Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 May 2015
97. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which innovation continues to play a major role in job creation, in both the manufacturing and services sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18895/15]
View answerThe importance of science, technology and innovation (STI) to Ireland is recognised by the Government as being crucial to growth in our indigenous and FDI sectors and plays a key role in job creation. Investment in STI is an essential component of supporting an innovative and enterprising economy. It assists in creating and maintaining high-value jobs and attracts, develops and nurtures business, scientists and talented people, ensuring Ireland is connected and respected internationally.
My Department and its agencies are focused on the development and support of internationally trading manufacturing and services firms in Ireland, and have a clear and steady focus on the potential and opportunities that exist and can be created by prioritising innovation and technology as a key driver of success. Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland provide a spectrum of innovation and science/technology development programmes that deliver financial, technical and experiential support to help companies become more innovative, encourage and support competitiveness, and help them grow their sales and exports in order to create a climate in which sustainable employment will grow and expand.
Evidence, from both the EU and internationally, shows that the Government’s strategy of accelerating the economic and societal return on our STI investment is paying off. Globally, Ireland is ranked:
- 1st in the world for the availability of skilled labour [Source: IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook];
- 11th in the Global Innovation Index 2014 out of 143 countries [Source: Cornell University, INSEAD and WIPO 2014]
- 13th in the world for university-industry collaboration on R&D [Source: Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014]
In addition, Ireland has improved its position for 2 years in a row in the European Commission Innovation Union Scoreboard according to the 2015 edition published just last week. We are now ranked 8th amongst the 28 EU Member States moving from 9th place in 2014 and 10th place in 2013. It is particularly encouraging to see that Ireland is the overall leader in two specific dimensions: Innovators – which measures how innovative firms are; and Economic Effects - which captures economic success stemming from innovation in terms of employment, revenue and exports.
