Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 March 2015
116. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to set out his views on the current level of investment in long-term fundamental science research; if he will ensure that funding for this area of research is being provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12388/15]
View answerPrior to a Government policy decision to make a significant investment in science, technology and innovation, research funding in Ireland was at very low levels. However, from 2000, an ambitious policy was adopted - investing in people, infrastructure and associated facilities to build the science base across many areas of scientific research in both our higher education institutions and other public research organisations; and direct support to the enterprise sector to help individual companies to build their capacity for research and development. As a result significant steps have been made in establishing a strong and excellent public research base particularly in areas where our strengths can match opportunities.
Building on this success, this Government introduced a number of policy initiatives targeted at accelerating the economic and societal return on our investment in this area. In reaching its conclusions on foot of rigorous analysis and intensive engagement with all key stakeholders, the Research Prioritisation Steering Group – a broad based group comprising membership from industry and academia - identified 14 priority areas around which the majority of competitive funding should be targeted. The areas were identified on the basis of existing strengths of the public research system, existing strengths of the enterprise base, opportunities that exist in terms of the global marketplace and those which are most likely to deliver economic and societal impact and employment.
Evidence, from both the EU and internationally, shows that this strategy is paying off. Globally, we are ranked:
- 11th in the Global Innovation Index 2014, out of 142 countries.
- 15th in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook for 2014, up two places from 2013.
- 1st in the world for inward investment and quality, as per the IBM Global Location Trends Report of 2013.
- 1st in Europe and 2nd in the world for the number of investment jobs per capita, as per the same report.
- 3rd in the new EU 'Indicator of Innovation Output', and
- 9th in the European Commission's 2014 Innovation Union Scoreboard.
Excellence in scientific research has been and will continue to be a cornerstone in the development of our science base in Ireland and this has been complemented in recent years by a sharper focus on the relevance and impact of research. While Research Prioritisation saw a greater emphasis on the economic and societal impact of research it did not represent a move away from funding basic research. Policy has been and will continue to be to support research across the full continuum from basic to applied, through to commercialisation of research. Ireland has been listed among the top 20 countries in global rankings for the quality of our scientific research and we have excelled in certain scientific disciplines. For example, Ireland is ranked:
- 1st in immunology,
- 1st in animal and dairy,
- 3rd in nanotechnology and
- 4th in computer science.
While the mandate of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) was expanded in 2013 to include applied as well as basic oriented research, SFI is still mandated to fund earlier stage research. However, all research supported by SFI must be in strategic areas of opportunity for the State in line with our research prioritisation agenda and it must have impact. Impact is measured broadly across a range of areas including the economy and society, health and well-being, capacity and skills, natural capital and the built environment. This has manifested itself in the establishment of 12 large scale research centres in areas of relevance to the economy and society.
In the context of our ongoing fiscal constraints and the many competing demands for investment of public funds, the Government will continue to support excellent and impactful research across the continuum from basic to applied in strategic areas of opportunity for the State. This approach will underpin the successor to the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation which is currently being formulated by an Interdepartmental Committee which includes key Government Departments and the HEA as well as the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government.
