Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister Nigel Dodds and his counterpart in the Irish Republic, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin TD today welcomed the findings of the first Mapping Study of Research and Technology Development (RTD) Centres.
InterTradeIreland has published the findings of the Mapping Study of RTD Centres across Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
The study recommends enhancing levels of awareness, communication and developing support programmes which facilitate co-operative activity in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, and examining ways to fund such activity. The mapping study suggests measures to improve graduate education linkages, provide additional support for networking, encourage co-operative research clusters and provide a dedicated funding mechanism in both areas.
Welcoming the mapping study Economy Minister Nigel Dodds said: “The future economic success of Northern Ireland relies on innovation to fuel enterprise and to help local companies become more competitive on the global stage.
“Key stakeholders in the innovation economy should be encouraged, by a variety of means, to invest more in R&D and to adopt more innovative business practices. They must engage in more robust interactions and focus on the growing need to develop the key people, skills, partnerships and networks for the innovation economy.”
Micheál Martin TD, Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment said: “Once again, this study recognises the area of science and technology as being of vital importance to the future economic development of both jurisdictions.
“In Ireland, we have increased spending on R&D in higher education from €492m in 2004 to approximately €600m in 2006, and invested some €1.56bn in R&D in the business sector in 2006. We recognise the mutual benefits of co-operation and have set aside €60 million for the North/South Innovation fund.”
David Dobbin, Chairman of InterTradeIreland, which commissioned the report, said: “This mapping study of Research and Technology Development (RTD) Centres across Ireland and Northern Ireland, provides for the first time, details of research centres of excellence in key technology areas and the potential for collaborative research and development projects. The study also highlights barriers to progress including networks and funding structures which need to be addressed if the opportunities available are to be realised.”
The report aims to inform a co-operative strategy for action by relevant policy makers and development agencies. It identifies 36 centres as having potential for collaboration, 18 in Northern Ireland and 18 in the Irish Republic that span across areas such as biotechnology, ICT and nanotechnology. A further 23 – eight in Northern Ireland and 15 in the Irish Republic are identified as having potential for developing collaboration across both areas.
The full report can be accessed at the intertrade ireland website
Notes to Editors:
- Mapping Study of RTD Centres in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic was commissioned by Inter/radeIreland in association with a steering group comprising of representatives from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, the Department for Employment and Learning, Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Invest NI.
- In the Irish Republic spending on R&D in the higher education sector grew to €600.6million in 2006, representing an average annual rise of 10.5% since 2004, equating to 26% of the total R&D spend and 0.33% of GDP, or 0.4% GNP. Spending on R&D in the business sector was expected to rise to €1.56billion in 2006, equating to 67% of the total R&D spend and 0.9% of GDP, or 1.05% GNP.
- In Northern Ireland, spending on R&D in the higher education sector was £146.2m in 2005, up 7% on the previous year and equating to 48.3% of the total R&D spend. Spending on R&D in the business sector was £142.6m in 2005, up 14.6% on the previous year and equating to 48.3% of the total R&D spend. 2006 R&D figures for NI are available at the DETI website.
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