R&D investment ‘vital for economy’

THE Government needs to make increased investment in R&D a top priority in negotiations on the future EU budget, a top advisory group said yesterday.

The Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation said Irish researchers and enterprises benefited greatly from participation in EU research programmes and that a big increase in R&D funding at EU level would help Ireland and the union.

Council chairman Mary Cryan said: “The Government has provided strong leadership in developing Ireland as an internationally-competitive knowledge-based economy in according a high priority to investment in R&D under the National Development Plan, 2000-2006.