Following is the information requested by the Deputy.
Industry collaboration with the third-level sector
Enterprise Ireland operates three primary mechanisms aimed at helping companies to engage in R&D both within the company and in collaboration with third level institutions: promoting market-led innovation and R&D in manufacturing and services companies, supporting effective and flexible collaborations between companies and third-level researchers, and capitalising on the research investment made in the Higher Education sector by taking commercially useful technology on to the market.
Enterprise Ireland operates a range of innovative supports to help companies engage with third level researchers to undertake collaborative research for the benefit of the company. Companies can be supported to undertake individual research projects from initial small-scale collaborations, supported by means of €5,000 Innovation Vouchers or larger Innovation Partnerships. Larger collaborative research projects involving groups of companies are also supported. Industry Led Research Programmes and the new EI/IDA Competence Centre initiative allow industry groups to set a commercially valuable research agenda, which academics in the higher education sector will deliver on.
Innovation Partnership Initiative
It has proved extremely useful for firms to access innovative "know how" and R&D solutions in the Third level system. However participating in larger scale collaborative research projects can be both a risky and a costly process. By providing key funding Enterprise Ireland helps to reduce both the cost and the risk associated with larger collaborative research projects. As a result, the Innovation Partnership Initiative helps industry to engage in collaborative research projects with Irish universities and Institutes of Technology to develop new products and services.
Impacts/Achievements:
In 2008 52 collaborative projects were supported with €8.3 million grant aid and €5 million cash and in-kind aid being inputted by the industrial partners. The majority of these research ventures were large projects which reflects EI's strategy to increase the scale of supported projects. Companies from 17 diverse sectors have participated in the scheme. 133 industrially relevant research staff were hired and supported through the programme in 2008.
The aim is to support 34 EI Clients in the programme in 2009. 21 companies collaborative projects are currently being supported or in the pipeline.
Industry-led research Programmes
The Industry-led Research Programme brings companies with a common research problem together to collaborate with each other and the available talent pool. Designed to suit SMEs and start-up companies, each Industry-led Network typically runs for 2-3 years.
Impacts/Achievements:
To date 93 companies are engaged in six Industry-led Research Programmes in areas like power electronics, e-Learning and mobile telecommunications. The e-Learning ILRP is recognised as a world leader in learning technology. In 2009 60 new collaborative research projects will be supported through this programme.
Competence Centres
Competence Centres, a joint EI/IDA initiative are collaborative centres of excellence established and led by industry, resourced by highly-qualified researchers within research institutions who are empowered to undertake market focused strategic R&D for the benefit of industry. They have a more formal industry led organisational structure which brings academics and companies together in a more ordered environment and also have a longer term research focus than Industry Led Research Programmes.
Impacts/Achievements:
To date 65 companies have become involved in establishing seven competence centres nationally. Two centres have launched to date.
The Food for Health Competence Centre (FHI) was launched in 2008. FHI is pursuing a collaborative market led research programme between four of Ireland's largest dairy companies; Dairygold Food Ingredients, Glanbia Nutritionals, Carbery and Kerry Ingredients Ireland and a partnership between University College Cork, University College Dublin, University of Limerick and Teagasc.
I had the pleasure of launching, on November 2nd, the Competence Centre for Applied Nanotechnology involving some of the world's leading companies such as multinationals Intel, Seagate, Medtronic and Analog Devices and Irish companies Aerogen, Audit Diagnostics, Creganna and Proxy Biomedical. Nanotechnology is one of these fields where there is enormous potential for Ireland, in niche areas of drug delivery and diagnostic equipment, medical devices and ICT, which is why the Government has committed to invest, through Enterprise Ireland, €5 million over the next five years in the Competence Centre for Applied Nanotechnology.
Applied Research Enhancement Programme
The Enterprise Ireland Applied Research Enhancement Centres scheme provides a local centre of excellence in applied research in the Institutes of Technology which collaborate with local companies. The objectives of the ARE Programme are to generate regional economic activity through the creation of a strong applied research base. The ARE funding has increased the size and skills base of the research teams in the IoTs and increased their capability and capacity to engage in applied research with regional and national based businesses.
Impacts/Achievements:
To date 17 ARE centres are established throughout the country with funding of €1.2 million to €2 million per centre for a 3 to 5 year period. This is a commitment from EI of €23.4 million (excluding overheads). 35 industrially relevant research projects have been completed in 2008. Forty one industrial projects have been completed since the start of this year and there are sixty five ongoing collaborative projects with industry partners. These include Innovation Vouchers, Innovation Partnerships and fully funded industrial projects. Two spinout companies have emerged from the 3CS centre at WIT.
