Máirín Quill
Question:29 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the measures, if any, he proposes to take to encourage greater research and development by indigenous companies. [6216/97]
Written Answers. - Industrial Research and Development.
The information available to me indicates that research and development by Irish owned manufacturers and internationally trading service businesses is currently at a very high level by historical standards and growing rapidly.
The office of science and technology manages a range of programmes through the research and development sub-programme of the Operational Programme for Industry 1994-99 to stimulate awareness of the need for innovation and to assist industry to engage in high quality product and process development.
These programmes include the provisions of cash grants towards the cost of research and development under the industry initiative, more commonly known as Measure 1, which has a total budget of £105 million for the period of the operational programme. To date, some £94 million of this budget has been allocated. Of this amount, £42 million has gone to over 300 Irish owned companies which have committed to invest in 790 research and development projects involving expenditure of £97 million.
In addition, the research and development sub-programme provides assistance and funding for the recruitment of key technical staff; education programmes in the management of research and development and help in the identification of overseas technology partners.
The Government's plans for the development of the support framework have been set out in the White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation. One of the recommendations in the White Paper provides for the ongoing monitoring of the Measure 1 scheme to ensure that enterprises are using it to undertake additional and new research and development activity and that the number of research and development performers — particularly indigenous companies — is increasing.
In addition, the White Paper recognises the need to bring about a significant culture shift in attitudes towards the awareness of the importance of science and technology research and development to economic and social development. The historical failure of the majority of Irish firms to appreciate the contribution which investment in science, technology and innovation can make to maintaining and upgrading their business reflected a wider national disaffection with these matters. A negative attitude to the process of commercialising and exploiting science, technology and innovation could and would undo much of the good work of the specific measures referred to above which are aimed at increasing innovation in firms.
To counteract this, Forfás has commenced a three year awareness campaign promoting science, technology and innovation (STI) at all levels of society, including industry. The establishment of such an awareness campaign was one of the key recommendations in the science, technology and innovation White Paper.
I believe that already there is a cultural shift taking place within indigenous industry which recognises the need to perform research and development in order to remain competitive. The above figures which I have outlined to the House confirm this. The results of this change are beginning to flow and should continue in the coming years.