Plea to business chiefs over research and development

Business chiefs and academics must work side by side to ensure Ireland creates a reservoir of talent to support its growing knowledge-based economy, it was claimed today.

With industry investment in research and development topping €1bn, Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin warned that without a dynamic approach to R&D the economy could hit a brick wall.

“We are all aware that successful economies of the future will be those that embrace knowledge and learn to use it,” the minister told a conference of business chiefs and academics.

“For Ireland, this involves promoting excellence and using knowledge to bring together our best scientists, educators and entrepreneurs to work across sectors and industries.

“Global competition is creating pressure for improvements in efficiency, quality and productivity and there is a growing need to innovate and add value across all aspects of business. These pressures are only going to increase.”

The conference, Exchanging Knowledge – Next Generation Researchers for Universities and Industry at Dublin City University, is discussing ways to boost the R&D sector and deal with the huge rise in research scientists and engineers over the next seven years.

The Government aims to double the number of science and engineering PhDs working in Ireland and to raise PhD numbers from 450 to 900 per annum.

Business federation, IBEC, revealed industry investment in R&D crossed the €1bn threshold in 2003. It also suggested the trend would continue a series of major R&D investments announced by IBM, €22m, HP €21.4m, Bell Labs employing 120 researchers and Pfizer €20m.

But the minister warned Ireland would be facing stiff competition from around the world to attract R&D.

“There is no room, however, for complacency in this highly competitive and rapidly evolving, global trading environment,” Mr Martin said.

“If we are to succeed in our research efforts, it is not enough to strengthen our academic capability and output. It is also necessary to develop more research-performing companies, and to have a sharper focus in the coming period on the commercialisation of publicly-funded research.”

IBEC insisted the increased investment and rise in number of trained researchers was vital if companies were to seriously consider Ireland as a base for major R&D projects.

Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, President of the Irish Universities Association, said availability of skilled researchers is a key component of the knowledge economy.

“The onus is equally on government, industry and academia to ensure that Ireland can employ these skilled personnel on graduation,” the professor said.

“We must not have a situation where PhDs fail to find a suitable job, or where students choose not to embark on a PhD due to the lack of robust career opportunities.”