A series of roadshows aimed at encouraging research and development collaborations between industry and academia was launched at University College Cork this morning.
Hosted by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), the roadshows will focus on ground-breaking work being done at seven Government-supported Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology (CSETs), and how it can be commercially exploited.
Seven leading scientists will illustrate how the teams, funded by the SFI CSET Programme, conduct cutting-edge scientific research, in close collaboration with indigenous and multinational industry.
Funded by grants of up to €25 million from SFI, the centres link scientists and engineers in partnerships across academia and industry.
Unveiling the roadshows today, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin confirmed plans to spend €8.2 billion (NDP 2007-2013) on research in the next seven years.
"Industrial-academic collaborations are central to the Government's long-term economic strategy. By bringing together researchers from Irish third-level institutions with their counterparts in indigenous and multinational companies‚ these centres create a force for knowledge and innovation that is greater than the sum of its parts," he said.
"Ireland's sustained economic growth and prosperity depends upon establishing a culture of scientific and technological innovation‚ a high level of research and development‚ and a globally competitive knowledge-based economy," he added.