Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 March 2018
246. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if she will provide an overview of the revised research priority areas in each of the years 2018 to 2023; the details of each revised action committed to in tabular form; the deadline for this action to be completed; and the budget funding to be made available to priority areas. [14911/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraInnovation 2020, Ireland’s strategy for research and development, science and technology, committed to refreshing and revising the priority areas which were introduced under Research Prioritisation in 2012 to ensure that they are still valid in light of changed circumstances.
A rigorous exercise including extensive consultation was undertaken to develop the evidence base to inform the refresh exercise. While the evidence demonstrated that for many of the priority areas, the focus remains as relevant in 2018 as it was for the 2012 -2017 cycle, there have been several revisions and updates to both the themes and the priority areas to reflect changing circumstances in that period.
- The ICT priority areas have been broadened to reflect the changes in technology since 2012 and now include Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (including Machine Learning), Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.
- With the focus on preventive health measures and the increasing emphasis on well-being, which is evident across all the health-related priority areas, the Health theme has been evolved to reflect these drivers and is renamed Health and Well-being.
- The Sustainable Food Production and Processing priority area is broadened to reflect the evolution in technology since 2012 and the key emerging priorities in the EU initiative Food 2030, particularly the need for climate smart and environmentally sustainable food systems and the need for circularity and resources efficiency of food systems and is renamed Smart and Sustainable Food Production and Processing.
- The most significant changes have been to the Energy theme. Based on developments since 2012, including the increased urgency to address climate change and sustainability challenges, alongside the increased opportunities for enterprise within this wider context, the Research Priority theme has evolved to reflect these drivers and is renamed Energy, Climate Action and Sustainability, and the two priority areas have been updated to Decarbonising the Energy System; and Sustainable Living.
- To reflect the impact of technological change and the digitisation of manufacturing since 2012, the Manufacturing Competitiveness priority area is renamed Advanced and Smart Manufacturing (which will also include Processing Technologies) and Processing Technologies and Novel Materials is renamed Manufacturing and Novel Materials, acknowledging that Novel Materials underpin and enable other priority areas, presenting particular challenges for the manufacturing sector.
- The services sector in Ireland is a major part of Ireland’s economy and is increasingly participating in innovative activities and the Innovation in Services and Business Processes research priority remains unchanged.
The revised priority areas are as follows:
|
Theme |
Priority Area |
|
ICT |
- Future Networks, Communications and Internet of Things - Data Analytics, Management, Security, Privacy, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (including Machine Learning) - Digital Platforms, Content and Applications, and Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality |
|
Health and Wellbeing |
- Connected Health and Independent Living - Medical Devices - Diagnostics - Therapeutics |
|
Food |
- Food for Health - Smart and Sustainable Food Production and Processing |
|
Energy, Climate Action and Sustainability |
- Decarbonising and Energy System - Sustainable Living |
|
Manufacturing and Materials |
- Advanced and Smart Manufacturing - Manufacturing and Novel Materials |
|
Services and Business Processes |
- Innovation in Services and Business Processes |
These priority areas will apply for the years 2018 to 2023. While there are no specific actions prescribed to each of the priority areas, the Government’s policy is to align the majority of competitively awarded public investment in research with these areas.
Implementation will be driven through the Innovation 2020 Implementation Group, which is chaired by my Department and comprises membership from each of the research funding Departments and Agencies and the Chief Scientific Adviser.
The revised priority areas will be of particular relevance in the context of the new €500 million Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund announced by the Government as part of the National Development Plan 2018-2027.
