Ireland has a number of natural and infrastructural advantages which could be leveraged as research test beds. Test beds can provide a unique opportunity for users to demonstrate, in an open and unbiased manner, how working technology actually operates in a live country-scale environment.
SFI in its strategy Agenda 2020 has identified opportunities for Ireland as a research test bed in such areas as the smart grid, telecommunications, hospitals, etc. SFI’s funding programmes such as the SFI Research Centres, the SFI Spokes Programme and SFI Partnerships can facilitate test bed collaborations between industry and researchers.
The current proposals by my Department in support of the development of Ireland as a research test bed are set out in the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs 2014 as follows:
Promote Ireland as a test bed in the areas of renewable energy and grid development and work with industry and researchers to develop opportunities for test-bedding Smart Grid technologies.
In order to deliver on this objective the following specific action has been identified as necessary:
The National Smart Grid Implementation Advisory Group will develop a structured access and contracting framework for a distributed national smart grid test bed and assist a number of companies in developing Smart Grid test bedding projects.
Responsibility for the delivery of this particular action by Quarter 4 2014 lies with the following bodies: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI); Enterprise Ireland; the IDA; and Science Foundation Ireland.
