Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014
462. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason the collaborative research projects between industry and academia has been set at 825 as per action129 of the Action Plan for Jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13169/14]
View answerEnterprise Ireland operates a range of supports to help companies engage with third level researchers to undertake collaborative research for the benefit of the company. In this way Irish companies can leverage the wealth of experience, skills and resources in the higher education system in a cost effective and even cost-free way depending on the most appropriate support. Enterprise Ireland’s collaborative supports are scaled and tailored to meet the varying needs of industry and range from small €5,000 Innovation Voucher projects to larger Innovation Partnership projects which can provide support of up to €200,000. Enterprise Ireland also plays a critical role in helping Irish companies and researchers engage in international research under the European Union’s almost €80 billion Horizon 2020 programme.
The 2014 target of 825 supported collaborative research projects between industry and academia was set by Enterprise Ireland based on its experience of working with industry and in supporting collaborative research, and also in cognisance of the expected levels of demand from industry and the capacity of the research system to undertake the number of projects.
