Skills, Damien
English TD said: “Developing the talent of our population is an underlying
aim of Innovation 2020 and will be critical to the successful realisation
of our national vision, of Ireland as an innovation leader. Our success in
delivering on our vision will depend on our people - undertaking the
research, working in and creating successful enterprises, and contributing
to the society in which we live. We will support talent development from
primary level through to Postdoctoral research and from frontier research
across all disciplines to practical application. We will support the
successful deployment of that talent and research in driving innovation in
enterprises and public services.”
An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD said: "Innovation 2020 is a key element in our
plan to keep the recovery going by helping to create new jobs and new
opportunities for research. It sets out a vision in which Ireland would
become a Global Innovation Leader, with research, development, science and
technology all contributing to this goal. Our reputation for research
excellence has been a major catalyst in our success in attracting and
maintaining foreign direct investment, and this Strategy demonstrates that
we remain strongly committed to maintaining and improving standards in the
excellence of our research."
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said:
“At the heart of our overall jobs strategy is rebuilding a sustainable
economy based on enterprise, exports and innovation, to replace the failed
economy based on debt and property that was built up during the last
decade. A key part of this is improving our performance in innovation. In
recent years we have built up a base of performance in innovation that has
brought us into the top 10 of the international rankings – the aim now is
to improve on this, and truly make Ireland a global leader in this area.
This strategy sets out a range of ambitious actions for delivering on this,
and under the leadership of Minister Damien English I am confident that we
can deliver on this – with massive impact on our ability to grow the
economy and create the jobs we need”.
Welcoming the launch of the strategy, Professor Mark WJ Ferguson, Chief
Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, said: “I welcome the new
strategy Innovation 2020 which highlights the importance of scientific
research and innovation to all aspects of Ireland’s future and which
confirms the Government’s commitment to increase both public and private
investment in this area. Innovation 2020 builds on the considerable past
successes and outlines some ambitious new plans such as challenge based
funding. Science, innovation and technology are driving rapid global
changes and the world is becoming more competitive. Ireland needs to
continue to push forward: be the creators and owners of new ideas and
innovations, upskill our people, strengthen and future proof our economy
and society. Implementation of Innovation 2020 will allow us to do that:
excellence, talent and impact.”
Notes for Editors
Innovation 2020 Full and Key Messages
www.djei.ie/Djei/en/Publications/Innovation-2020.html
Improvement in Ireland’s performance in R&D over recent years:
· Ireland has improved its ranking in the Innovation Union Scoreboard
having moved from 10th place in 2013 to 8th place in 2015 - ranked first in
Innovators and Economic Effects i.e. how innovative firms are and economic
success stemming from innovation in terms of employment, revenue and
exports.
· Ireland is 8th in the Global Innovation Index 2015 (out of 141
countries) [Source: Cornell University, INSEAD and WIPO 2015]
· Ireland is 13th in the world for university-industry collaboration on
R&D [Source: Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014]
· Ireland is listed amongst the top 20 countries in global rankings for
the quality of our scientific research moving up to 16th place in 2014. We
have excelled in certain scientific disciplines and Ireland is ranked 1st
in immunology, 1st in animal and dairy, 3rd in nanotechnology and 4th in
computer science. [Source: Thomson Reuters Essential Science Indicators]
Background to Innovation 2020
In June 2006, Government published the Strategy for Science, Technology &
Innovation (SSTI) 2006 to 2013 which provided the framework for
Government’s investment in research and innovation. As a result significant
steps were made in establishing a strong public research environment based
on scientific excellence in a number of strategic areas, in many cases
meeting and exceeding targets set out in the SSTI. Research Prioritisation
emerged in the intervening period as the Government’s primary science,
technology and innovation policy goal and this saw a concentration of the
majority of competitive funding on areas which were deemed most likely to
secure greater economic and societal impact, particularly in the form of
jobs. Innovation 2020 places Research Prioritisation and the focus on
research relevance and impact within a broader context and incorporates
policy around research to support the broader knowledge base and research
to support the development of policy in key sectors of relevance to the
economy and society.
An Interdepartmental Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (IDC)
chaired by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and comprising
representatives from key Government Departments, along with the Chief
Scientific Adviser to the Government and representatives from the Higher
Education Authority, was convened at the end of 2014 to formulate the new
Strategy.
A number of studies were undertaken and their findings were taken into
consideration in the development of the Strategy. The studies were in areas
including Ireland’s future research infrastructure needs; an independent
review of Research Prioritisation; strengthening enterprise R&D; the market
focused research centre landscape; the IP capability of Irish firms; and
Ireland’s participation in international research organisations.
Ireland’s Future Research Infrastructure Needs Study
www.djei.ie/Djei/en/Publications/Irelands-Future-Research-Infrastructure-Needs-Study.html
Review of Progress in Implementing Research Prioritisation
www.djei.ie/Djei/en/Publications/Review-of-Progress-Research-Prioritisation.html
Optimising Policy Intervention to Strengthen the Impacts of Enterprise RD&I
in Ireland
www.djei.ie/Djei/en/Publications/Optimising-Impacts-Enterprise-RDI.html
Strengthening Ireland's Market Focused Research Centre Landscape
www.djei.ie/Djei/en/Publications/Strengthening-Irelands-Market-Focused-Research-Centre-Landscape.html
Enhancing the Intellectual Property Activities in the Firm Base in Ireland
www.djei.ie/en/Publications/Enhancing-the-Intellectual-Property-Activities-in-the-Firm-Base-in-Ireland.html
Review of Irish Membership of International Research Organisations
www.djei.ie/Djei/en/Publications/Review-Irish-Membership-IRO.html
An in-depth consultation process was undertaken. A detailed consultation
paper setting out key issues was circulated to stakeholders in February
2015 and some 80 written responses were received. A Consultative Forum
involving 120 key stakeholders from industry, the public sector and
academia was held in July 2015. The Forum focused on a number of thematic
areas which emerged from the workings of the IDC and from the written
consultation process. A report of the Forum was also commissioned.
www.djei.ie/Djei/en/Consultations/Consultation-for-Successor-to-Strategy-for-Science-Technology-Innovation.html
The goals of Innovation 2020 are:
· Excellent research performed in strategically important areas with
relevance and impact for the economy and society
· A strong, innovative and internationally competitive enterprise base,
growing employment, sales and exports
· A renowned pool of talent in Ireland’s public research system and in
industry, which maximises exchange of talent and knowledge between
the two
· A coherent, joined-up innovation ecosystem, responsive to emerging
opportunities, delivering enhanced impact through the creation and
application of knowledge
· An internationally competitive research system that acts as a magnet
and catalyst for talent and industry.
This will mean:
· 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
· Greater use of RDI to find solutions to pressing societal challenges
in areas such as public health and energy
· Government departments using research to inform evidence-based policy
and regulation, e.g. relating to the environment and
· Public services embracing an increased investment in RDI as a way of
delivering higher productivity and service-user experience, including
a greater openness to partnering with enterprise to fund solutions
for difficult challenges.