Vol. 506 No. 2
116 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of funding involved in supporting Irish participants in EUREKA projects since it began in 1985; and if she will give details of the allocation of this funding. [15404/99]
117 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the up-to-date assessment and cost benefit analysis, if any, which has taken place in relation to Ireland's EUREKA project participation; and the outcome of any such assessment or analysis. [15405/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 117 together.
Each member state's annual contribution to EUREKA is linked to its GDP. In Ireland's case, this has amounted to an average of £11,600 per annum over the last ten years. The pan-European EUREKA programme provides opportunities for Irish companies to collaborate in joint research and development projects aimed at producing participating companies next generation of products for the market place. Irish companies involvement in EUREKA was low in the early years 1985-1993. This level of participation has, however, increased as a result of greater promotion and availability of Government funds through the in-company research, technology and Innovation – RTI – scheme – commonly known as Measure 1.
While no cost benefit analysis has yet taken place in relation to Irelands EUREKA project participation, there have been a number of evaluation studies which examined the EUREKA programme on a Europe wide basis. These studies have revealed a very high level of conversion of research results into successful new products and a strong level of satisfaction among participating companies.
In the context of future funding for research, technology and innovation as part of the National Development Plan 2000-06, the office of science and technology at our Department has asked Enterprise Ireland to assess Ireland's future involvement in EUREKA, having regard to Enterprise Ireland's strategic remit in terms of company development and the recent strategic review carried out by EUREKA which was completed earlier this year. This strategic review will be discussed by EUREKA Ministers at their annual conference on 29 June 1999 in Istanbul, Turkey.
A table outlining Irish involvement in EUREKA projects since 1985 follows.
Irish Involvement in EUREKA Projects
|
Irish State funding(IR£) |
|||
|
1985/93 |
|||
|
EU 278 CALIES (1987-88). |
Boland Higgins Purcell Labs Ltd. (Limerick). |
– |
Medical component development and testing. |
|
EU 334 EUROCASE (1988/89). |
Generica Software Ltd. (Dublin) |
– |
Computer-aided software engineering. |
|
EU 325 GALILEO (6/89). |
Aer Lingus Teoranta (Dublin). |
– |
Advanced computerised reservation system. |
|
EU 127 JESSI (7/89). |
Silicon & Software Systems Ltd. (Dublin). |
– |
Analogue circuit design system. |
|
EU 439 CAESIN (7/91). |
Dairygold Ltd. (Cork). |
270K |
Casein-based value-added products. |
|
1994 |
|||
|
EU 717 LRV SIMULATION (2/94). |
Marine Computational Services Ltd. (Galway) |
212K |
Vehicle body composite structures. |
|
EU 1186 SLC PROCESS (joined 7/94). |
Aughinish Alumina Ltd. (Limerick). |
– |
Recovery of a waste material. |
|
Irish State funding(IR£) |
|||
|
EU 1230 MICROVIA (9/94). |
Substrate Technologies Ltd. (Dublin). |
75K |
Printed-circuit-board drilling techniques. |
|
EU 1244 AQM (9/94). |
Quality Enhancement (Irl.) Ltd. (Louth). |
218K |
Development of shop-floor software package. |
|
1995 |
|||
|
EU 630 QMIS (joined 1/95). |
SPS International Ltd. (Clare). |
69K |
Quality management information system. |
|
EU 6 EUROLASER (joined 3/95). |
Optronics Ireland (Dublin). |
– |
Developments in industrial laser technologies. |
|
EU 906 ELANEZ (joined 4/95). |
Quest International (Irl.) Ltd. (Cork). |
78K |
Enzyme development for animal feed enhancement. |
|
EU 1276 FLEETS (4/95). |
University of Limerick. |
– |
Development of hybrid electric vehicles. |
|
EU 1457 EUROHEALTH (11/95). |
Norcontel (Ireland) Ltd. (Dublin). |
60K |
Healthcare interactive multi-media package development. |
|
1996 |
|||
|
EU 1420 INTERCOOP (2/96). |
Fish Industries Ltd. (IAWS) (Donegal). |
40K |
Fish meal processing methods and nutrition quality. |
|
EU 1489 EUROTRAC-2 (2/96). |
UCG Physics Dept. |
2K |
Monitoring of atmospheric pollutants. |
|
EU 1128 TIME TOOL (joined 6/96). |
UCG CIM Research Unit. |
– |
Evolution of advanced manu-facturing systems. |
|
EU 1612 CHERT (9/96). |
Feely & Sons Ltd. (Roscommon). |
64K |
Cutting methods for limestone. |
|
EU 1281 BISCUIT (joined 9/96). |
Aqua-Fact International Services Ltd. (Galway). |
43K |
Sea-bed sensor equipment. |
|
EU 1567 ENVISION (11/96). |
Little Island Engineering Ltd. (Cork). |
180K |
Vision-based waste system. |
|
EU 1661 BIOLIB (11/96). |
TCD Genetics Dept. |
– |
On-line chemical and biochemical databases. |
|
1997 |
|||
|
EU 1221 EURHIS (JOINED 6/97). |
Irish Medical Systems Ltd. (Dublin). |
– |
Medical software systems development. |
|
EU 1440 FACTORY (JOINED 6/97). |
Forbairt (Dublin). |
– |
Communication network for advanced industrial production systems. |
|
EU 1704 PIRAMID (6/97). |
Munekata Ireland Ltd. (Dublin). |
– |
Software systems in mould develpoment. |
|
EU 1798 PALEMAN (10/97). |
Tecnocad Ltd. (Sligo). |
– |
Paperless mould tool and manufacture. |
|
1998 |
|||
|
EU 1927 CIMASIA (4/98). |
Waterford Institute of Technology. |
– |
Robotics research for garment industry. |
|
EU 1799 EUCOPET (4/98). |
Ceramicx Ireland Ltd. (Cork). |
90K |
Shared heating element design. |
|
EU 1922 MOMENTUM (4/98). |
Motorola Ireland Ltd. (Cork). |
110K |
Heterogeneous mobile telecommunications networks. |
|
EU 2009 CARE SCARE (6/98). |
Motorola BV (Dublin). |
– |
Eco-design and end-of-life management for electronics-based products. |
|
EU 1751MONICA (9/98) continuous. |
Guinness Ireland Ltd. (Dublin). |
– |
New process for fermentation of beer. |
|
EU 1884 EURIMUS (joined 9/98). |
National Microelectronics Research Centre (Cork). |
– |
Precompetitive and applied microsystems developments. |
|
EU 1888 PIDEA (9/98). |
M V Technology Ltd. (Dublin). |
– |
Improved manufacturing of electronic sub-assemblies. |
|
EU 1888 PIDEA (9/98). |
National Microelectronics Research Centre (Cork). |
– |
Improved manufacturing of electronic sub-assemblies. |
|
1999 |
|||
|
EU 2044 ECOCITY (4/99) environmental impact integrated traffic control system. |
Electro Automation Ltd. (Dublin). |
150K |
Low. |