The following table shows commitments and payments up to the end of August for new projects. Contracts for approvals made in September and October have yet to issue.
|
Month
|
Programme
|
Total Grant
|
Total Paid to date
|
|
January
|
|
€
|
€
|
|
Applied Research Enhancement
|
1,880,031
|
564,009
|
|
Commercialisation Plus
|
159,300
|
143,370
|
|
HE Patent Fund
|
253,000
|
143,957
|
|
Innovation Partnerships
|
892,117
|
170,212
|
|
Innovation Vouchers
|
925,000
|
222,413
|
|
International Collaboration
|
422,840
|
381,941
|
|
January Total
|
|
4,532,288
|
1,625,902
|
|
February
|
|
€
|
€
|
|
Commercialisation Plus
|
117,527
|
105,774
|
|
HE Patent Fund
|
98,000
|
18,852
|
|
Innovation Partnerships
|
643,156
|
62,987
|
|
Innovation Vouchers
|
190,000
|
64,796
|
|
International Collaboration
|
264,994
|
252,570
|
|
International Research Fund
|
317,900
|
95,370
|
|
February Total
|
|
1,631,576
|
600,349
|
|
March
|
|
€
|
€
|
|
Competence Centres
|
1,064,630
|
319,389
|
|
HE Patent Fund
|
171,000
|
76,553
|
|
Industry Led Networks
|
207,059
|
62,118
|
|
Innovation Partnerships
|
612,024
|
165,607
|
|
Innovation Vouchers
|
410,000
|
104,581
|
|
International Collaboration
|
94,975
|
50,040
|
|
Proof of Concept
|
6,751,836
|
399,358
|
|
Technology Development
|
2,275,718
|
614,045
|
|
March Total
|
|
11,587,242
|
1,791,691
|
|
April
|
|
€
|
€
|
|
Commercialisation Plus
|
90,232
|
81,209
|
|
HE Patent Fund
|
196,000
|
80,253
|
|
Innovation Partnerships
|
419,936
|
14,400
|
|
Innovation Vouchers
|
105,000
|
35,000
|
|
International Collaboration
|
8,160
|
8,160
|
|
Proof of Concept
|
3,316,241
|
111,444
|
|
April Total
|
|
4,135,570
|
330,466
|
|
May
|
|
€
|
€
|
|
Business Partner
|
437,000
|
61,028
|
|
Commercialisation Plus
|
75,338
|
67,804
|
|
Competence Centres
|
1,444,734
|
168,000
|
|
Innovation Partnerships
|
617,952
|
112,170
|
|
Innovation Vouchers
|
95,000
|
24,961
|
|
International Collaboration
|
87,290
|
58,967
|
|
May Total
|
|
2,757,314
|
492,930
|
|
June
|
|
€
|
€
|
|
Commercialisation Plus
|
101,340
|
91,206
|
|
HE Patent Fund
|
70,000
|
22,857
|
|
Innovation Partnerships
|
372,811
|
104,980
|
|
Innovation Vouchers
|
1,180,000
|
95,000
|
|
International Collaboration
|
80,772
|
74,094
|
|
International Research Fund
|
658,754
|
|
|
June Total
|
|
2,463,678
|
388,138
|
|
July
|
|
€
|
€
|
|
Commercialisation Plus
|
200,517
|
180,465
|
|
HE Patent Fund
|
1,008,000
|
282,983
|
|
Innovation Partnerships
|
782,718
|
108,876
|
|
Innovation Vouchers
|
60,000
|
|
|
International Collaboration
|
110,827
|
87,116
|
|
International Research Fund
|
400,000
|
|
|
Proof of Concept
|
2,684,573
|
540,810
|
|
Technology Development
|
4,841,966
|
1,153,277
|
|
July Total
|
|
10,088,601
|
2,353,526
|
|
August
|
|
€
|
€
|
|
Commercialisation Plus
|
89,141
|
80,227
|
|
Competence Centres
|
11,538,000
|
|
|
Innovation Partnerships
|
421,203
|
134,911
|
|
Innovation Vouchers
|
445,000
|
15,000
|
|
International Collaboration
|
152,034
|
133,796
|
|
August Total
|
|
12,645,378
|
363,933
|
|
Grand Total
|
|
49,841,646
|
7,946,935
|
