Martin outlines plans for enterprise strategy

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment today outlined plans to implement recommendations made in the Enterprise Strategy…

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment today outlined plans to implement recommendations made in the Enterprise Strategy Group's report.

Mr Martin said the Government intends to implement 70 per cent of the 51 recommendations made in the report and deliver "partial or modified implementation" in all bar two of the proposals.

The report, published last July, is intended as blueprint for industrial development over the next 10 years and contains proposals to develop Ireland's marketing expertise, invest more in research and technology and improve the quality of education and training in the workforce.

As part of the Enterprise Action Plan, Mr Martin said he will establish an expert group to advise on implementing the report's recommendations.

READ MORE

He said: "The internationalisation of Irish companies will be the key agenda item in the coming year."

The Minister said he has had a number of meetings with Enterprise Ireland and has ordered a complete business process and organisational re-engineering of the body's overseas and marketing support division.

He said he has also asked FÁS and Enterprise Ireland to work together to expand and develop the existing FÁS graduate programme, which was created for graduates who have lived or are living in some of our most important export markets.

Minister Martin said his department has established a joint working group involving SFI, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Forfas to ensure "the most effective operationalisation of the Technology Ireland concept".

The Government aims to increase business expenditure on R&D from €1.1 billion in 2003 to €2.5 billion in 2010.