Goal

Lead a whole-of-Government ambition to position Ireland as a Global Innovation Leader, driving an internationally competitive research and development system, creating an innovative enterprise base and building a better society

Innovation 2020, our national strategy for research and development, science and technology, sets a vision for Ireland to become a Global Innovation Leader. It aims to create an internationally competitive research and innovation system, driving a sustainable economy and ultimately, to create a better society. We will continue to drive the implementation of Innovation 2020 across Government to deliver key targets including the headline target of investing 2.5% of GNP in R&D by 2020.

Innovation is central to a resilient and internationally competitive enterprise base particularly in the context of Brexit and other global developments. Together with Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, we will drive and support greater engagement in RD&I by both Irish and foreign owned enterprises and by both SMEs and large scale enterprises. We will tailor our supports and target our investment at strategically important areas of commercial opportunity where we can achieve innovation leadership and sustain a competitive edge. We will enhance supports for the transfer of knowledge from our public research system to enterprise to deliver research outputs with greater commercial potential.

As the European country with the highest proportion of young people, we have an opportunity to nurture talent to best serve the needs of the research community, our society and economy. Through Science Foundation Ireland we will develop this talent and show young people the opportunities in the new knowledge-based sectors of our economy. We will support researchers at all stages of their career development and provide practical means to facilitate mobility between academia and enterprise.Innovation 2020 aims to increase enrolment of PhD and Research Masters students in disciplines aligned to enterprise and national needs. Budget 2018 made funding available for a new postgraduate programme to be administered by Science Foundation Ireland and which will fund postgraduate researcher enrolments in disciplines under its remit.

In the area of intellectual property, we will actively engage with, and respond to, new challenges in the digital market context, support the deepening of innovation, including at enterprise level. We will strengthen our comprehensive legislative framework for intellectual property rights at domestic, EU and international level.

We will continue to promote participation in Horizon 2020 to increase the level of research and innovation in Ireland, including the competitiveness of companies operating in Ireland; to enhance the excellence of Ireland’s research system; and to create develop world-class skills. We will coordinate the national position on Framework Programme 9, the successor programme to Horizon 2020, and will lead in the negotiations with the EU on this. We will explore new opportunities to enrich the national research and innovation environment through membership of International Research Organisations, including membership of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) which Ireland will join in 2018.

Outcomes

Progress towards Ireland becoming a Global Innovation Leader.

Excellent and impactful research in areas aligned to Ireland’s enterprise needs.

Accessible research and innovation supports targeting the needs of enterprise.

A progressive Intellectual Property regime that rewards creators, meets wider societal needs and

encourages greater levels of innovation by businesses.

Enhanced research and innovation collaboration with EU and international partners.

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