State science agency backs energy research

STATE AGENCY Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is spending €26 million on supporting research into new energy sources and technology.

SFI, set up to support academic research in strategic areas with the potential to create jobs and boost competitiveness, formally launched its energy strategy yesterday. At the launch, director general Prof Frank Gannon said the agency was currently backing energy-related projects that have received €45 million in funding from the State.

SFI has committed €26 million of this figure, and the agency has “inherited” projects from other support schemes that have received €19 million.

The research includes marine energy, carbon capture (systems for dealing with greenhouse gas emissions from fuels such as coal), energy-efficient building systems, solar cell components, and electricity transmission and distribution systems.

According to Prof Gannon, many of the projects also have the support of businesses, including Airtricity, the ESB, and the national grid manager, Eirgrid.

In the other areas on which it focuses, IT and biotechnology, SFI chooses projects that show high standards of research and the potential for industrial collaboration.

Prof Gannon pointed out yesterday that SFI-backed projects involve 285 companies as partners, while there are 148 agreements in place between businesses and foundation-backed researchers.

It will take the same approach to energy, along with establishing “strategic research clusters” aimed at attracting researchers and promoting collaboration between scientists and engineers from different disciplines.

SFI has a budget of about €20 million for new projects this year, and expects to have around €165 million committed in its entire portfolio by the end of 2009.

At the launch, Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan said SFI’s remit has been extended to include energy, because significant opportunities are emerging in the area. Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan said the strategy was a “crucial development in Ireland’s energy policy”.