7th December 2017
An additional €26m for Innovation, Research and Development funding for 2017 announced
Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Ms Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development, Mr John Halligan TD, welcome the continued good progress in implementing actions in Innovation 2020 with the second Progress Report published today (Thursday) and the announcement of an additional €26m for Innovation, Research and Development funding for 2017.
Innovation 2020, Ireland’s strategy for research and development, science and technology was launched by An Taoiseach in December 2015 and contains 93 headline actions for delivery across Government over the lifetime of the strategy. This second Progress Report sets out the advances made on strategic actions since publication of the first progress report in July 2016 to July 2017.
Welcoming the Progress Report, Minister Humphreys said: “Innovation is crucial for underpinning a strong, developed economy and cultivating a progressive, sustainable society. This second Progress Report for Innovation 2020 reminds us of the importance of supporting our excellent national research system. It is heartening to see the great work being undertaken by all our public research funders in driving Irish innovative capacity.”
Minister Halligan said, “This second Progress Report calls out the improvements we are making in the strategic actions set out in Innovation 2020, and it is through the increasing Government funding of RD&I that these are possible. I am delighted, therefore, to announce that my Department is providing an additional €26m this year, in the form of a supplementary estimate, to demonstrate our commitment to maintaining research and innovation as a cornerstone of our overall economic development policy, ensuring that Ireland becomes a global innovation leader in the years ahead. This investment in our research environment will ensure that we can compete at the highest levels internationally and continue to turn more good ideas into good jobs.”
A cross departmental and cross agency Implementation Group, chaired by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, is driving implementation of the strategy. Highlights this year include:
- An increase to €475m of amounts secured under Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for R&D;
- Five new Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres announced;
- A new Enterprise Ireland/IDA Ireland Meat Technology Centre launched;
- Three new Technology Gateways added to the network;
- Implementation of research related recommendations arising from the HEA Review of Gender Equality;
- Development of the Energy Research Strategy;
- The Marine Research and Innovation Strategy launched.
In this report, eight strategic actions were completed, including:
- The launch by Knowledge Transfer Ireland of a further Technology Transfer Strengthening Initiative to embed knowledge transfer within the public research system;
- The launch of a new programme of funding for frontier research across all disciplines (the Irish Research Council Laureate Awards);
- The launch of an integrated, state-of-the-art Consumer Research and Market Insight Centre for Irish agri-food research by Bord Bia;
- Ireland secured full membership of ELIXIR, the international research organisation for the Life Sciences;
- Enactment of the Knowledge Development Box legislation for SMEs.
In addition, a further €26million for research, development and innovation funding will be made available this year by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. This additional funding is going towards:
- €12 million to meet commitments under Cycle 5 of the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions;
- €10.6 million to Science Foundation Ireland in support of their Research Infrastructure programme activity;
- The Tyndall National Institute will receive €2.4 million; and
- The remaining €1 million will be provided to the European Space Agency to increase Ireland’s contribution to the Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems programme.
ENDS
For further information contact Press Office, D/Business, Enterprise and Innovation ph. 6312200 or press.office@dbei.gov.ie
Second Progress Report
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