Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 December 2016
263. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which she expects innovation to play a distinct role in this country's economic performance in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39319/16]
View answerSupporting innovation is a key pillar of Ireland’s enterprise policy given the role of innovation in driving productivity, competitiveness and thereby the creation and maintenance of jobs. Innovation 2020, Ireland's cross-governmental strategy for Research and Development, Science and Technology, is based on a shared vision of Ireland becoming a Global Innovation Leader, driving a strong, sustainable, high employment economy and a better society.
Key to achieving the vision in Innovation 2020 is ensuring that our enterprise base remains resilient and internationally competitive. My Department and its agencies 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.
Achieving the vision outlined in Innovation 2020 will mean that there will be:
- More enterprises engaged in RDI, including enterprises in the locally traded sectors, to drive productivity performance;
- More enterprises progressing from early engagement with RDI to embedding innovation as a key part of their business model in a self-sustaining way;
- Businesses across the enterprise base embracing new technologies to build successful business models;
- Achieving innovation leadership in key sectors where we can sustain a competitive edge;
- Greater utilisation by enterprises of the research assets of our Higher Education Institutes, by engaging with Research Centres and Technology Centres;
- Greater success in translating intellectual property or new thinking into commercial products and services - by providing better supports for knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship, infrastructure for test-bedding, and access to funding.
Over the course of the strategy, we will further enhance State support for commercialising research and for transferring knowledge from the public research system into enterprise. This will result in more licensing of technologies and the creation of more spinout companies and ultimately jobs.
