Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 March 2014
95. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which grant aid from the EU Commission under the heading of innovation, science and technology continues to be made available to small and medium-sized enterprises in both the manufacting and services sectors throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12693/14]
View answerHorizon 2020, with a budget of €79 billion and covering the next seven years, is the biggest ever European Research and Innovation Programme and the largest worldwide. Horizon 2020 offers huge opportunities to researchers, research organisations and industry to engage in cutting edge research, and power Europe towards economic recovery
The structure and objectives of Horizon 2020 are very much in line with our national objectives: raising the level of excellence in our science base, making Ireland a more attractive location to invest in research and innovation, enhancing the innovative capacity of industry and addressing major societal challenges by bringing together resources and knowledge across different fields, technologies and disciplines, including social sciences and the humanities.
Horizon 2020 has been designed to be more industry friendly. The "Industrial Leadership" pillar of the programme will support investments in excellent research and innovation in key enabling technologies and other industrial technologies, facilitate access to risk finance for innovative companies and projects, and provide support for innovation in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Other areas of the Programme also provide opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises to participate and avail of EU funding, and it should be remembered that Ireland took a strong role in getting the agreement of the European Council, Commission and the Parliament to an increased target participation rate for SME’s under Horizon 2020 from 15% to 20%.
Under Horizon 2020’s predecessor, FP7, between January 2007 to July 2013, the latest date for which official figures are available, over 2000 applications from Irish-based companies took part in FP7 proposals requesting European funding. From these submissions, and through Enterprise Ireland’s facilitation and financial support, over 500 applications have been successful with awards amounting to €149 million, with over three quarters of this funding going to SME’s.
Horizon 2020 offers even more valuable opportunities to companies based in Ireland to participate in high quality research collaborations with their European counterparts, with the support of EU funding, and the Government has set an ambitious but achievable target of €1.25 Billion in funding from this programme - over double the return from the previous programme. I have no doubt that, building on the experience of our participation in FP7, Irish small and medium sized enterprise, in both the manufacturing and services sectors, will continue to maximize the financial benefits from EU Commission programmes supporting research and innovation.
