Minister urges businesses to prosper through innovation

Economy Minister Nigel Dodds today launched the new Regional Innovation Strategic (RIS) Action Plan 2008-2011.

The Action Plan was drawn up by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) following discussions with business, academia and all government departments, and represents £360million investment, including £90million from the new Innovation Fund, over the next 3 years.

Welcoming the Action Plan the Minister said: “To compete and prosper in an international marketplace Northern Ireland must secure worldwide recognition for the quality and sustainability of its own distinctive innovation and Research and Development (R&D). This Regional Innovation Strategy Action Plan is the means by which this can be achieved.

“We have learned and achieved a great deal from ‘think|create|innovate: The Regional Innovation Strategy for Northern Ireland’, published in June 2003. RIS has brought together key partners in government, education/academia, and crucially the business sector, who have a shared interest in R&D, skills development, creativity, innovation and ultimately commercialisation.”

Minister Dodds continued: “This Action Plan is the result of a concerted effort between these groups which, as well as providing a framework for action, aims to re-emphasise and reinvigorate the innovation agenda in Northern Ireland over the next 3 years until 2011.

“I commend the contribution of business and academia in building co-operative relationships between themselves, and with government, in leading and supporting the delivery of the new Regional Strategy Innovation Action Plan.”

The Minister noted that the universities and the further education colleges are absolutely central to enhancing the region’s innovation system and infrastructure, but he had a specific challenge for business and said: “In many ways this RIS Action Plan challenges businesses, setting out the need for greater efforts, but also putting in place the support and resources to meet the challenges that lie ahead.”

There are key issues that need to be addressed in Northern Ireland’s business sector if it is to perform to its maximum as an engine of innovation and future economic growth. Among these are: increasing the uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in schools; upskilling the current workforce in order to increase the capacity of businesses to innovate; developing the NI tradable services sector; and increasing the level of commercialisation of knowledge and technology transfer from the universities.

Concluding the Minister said: “Through this new RIS Action Plan we have set out to remove the outdated constraints of 'old economy' thinking. Through innovation, and by maximising the commercial potential of our scientific and technological excellence, Northern Ireland can prosper in the global marketplace.”

Notes to Editors:

1. Innovation policy for Northern Ireland is articulated via the Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS) ‘think|create|innovate’. This was launched in June 2003 and has been delivered to date through the implementation of two Action Plans.

2. The Action Plan is available on the Department of Education's website.

3. The RIS is firmly set within the framework of the Programme for Government, the Economic Vision, and DETI’s draft Corporate Plan (2008-11), all of which recognise that NI can no longer compete on the basis of low wages and costs and that innovation is therefore a necessary precondition for competitive performance.

4. The Action Plan will contribute to the Programme for Government goal of halving the private sector productivity gap with the UK average (excluding the Greater South East of England) and will be measured in terms of the increase in the average annual growth of Business Expenditure in R&D.

5. The new Action Plan is constructed around four key imperatives. These are focussed on stimulating and supporting innovation in the NI economy going forward and are: -

• To establish Northern Ireland as an outward-focused and competitive region in the global knowledge economy with an international reputation for innovation excellence;
• To encourage Northern Ireland’s businesses to become more innovative and creative in order to compete in the global market;
• To encourage Northern Ireland Government and the wider public sector to lead by example in championing and exploiting innovation and R&D; and,
• To ensure the Northern Ireland education system adopts an enhanced role in developing a culture of innovation and creativity and enables people to recognise opportunities in the knowledge economy.

6. The over-arching investment in the delivery of these actions by NI Departments and partners across the wider public, private and academic/education sectors is of the order of £360million over the next 3 years. This includes £90m from the new innovation funding stream announced by the Finance Minister in January 2008.

7. A formal report on progress on the action plan will be brought to the Executive Committee annually for its consideration.

8. For media enquiries, please contact DETI Press Office on 028 9052 9297.

9. Outside office hours, please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager Number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.