Who We Are

Innovation and Investment Division

The Innovation and Investment Division carries policy and delivery management responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland, enterprise innovation, intellectual property and space enterprise policy.

The division has responsibility for:

  • contributing to the delivery of effective foreign direct investment (FDI) policy in Ireland by working with IDA Ireland and other government departments to ensure the agency’s strategies are implemented as effectively and efficiently as possible
  • fostering and growing enterprise innovation through IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland; innovation programmes through Enterprise Ireland including programmes for in-company innovation, connecting enterprise to academic research and commercialisation of research from Higher Education Institutes. These programmes are aimed at driving exports and creating jobs
  • the formulation and development of Ireland's intellectual property policy and legislation, promoting Ireland’s interests at EU level and adhering to our international obligations to which Ireland is committed through various international agreements; the delivery of an efficient IP administrative system which comes under the remit of the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI)
  • National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) 
  • managing Ireland’s membership of the European Space Agency and developing the space enterprise sector
  • representing Ireland’s space interests at EU level through the Space Working Party, Competitiveness Council (Space), Space Programme and Space Expert Group meetings
  • sustaining and developing Ireland’s life sciences sector
  • representing Ireland’s life sciences sector at EU level by providing input into files held by D/Health such as Biotech I Act, Pharma Package, Critical Medicines Act

Assistant Secretary: John Newham

Units

  • Enterprise Innovation Unit
  • Policy Unit for Life Sciences and Space Enterprise
  • Intellectual Property Unit
  • National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) Liaison Unit
  • Inward Investment Unit

Main contact points

Unit/area of responsibilityContact point

Innovation and Investment Division

Tel: +353 1 631 2144

Enterprise Innovation Unit

Céline McHugh, Principal Officer

Email: celine.mchugh@enterprise.gov.ie

Policy Unit for Life Sciences and Space Enterprise

Emma Jane Morgan, Principal Officer

Email: emmajane.morgan@enterprise.gov.ie

Intellectual Property Unit

Tara Coogan, Principal Officer

Email: tara.coogan@enterprise.gov.ie

National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) Liaison Unit

Tara Coogan, Principal Officer

Email: tara.coogan@enterprise.gov.ie

Inward Investment Unit

John Hughes, Principal Officer

Email: john.hughes@enterprise.gov.ie

Tariff Suspension Scheme

Tel: + 353 1 631 2472

Email: tariffschemes@enterprise.gov.ie